The Disability Commissioner and some people with disabilities say legalising euthanasia could lead to the erosion of rights for disabled people who choose to live. Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero says David Seymour’s private member’s the End of Life Choice Bill, which was currently before the Justice Select Committee, undermined years of work to change perceptions Read more
An optimistic crowd on Saturday packed a very hot Christchurch Boys’ High School auditorium for the ordination of Bishop Paul Martin SM. Martin, ordained the tenth Bishop of Christchurch on 3 March 2018, by Cardinal John Dew, succeeds Bishop Barry Jones, who died in February 2016. In a ceremony involving Latin, Māori and English, Pope Francis’ Read more
Christchurch Bishop-elect says re-siting Marian College is his number one priority. Students from Marion College have, for six years, operated from a temporary building. Currently, Marian College is sited at the southern end of the earthquake-damaged cathedral. “They have had a whole generation of students go through since the earthquakes”, he told The Press. A Read more
Pope Francis has appointed Father Michael Dooley the seventh Catholic Bishop of the Dunedin Diocese. He says the appointment came as a shock. But he says he has eased into the role after receiving much support. Dooley succeeds Bishop Colin Campbell, who has retired after 14 years in the role. After at first feeling a Read more
Church-abuse-survivor, Marie Collins, says she’s shocked that Pope Francis dropped a Kiwi from his sex-abuse inquiry. Ms Collins resigned her membership of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. She says she left in frustration last March at what she saw as a lack of progress. The commission’s 3-year term ended late last year. Read more
The Bishop of Auckland says he believes an Auckland woman’s claim that she is the daughter of a Catholic priest. Bishop Patrick Dunn says he has seen and accepted further evidence. The woman has not made her name public and uses the pseudonym ‘Kathleen’. Bishop Dunn says he told the woman that he confirmed this Read more
An Auckland woman has spoken out about her belief that her late father was a Catholic priest. Using the pseudonym ‘Kathleen’, the woman says her father had a high profile in the Auckland diocese. “He was a very good priest, a wonderful person, much loved, respected,” she says. ‘Kathleen’ says the journey of his priestly Read more
The Bishop of Palmerston North is encouraging senior students in Catholic schools to get involved in the debate on euthanasia and to make submissions on the End of Life Choice Bill. Bishop Charles Drennan has sent out a letter to year 13 students in Catholic Colleges, suggesting they get involved in the discussion that is currently occurring Read more
The Australian Royal Commission’s report into child abuse has made 409 recommendations, 15 of them directed at the Catholic church. In an initial response to the report, a Vatican Press Office released a statement saying the report is a thorough effort that “deserves to be studied seriously.” It reiterated the commitment of the Holy See Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference want the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) to review the 1998 draft Roman Missal translation early next year. The conference’s president, Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn, told the NZ Catholic their request seeks to balance demand for use of the missal while ensuring “unity is preserved with Read more