West Coasters went about their business today hoping for the best but painfully aware of the grim record of tragedies in mining.

He avoided yesterday's Pike River blast by minutes - now a miner waits for news of trapped workmates.

Soaring 36m towards the heavens, a new statue in Poland has dethroned the landmark Jesus of Rio de Janeiro as the world's tallest statue of Christ.

A shrine to Saint Mary of The Cross MacKillop was unveiled in Auckland yesterday.

Mary MacKillop, who died more than 100 years ago, had strong ties to New Zealand.

The canonisation of Mary MacKillop will have a special resonance in Otago's Arrowtown, writes Shane Gilchrist.

One of America's richest and most well-known men may make a run for the White House.

The Independent's Dominic Lawson writes about how the Pope won a lot of friends on his recent visit to Britain.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be made an official saint of the Roman Catholic Church tomorrow, just 19 years after her death.

Susan Boyle has spoken of her honour at being chosen to sing for Pope Benedict XVI when he visits Glasgow in September.

The principal of an elite Australian Catholic college has suspended a group of boys allegedly involved in a $6000 theft spree in Queenstown.

The Human Rights Commission has bowed to Catholic Church objections to a statement that NZ was a secular state and religion was only for the "private sphere".

At the peak of the Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse crisis, the discipline plan American bishops adopted prompted dioceses to remove nearly all accused clergy from the priesthood.

'I once again express my deep sorrow and offer a sincere and unreserved apology to all victims of sexual abuse,' says Archbishop Denis Hart.

The German Pontiff's favourite recipes are a suicidal mix of fried, buttery and carnivorous pleasures.