A political and social commitment is needed to change the abortion situation, say the New Zealand Catholic Bishops. They think the recent example of a 16 year old girl having an abortion without parental knowledge or consent is a disturbing example of the law letting down our young people and undermining family values. The New Read more
The Vatican’s circular letter to all Bishops’ conferences to assist them to develop guidelines for dealing with cases of sexual abuse of minors by clergy has received a mixed reaction. The general consensus is that it is a step in the right direction but the guidelines for handling sex abuse leave a key issue unaddressed – Read more
Archbishop John Dew has announced a review into parishes in the Archdiocese of Wellington. A group has been set up to conduct the review, and will report back after August 28. He has told parishioners that parish closures or amalgamations “may well be inevitable”. “The viability of our fledgling pastoral areas, as well as our funding options, Read more
A far-right Christchurch group has been condemned for circulating flyers in Auckland claiming an “Asian invasion” is taking place. The group, which calls itself the Right Wing Resistance, has distributed “Stop the Asian Invasion” leaflets in suburbs with high Asian populations, including Pakuranga, Howick and Northcote. Police are concerned that the campaign could lead to “racially Read more
We are living in a particularly difficult time; there is an undeniable crisis of authority in the Church. It is not a simple problem and instant answers, although desirable, are not possible. Bishop Morris’s resignation highlights one of the Pope’s fundamental roles: to preserve the unity of the Church. He has the task of building bridges between diverse and sometimes opposing groups Read more
Is the way the world has reacted to the killing of Osama bin Laden the ultimate victory for the purveyors of terror; its normalisation? What is the most compelling image we have relating to the killing of Osama? “No, not the soon-to-be-released Bin Laden-shot-in-the-head photo (which could become one of the most viewed photographs in Read more
An estimated a crowd of 1.5 million people assembled for the the beatification of John Paul II. Many camped out during the night in the square, which was bedecked with posters of the late pope and one of his most famous sayings, “Do not be afraid!” St Peter’s Square was jam-packed and the crowd stretched as far Read more
John Paul is already on the road to sainthood; his beatification takes place on Sunday. It is a move that has caused a mixed reaction. But everybody needs heroes and John Paul, as the response to his death demonstrated, is an inspiration and role model for millions of people. He is a holy hero. During his pontificate John Paul changed the Catholic Read more
The shortage of priests in New Zealand was highlighted by Archbishop John Dew in his homily at the Chrism Mass on Wednesday. He told his congregation that in the six years he has been been Archbishop of Wellington he has ordained one priest. In Cardinal Williams’, his predecessor’s, first six years, thirty two men were Read more