WelCom October 2020 Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea, Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship, says it is ‘necessary and urgent’ to return to public Masses as soon as anti-Covid-19 measures permit. The Vatican’s top official for liturgy has urged Catholic bishops around the world not to let religious worship be relegated to a […]
WelCom October 2020 Addressing the wave of protests that have swept around the world this summer [Northern Hemisphere], some of which have turned violent, the Pope has appealed for peaceful demonstrations and for those fuelled by hate to let go and move toward forgiveness and reconciliation. But he also appealed to those in authority to […]
WelCom September 2020 The New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ 2020 general election statement encourages informed participation in this year’s general election in October. In their statement, produced in booklet form, and being made available through parishes, the bishops say, ‘We are all connected’ and they ask ‘What kind of nation do we want?’ Their statement draws […]
WelCom September 2020 The Catholic Church in New Zealand has welcomed the publication by the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care, of details of the commission’s investigation into abuse committed in the care of the Church. The commission has published documents giving details of its investigation into the Church – including the Church’s part in […]
WelCom September 2020 The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has launched eight new investigations, including one about Marylands, the Christchurch school run by the Catholic religious congregation, the Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God, from the 1950s to 1984. The Royal Commission has published the details of its Marylands case study […]
WelCom September 2020 Michael Fitzsimons The Covid-19 lockdowns have resulted in a sharp rise in requests for support from the St Vincent de Paul Society across the country. The response from volunteers and donors has been tremendous, says Marlena Hoeft-Marwick, National President of the St Vincent de Paul Society. ‘Some people have donated money, others […]
WelCom September 2020 The Ministry of Social Development advises there is a fund available to community groups for initiatives that support the rebuild and recovery from Covid-19. The $36 million fund is available from 1 August 2020 to support communities over the next two years. To point groups and organisations in your networks to this […]
WelCom September 2020 Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention During the month of September 2020 Pope Francis’ Universal Prayer Intention is: Respect for the Planet’s Resources. We pray that the planet’s resources will not be plundered, but shared in a just and respectful manner. The day is inspired by Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical Laudato si’, which calls […]
WelCom September 2020 Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is providing urgently needed funding for Lebanon following the massive explosion in the port of Beirut on Tuesday, 4 August, Caritas Director Juliette Hickey announced the day after the explosion. The blast killed at least 100 people and injured more than 4,000 others. It registered as a 4.5 […]
WelCom September 2020 Pope Francis has appointed six women to help oversee the Vatican’s finances, in the most senior roles ever given to women within the Catholic Church’s leadership. The appointments mark the most significant step by Francis to fulfil his promise of placing women in top positions and righting the gender balance in senior […]