Can we take Noah’s story literally when the list in Genesis 10 mentions only people of black and white races? Nothing is said of other ethnic groups because the author of the list knew only the Near East of his time.
For 18 years after leaving school, David worked in the New Zealand Customs Service … always thinking in the back of his mind that he would like to become a priest. ‘But I kept putting it aside because I thought I wasn’t good enough, not holy enough.
Br Loughlan Sofield and Sr Carroll Juliano worked with pastoral areas in the Wellington Archdiocese in August and say they are impressed with the extent to which Wellington is already using collaborative ministry.
Today’s gospel reading makes an outrageous call on the followers of Jesus that they ignore the carefully drafted laws of cleanliness and invite the poor, the unclean and the lame to dine with them.
The children of Holy Family School have turned a vigil against family violence into an occasion for affirming their family life.
Catholic humanitarian agency Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has pledged $15,000 towards relief in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Peru last week.
Te Kahui o te Ariki member, Tui Cadigan RSM, who represents Māori women religious on Te Runanga, said it was important for the first peoples of this nation to have a voice at the bishops’ table. ‘When we lost our bishop it was a huge blow. Even though he tried, it was not possible to get around the country as the people may have wished. It is hard to encourage Māori to go where they are ignored. The other bishops will hopefully be prepared to bend over backwards to support Māori in their desire for a bishop of Māori descent.’ As an agency of the New Zealand Bishops’ Conference, the runanga has a specific role of pastoral care for Māori. Each bishop has two representatives and there are representatives for the Māori priests and for the Māori religious women. ‘We need to have a Māori sitting at that table to signal recognition of the Treaty relationship and the Catholic Church. If Takuira’s appointment was just a token gesture, that’s not good for Māori. My understanding was that it was more than that.
This year is the centenary of the birth of Pedro Arrupe, the former Jesuit Superior General. He was present at Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. In both what he said and what he does not say he provokes reflection on the meaning of Hiroshima.