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The AGM of the priests of the Christchurch diocese was held this week on October 16 and 17 in the St. Gregory’s Parish Centre, Bishopdale. This is the annual meeting of Bishop Barry Jones with all the priests of the diocese. During the meeting members are elected to various bodies such as the Council of Read more
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Dear Fathers, We are writing this letter to you today because we have some things we want to say to you. Some things are easier to say than others, but here you go. Before that, though, a HUGE thank you. Thank you for having the courage to say yes to your counter-cultural vocation. We are forever grateful Read more
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Spike Milligan is a Catholic hero of mine. In his will, he asked that he be buried in the chuch cemetery in the village in Ireland where his parents came from. On the tombstone he asked that the inscription read: “I told you I was ill.” Just to complete the comic routine, the next joke Read more
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The Bishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, has used strong language to criticise priests who refuse to baptise children born to single mothers. Almost apologising for the actions of some priests, Bergoglio recalled the story of a young unmarried mother who had the courage to bring her child into the world and who then Read more
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“Groundless and scurrilous” is how Cardinal Timothy Dolan described reports that he approved payments to priests facing sex abuse charges while he was archbishop of Milwaukee. Cornered by reporters at St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, after Mass on Sunday, Dolan accused the NY Times of inaccurate reporting. Dolan was also of the view that the Read more
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Former Ireland president Mary McAleese has called on the papal nuncio to show more leniency to priests who speak on controversial matters. McAleese told the Vatican’s Ireland representative, Archbishop Charles Brown, that the priests were held in high esteem by the public. The remarks were reportedly made during a lunch with the Papal Nuncio last month, Read more
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Priests in Papua New Guinea have been reminded that priesthood and politics don’t mix. They have been told that no Bishop in Papua or the Solomon Islands has ever given or will ever give permission to one of his priests to enter politics. This is the message contained in a letter sent to all priests Read more
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Priests in Ireland are now legally obliged to break the Confessional Seal and report the sexual abuse of children, reports The Tablet. The change was confirmed by Ireland’s Justice Minister Alan Shatter who said the laws were intended to encourage every individual to report abuse, and it would apply to priests in the confessional. Shatter Read more
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The Archdiocese of Wellington, New Zealand, is presenting a four-day orientation session in May for recently arrived priests coming to serve in the NZ church, called “Landing the Waka.” These priests come from Samoa, Kiribati, the Philippines and India. As well as information about the church, their welcome pack includes information on New Zealand and Read more
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Catholic priests in Ireland were treated like imbeciles during a Vatican probe into the clerical child abuse crisis that rocked the country, it has been claimed. Father Sean McDonagh criticised the investigation and maintained processes used by Rome when examining complaints about clergy were appalling. The Columban Father, a founding member of the liberal Association Read more
