Anglican and Catholic bishops met at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay last week.
The meeting was part of their ongoing commitment to dialogue between the two Churches.
They have previously met on numerous occasions and worked together on issues including homelessness, poverty, trafficking and the environment.
The bishops shared a meal and gathered in prayer on Tuesday evening, before Wednesday’s meeting.
Archbishop Sir David Moxon, of the Anglican Church, joined the gathering to share reflections on Anglican-Roman Catholic Ecumenism including ways to work together in areas of justice, development and peacemaking.
As part of the day’s discussions, the bishops looked at a new approach to Māori Pastoral Care in Aotearoa.
The Wellington Catholic Archdiocese was discussed, as an example, where a new approach to Māori Pastoral Care is being implemented to enable Archdiocese services to build their respective Māori capability and capacity.
During the day, the bishops also considered the topic of secularisation, tracing the history of secular thought, its philosophical and scientific underpinnings and some results, both positive and negative, of such changes in mainly Western society.
Bishop Philip Richardson who, as Archbishop, shares the leadership of the Anglican Church in these islands, said “Catholic and Anglican Bishops have enjoyed strong friendships over many years.
“These friendships have translated into cooperation on many things at a local level and across the country.”
Bishop Patrick Dunn, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops, commented further, “the bishops have shared some really fruitful discussions on a number of issues and this meeting has been a valuable opportunity to reconnect and reflect on how we can continue to work in achieving our shared goals.”
Source
Supplied: Amanda Gregan
Communications Advisor – NZ Catholic Bishops
Te Huinga o ngā Pīhopa Katorika o Aotearoa