Archbishop Dew says the call to new evangelisation in the New Zealand situation “means that we must talk about Evangelisers.” He said “The formation and ongoing formation of all involved in the evangelising mission of the Church must be our first priority.” He was speaking on Monday in Rome at at the Synod on Evangelisation. Archbishop Read more
Child poverty in New Zealand is unacceptably and unnecessarily high and it can be reduced, and it ought to be according to Professor Jonathan Boston. “Doing so would constitute a great investment in all our futures. But it will require public support, sensible policies, sustained effort and political will.” Boston says there are three myths about Child Poverty in Read more
A Massey University study, Changing Patterns of Auckland Religion, has found that, with the exception of Catholicism, membership of all mainstream Christian denominations has fallen to historic lows. At the same time religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam are growing. Professor Peter Lineham, who led the study, said the survey showed the mainstream Christian churches Read more
For the last few days, 20 St. Bede’s boys from years 9 to 13 have been on a sponsored CanTeen run from Haast, South Westland, to Christchurch, to raise money for the treatment of teenage cancer. They hope to raise more than $100,000. See more photographs The 20 boys and 5 staff and parents arrived Read more
Last week Archbishop Dew, of Wellington New Zealand, was named by Pope Benedict XVI to serve as one of the papally-appointed Synod Fathers for the October 2012 Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization. The Pope specifically appointed 36 Synod Fathers for the Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod Read more
Carrie Allen, the 12 year old daughter of the Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral New Plymouth, Jamie Allen and his wife Suzy, was buried in the Cathedral’s graveyard last Friday. Only on rare occasions, since the graveyard at St Mary’s was closed in 1861, has permission been granted for a burial there. The last was in Read more
Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith leaders spoke out on Wednesday to condemn unreservedly ‘The Innocence of Muslims’ and the violence that has led to tragic deaths around the world. The joint statement was issued by Archbishop John Dew (Catholic), Archbishops David Moxon and Brown Turei (Anglican), Bishops Justin Duckworth and Richard Randerson (Anglican), Federation of Islamic Associations Read more
Pope Benedict XVI called for unity and reconciliation in the Middle East during his visit to Lebanon over the weekend. “May God grant to your country, to Syria and to the Middle East, the gift of peaceful hearts, the silencing of weapons and the cessation of all violence,” the pope said in a prayer at Read more
A number of ministry and church leaders believe a cautious approach to same-sex marriage is needed so as not to alienate those outside the church. Father Neil Vaney, an Auckland Roman Catholic moral theologian, said the secular media and various people were “pushing” the same sex issue. He said the Church should “show great compassion” Read more
The possibility of Catholic and Anglicans sharing a common super cathedral in Christchurch is being described as nothing but a pipe dream, by Mike Grimshaw, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Canterbury University. “It would be the first ecumenical cathedral in the world, but ‘there is no way it would work”. “High Anglicans might be happy Read more