The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the risk elements in the Church’s sexual abuse response, says Fr Hans Zollner SJ. Zollner is the leading Rome based specialist in addressing the scourge of sex abuse in Catholic institutions. With less money in circulation, he is urging civil and church societies not to blur their focus nor cut Read more
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and of Saint Mary His Mother in Hill Street, Thorndon, Wellington, popularly known as The Basilica has received a grant of $120,000 to assist in its $3.3 million strengthening project. The grant is a “one-off” ‘out of round’ contribution from the Wellington City Council’s Built Heritage Incentive Fund. Read more
In a pastoral statement, the New Zealand Catholic bishops have written to Catholics saying they are pleased that Mass can resume, but warn the experience may not be as familiar as it once was. They say the new normal is means the Church’s liturgy remains restricted to protect the vulnerable and elderly. The statement, creatively Read more
Todd Muller the new leader of the National Party says while he identifies himself as Catholic, his religious beliefs do not inform his politics on issues such as euthanasia, abortion and the LGBT+ community. That has not satisfied the kind of people who go on twitter says Ryan Bridge in an opinion piece on Newshub. Read more
Two of New Zealand’s religious leaders agree that the progress made in getting on to of SARS-CoV-2 should not be put at risk. But they are asking the government to just let them know about any perceived weaknesses in the practice of religion so that they can fix them. The president of the New Zealand Read more
In his Monday press conference, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the director-general of health, addressed the concern that has been expressed over the weekend by church leaders and others about church gatherings still being capped at a maximum of 10 people. Bloomfield defended limits on the size of faith-based gatherings. Allowing churches to have larger gatherings was Read more
If you have a dozen apostles you have some difficult decisions to make, says Toby Manhire in his blog in The Spinoff. He was referring to the fact that under the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 Alert Level 2 the number of people attending a religious gathering is capped at 10. Many religious leaders are disappointed Read more
The New Zeland Catholic Bishops have suggested that parish priests consult with each other and with their parish councils about how they can provide the sacraments and pastoral care when COVID-19 Alert Level Two is announced. The bishops believe that each parish will need its own approach to ensure continued the safety of both the Read more
Dr Kevin Shore has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of the NZ Catholic Education Office. (NZCEO) Shore will be Chief Executive of both NZCEO and the Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS). APIS serves a network of 70 non-Catholic “special character”, faith-based schools – private schools that have been integrated into the state Read more
Five people nominated for their outstanding work in Catholic Youth Ministry are winners in the 2020 Delargey Awards The Delargey Awards are named in honour of Cardinal Reginald Delargey (1914-79) who was noted for his work for young Catholics. They are presented by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference every two years to recognise outstanding Read more