May 2014 Opinion Fr James Lyons On 27 April, in the brightness of Easter joy and before one of the largest crowds to gather in St Peter’s Square, two new saints were added to the universal Catholic calendar, both former Bishops of Rome. One was pope for less than five years, the other 27 years
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May 2014 News Cecily McNeill This issue’s gospel reading depicts two of Jesus’ disciples on the road to Emmaus puzzling over the events of the past days – how their friend and mentor, Jesus, prophet and son of the father, could have come to such an ignominious end, crucified as a common criminal. He was
Read more »Opinion April 2014 Cecily McNeill The date of the next general election is set for 20 September and we must all start thinking about who we want to represent us at the highest levels. For many an election is a tedious business and voter apathy abounds. Fuelling this ennui may be a lack of knowledge
Read more »Opinion March 2014 Cecily McNeill New Zealand’s economy has acquired international ‘rock star’ status with unusually high growth projected for 2014, but at what cost? Our child poverty figures are shameful with a quarter of all children living below the poverty line. Some commentators say the country’s economy has never recovered from major economic policy
Read more »Opinion February 2014 Cecily McNeill The genealogy which starts the Gospel of Matthew is important in locating Jesus as descendant of Abraham and the rightful heir to David’s throne, that is, the Messiah. In the same way, our forebears in Aotearoa New Zealand who signed the Treaty of Waitangi are located in a much more
Read more »Opinion December 2013 Cecily McNeill Parents have got it in the neck once again for not supervising the sons who boasted online about having sex with drunk and sometimes underage girls. News that this group of ‘blokes’ has been preying on girls, some of whom have reportedly ‘asked for it’ has captured the wrath of
Read more »Opinion November 2013 Cecily McNeill The Wellington Church was treated to an unexpected dose of Francis tonic when Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga arrived last month fresh from chairing the pope’s new Council of Eight Cardinals and accompanying Pope Francis to Assisi. Not only did Cardinal Rodriguez give us an extra day by arriving early, but
Read more »Opinion Cecily McNeill October 2013 Local bodies govern many aspects of our daily lives and this month the country votes for a new set of representatives to make decisions about, for example, the quality of drinking water and whether its use should be measured and further charged for. Water is essential for survival and, in
Read more »Opinion Cecily McNeill September 2013 The country’s latest high-profile paedophile conviction shows how hard some children must work to win the confidence of the adults in their lives. Had the first Far North child who complained about James Parker’s abuse been believed, Parker may never have gone on to the more than 300 offences he
Read more »Opinion Cecily McNeill August 2013 A new book Inequality: A New Zealand Crisis, which features on the centre pages of this newspaper, tells of how far and fast the country has moved from honouring the dignity of the person in the interests of the common good. A chilling account of the circumstances in which a
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