New Zealand Catholic Opinion

by DOROTHY COUP When I happily tell people I have 20 grandchildren, their response is often: “I bet Christmas is expensive. How do you afford it?” Then they give a...

HOLY DESPERATION: Praying as if Your Life Depends on It by Heather King. Loyola Press (Chicago, 2017). 224 pp., US $13.95. PRAYER SEEDS: A Gathering of Blessings, Reflections and...

by Fr Ronald Rolheiser It’s no secret that today there’s been a massive drop-off in church attendance. Moreover, that drop-off in churchgoing is not paralleled by the same widespread growth...

by Bishop Thomas Tobin After attending Sunday Mass in Florida not too long ago I came across the following admonition in the Sunday bulletin: “Please come to Mass early enough...

by Fr Ron Rolheiser Have you ever noted how we spontaneously react to a perceived threat? Faced with a threat, our primal instincts tend to take over and we instantly freeze...

This is the second part of a two-part article written by Bishop Peter Cullinane titled: Wars and rumours of war and peacemaking. We cannot exclude from the title of “peace-makers” those who...

by Mike Baird There’s a community of people I’ve come to know since my work shifted into the CBD.  I meet them on my way to and from the coffee shop. They’re walking...

Editorial Is there a problem with the Vatican’s chosen theme for Church World Day of Peace 2016? The selected theme, announced earlier this month, is “Overcome indifference and win peace”. How can...

As new revelations of clergy sexual abuse of minors are made the question posed to Catholics is — what should one do? Many suggestions can be made, but it is becoming increasingly apparent...

EDITORIAL For thousands of years, indigenous peoples lived free in their territories. When European monarchies arrived in the Western Hemisphere during the so-called Age of Discovery, they claimed the lands,...

In the wake of the fire which seriously damaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last month, NZ Catholic asked its publisher, Bishop Patrick Dunn, to share some...

by REX EVANS  We recently went to Medjugorje at Our Lady’s command and spent a week there with members of a group called Maranatha Conversion. They are based in Brussells, Belgium,...

One of the visual attractions of this time of year is the growing practice of decorating houses with Christmas lights. A prominent example is Franklin Road in Ponsonby in Auckland,...

by Fr Wayne Healy It’s a sad state of affairs to read and see nation after nation in conflict with each other, such as Syria, Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan — and...

In the fading days of summer, Kiwi Catholics know that another season looms — Lent, with its increased focus on prayer, almsgiving and fasting, in preparation for Easter.  St Augustine described fasting and...

by Emeritus Bishop Peter Cullinane To a particular way of thinking about right and wrong, giving people who are unable to receive Holy Communion lead roles in the Christian community...

By Carolyn Moynihan One of the great concerns in advanced economies is unemployment among men, and  especially young men. In the United States, millions of manufacturing jobs have disappeared with the advance of technological change,...

It appears that at least one person is not happy at all with the election statement from the New Zealand Catholic bishops titled “Step Out and Vote”. That person...

by Fr Kevin Waldie, SM August 24: 21st Sunday of Year: Readings: 1. Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138; 2. Romans 11:33- 36; Gospel, Matthew 16:13-20 There is in today’s readings a presence...

On May 11, Parliament took the first step towards abolishing the blasphemous libel provision of the Crimes Act. An amendment was accepted during the second reading of the Statutes...

One of the unfortunate things about government in New Zealand is the low turnout in local body elections.  All the indications are that the turnout for this month’s elections tested record low percentages. That...

by Fr Ronald Rolheiser Several years ago, the movie Argo won the Academy award as the best movie of the year. I enjoyed the movie in that it was a...

by Michael Hempseed A few years ago I went along to a Church meeting in England. It was basically a How-to-Fix-the- Church meeting. The topic of why there were no young people...

by LYN SMITH Why is everyone talking about Catholic Social Teaching these days? Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is a term we appear to hear more frequently since Francis became Pope...

by DOROTHY COUP A booking clerk from the hospital rang to say there had been a cancellation and was I able to take the appointment for surgery next week? “Oh, good,” I...

BY JULIA DU FRESNE I once knew a parish priest who didn’t believe in purgatory. He said so. From the pulpit. Another concedes that it exists — but not for...

by Stacy Trasancos Some say they were pursued by the Hound of Heaven, a grace that would not take leave, not in the “nights” or “down the days,” the “arches...

by Robert Barron Two news items from early June put me in mind of St Irenaeus and the battle he waged, 19 centuries ago, against the Gnostic heresy. The first was...

Editorial Comments by a Nelson school principal about an overblown sense of entitlement among young people have touched one of New Zealand’s most sensitive nerves. A favourite Kiwi debating point over...

by Emma O’Connell Ever had to employ the intercession of a saint? When my husband and I got married four years ago we thought we’d quickly and naturally fall pregnant...