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Former Catholic priest Patrick Holmes leaves Perth Magistrates Court in 2014, after pleading guilty to child sex offences dating back to 1969.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Courts & JusticePremium
The West Australian exclusive
Perth priest again accused of defiling child parishioners

A 90-year-old defrocked Catholic priest who was jailed for child sex offences is on trial again in Perth, accused of raping two altar boys more than 40 years ago.

Rebecca Le May

Squat-and-go loo, the Peequal, aims to counter women waiting up to 34 times longer to wee at events. (PR IMAGE PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumMindful of pee and queues, women's urinals on the way

A British startup plans to bring their women's urinals to events in Australia, promising the gift of shorter toilet queues to women across the nation.

Maeve Bannister

Experts forecast a record-breaking Halloween with customer spending expected to reach $2.32 billion. (Sitthixay Ditthavong/AAP PHOTOS)

Religion and BeliefPremiumScared silly: Aussie streets turn spooky for Halloween

Australians are opening their homes and wallets for Halloween as festivities get mainstream down under, but there's a cost.

Rachel Jackson

Jarvis Cocker and his band bring the Britpop sound to a free opening festival show in Adelaide. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumFree show brings Britpop legends to the common people

Legends of Britpop will play a free outdoor concert in Adelaide, as a controversial director returns to the city's international arts festival.

Liz Hobday

Former member, Jillian Hishon, co-founded a group called The Brave Truth to support victim-survivors in Australia and New Zealand and help prevent further abuse.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Religion and BeliefPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Secretive religious cult split over sex abuse claims

There’s deep angst among many of the families planning to attend the conventions at a farm property in WA’s Wheatbelt - with an accused child sex abuser set to attend two of the four-day gatherings

John Flint

Cardinal Raymond Burke presided over a Mass rich in hymn, incense and priests bowing to the altar. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumOld Latin Mass at the Vatican thrills traditionalists

Traditionalist Catholics have hailed a traditional Latin Mass that has taken place in St Peter's Basilica in a sign of change from the new pontiff.

Staff Writers

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will perform at Open'er Festival in Poland next July. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumNick Cave added to Polish festival line-up

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will join The Cure in headlining Open'er Festival in Gdynia, Poland next year.

Staff Writers

A runaway blow-up pumpkin got a ride home in the back of a divvy van in Ohio. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumRunaway inflatable pumpkin spooks US police

Police in the US state of Ohio went on pursuit of a runaway inflatable pumpkin rolling down a street.

Staff Writers

The media can act as a barrier against those who seek to rule by dividing, the Pope says. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumPope urges news media not to 'sell out' for click-bait

Pope Leo has called on news agencies to stand as a bulwark against lies and "junk" information, and to never sell out their authority.

Joshua McElwee

Pope Leo will visit Turkey on November 27-30 then be in Lebanon from November 30 to December 2. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumPope to visit Turkey and Lebanon in first trip abroad

The Vatican has announced that Pope Leo XIV will travel to Turkey and Lebanon on the first foreign trip of his papacy.

Joshua McElwee

The mass seizure of guns from WA sovereign citizens could harden their views even further, an expert claims

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
CrimeCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Expert warns WA gun seizures may fuel sovereign movement

The mass seizure of guns from WA sovereign citizens could harden their views even further, an expert claims

Caleb Runciman

WA’s top cop has cracked down on sovereign citizens by seizing their guns and ammunition after fugitive Dezi Freeman shot dead two Victoria police officers in August, declaring more than 1000 people with the fringe views live across the State.

POLICEVideoCommentsPremiumPolice reveal 1000 sovereign citizens in WA as guns seized

WA’s top cop has cracked down on sovereign citizens by seizing their guns after Dezi Freeman shot dead two Victoria police officers in August.

Caleb Runciman

Sarah Mullally's appointment was criticised by Anglican conservatives in Africa and Asia. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumFirst female archbishop to lead Church of England

Sarah Mullally has been named Britain's new Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to be chosen to lead the world's 85 million Anglicans.

London

"Our way of tackling Islamophobia is bringing people together," Ahmadiyya imam Kamran Tahir says. (Steven Markham/AAP PHOTOS)

Religion and BeliefPremium'Love for all': persecuted Muslim sect preaches unity

A majority South Asian Muslim sect is inviting Australians from all walks of life to its annual gathering of thousands for moral clarity in bleak times.

Farid Farid

For 16 days until October 5, millions will attend the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich. (EPA PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumProst! Oktoberfest celebrations begin in Munich

Over the next two-and-a-half weeks, it's estimated that up to seven million visitors will attend the 190th Oktoberfest in Munich.

Staff Writers

Sabrina Carpenter will return to the Coachella stage for the 2026 festival. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumSabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber head Coachella line-up

Coachella organisers have shared the line-up for next year's festival with Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Iggy Pop among the lead performers.

Laura Harding

Pope Leo says businesses that overpay corporate bosses like Elon Musk are headed for "big trouble". (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumPope Leo criticises high, Musk-style corporate pay

Pope Leo says paying corporate bosses massive pay packages that dwarf the earnings of employees is going to leave businesses in "big trouble".

Staff Writers

Pope Leo has made Carlo Acutis - a British-born Italian boy who died aged 15 - a saint. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumTeen computer whiz made first millennial Catholic saint

A teenager who died in 2006 has joined the ranks of Mother Teresa and Francis of Assisi after becoming a Catholic saint.

Joshua McElwee

Art duo Craig & Karl have transformed three Brisbane bridges with colourful inflatables. (Russell Freeman/AAP PHOTOS)

Religion and BeliefPremiumOver the river and into the sky, festival takes flight

Military flyovers and bridges transformed into art installations are some of the free attractions at the Brisbane Festival.

Liz Hobday

Israel's President Isaac Herzog has spoken to the Pope during a private audience at the Vatican. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumIsrael president meets Pope as war in Gaza grinds on

Pope Leo has met Israel's president at the Vatican, as Israel presses on with an offensive in Gaza City and the Vatican calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Nicole Winfield

Burning Man festivalgoers have been urged to be vigilant after a man's body was found at the site. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumBody found at Burning Man prompts homicide probe

A crime scene has been set up in a camping area at the Burning Man festival in Nevada after a body was found in a pool of blood.

Staff Writers

The Pope wants people to spend Friday fasting and "praying that the Lord grants peace and justice". (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumPope calls for fasting and prayer for peace

Pope Leo is asking the faithful to observe a day of fasting and prayers for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and other war-torn areas.

Staff Writers

Centrepoint Church Narrogin Campus pastors Boyd and Janice Hall with Centrepoint Church founder and senior pastor Joel Chelliah.

Heritage ChurchPremiumIN PICTURES: Narrogin’s century old church reopens

Centrepoint Church celebrated their official Narrogin campus opening on Saturday with church and community members seeing the newly restored heritage building which is more than a century old.

Hannah Whitehead

The controversial Santa Maria di Galeria site will soon host a vast windfarm, the Vatican says. (AP PHOTO)

Religion and BeliefPremiumVatican to become the world first carbon-neutral state

The Vatican's plan to turn a plot of land north of Rome into a giant solar farm will make it the world's first carbon neutral state, it says.

Staff Writers