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A claim that New Zealand’s Catholic bishops trace their lineage back to the Apostles through New Zealand’s first bishop, Jean-Baptise Pompallier has been disputed.
The claim was made by the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference on Facebook.
As their time in Rome was ending, Bishops Laurenson and Adams visited the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.
The Church where the bishops had their photos taken is the one where Bishop Pompallier was ordained Bishop more than 180 years ago.
While Pompallier’s link to New Zealand is not disputed, commenter Matthew Blair points out that the lineage link to Pompallier claimed by the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference is incorrect.
In reply to the Conference’s claim, Blair acknowledges that Pompallier has a special place in our history but says that according to the Catholic Hierarchy, most, if not all, our current bishops trace their lineage through Cardinal McKeefry to Cardinal Gilroy of Sydney, then via several senior Italian cardinals to Pope Clement XIII.
According to Catholic Hierarchy, Pompallier did not even consecrate New Zealand’s second bishop, Philippe Viard.
Archbishop Polding, the Archbishop of Sydney, consecrated Viard. Pompallier only co-consecrated Viard.
According to Catholic Hierarchy, Pompallier was not the principal consecrator of any other bishop.
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