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There has been an opportunity for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops meet to with Pope Benedict XVI. This was the first of two meetings they will have with the Pope during their ad limina visit. The second meeting will take place on Saturday 17 December.
President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop John Dew of Wellington, said the meeting consisted of “good conversation” with the Holy Father, who spoke with each of the bishops about their dioceses. Each bishop submitted a report on their diocese for the Holy Father prior to the ad limina visit.
Before meeting with the Pope the bishops met with the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and celebrated Mass with the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) at the altar of the tomb of Saint Peter in the Vatican Grottos
On Wednesday the bishops met with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during which they will discuss the Cause for the Beatification of Suzanne Aubert.
On Thursday they met with the Congregation for Clergy, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and the Secretariat of State. The Secretariat of State is divided into two sections, the Section for General Affairs and the Section for Relations with States. The current Substitute for General Affairs is Archbishop Giovanni Becciu who served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Wellington during the 1990s.
The first meeting for Friday is with the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. Following this some of the bishops will meet with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity while the others meet with the Pontifical Council for the Family. In the evening the bishops will celebrate Mass again with CEPAC at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls.
On Saturday groups of the bishops will meet with three Pontifical Councils – the Pontifical Councils for Legislative Texts, Social Communications, and Cor Unum. Some of the bishops will meet with the Congregation for Catholic Education on Saturday
The visit will conclude on Sunday with a lunch at the Society of Mary Generalate. Here the bishops will meet with New Zealand priests, religious and lay people who are studying or working in Rome.
(The days given are New Zealand time, a day ahead of the time in Rome)
Sources:
- NZCBC
- The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch
- Image: Endrtimes
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