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The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference have written to the group calling themselves Catholic Action and instructed them to cease using the word Catholic in their name immediately.
The bishops do not consider the language used by the group in its communications, and actions the group has taken, to be consistent with the way in which a Catholic group should operate.
Canon Law provides for bishops to grant permission for the use of the name Catholic and the ability to remove it. The bishops have sent a letter to all Members of Parliament informing them that they do not have permission to use the word Catholic in their name and to cease using it. The bishops also assured Members that they do not condone the way in which the group operates, and that they do not consider it to be a Catholic group.
Catholic Action sent communications to MPs and media throughout their campaign against the Marriage Definition Bill. Their submission was rejected on the grounds that it was offensive. This means it was not considered or even seen by the committee, and will never be released publicly by Parliament.
Catholic action has previously protested against “blasphemous” art at Te Papa, ripped down church billboards depicting the Virgin Mary taking a pregnancy test, called for Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn to be sacked by the Pope if he did not to recant his qualified support for contraception, and called New Zealand’s Catholic bishops “gutless”.
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News category: New Zealand, Top Story.
