New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have backed the New Zealand Government’s decision to deploy military personnel to help train Iraqi forces. The bishops released a statement on February 24, the same day Prime Minister John Key officially announced the deployment of up to 143 personnel. The deployment, likely in partnership with Australia, will probably start in Read more
Cardinal John Dew has signed off on the purchase of the 4.2 hectare Bunnings site in Paraparaumu for a new church and parish centre. The move is part of the plan to centralise parish facilities on the Kapiti coast. The parishes in Waikanae and Paraparaumu were merged just over a year ago to form the Read more
40 Days for Life prayer vigils began outside Wellington Hospital and across the road from the Auckland Medical Aid Centre (AMAC) on Ash Wednesday. The vigils are part of a worldwide Lenten campaign aimed at protecting mothers and babies from abortion. They will continue till Palm Sunday. 40 Days of Life is not a political campaign, Read more
After Bishop Stephen Lowe was ordained as the third Bishop of Hamilton on February 13, he told the people that God does amazing things using simple things. The use of water in Baptism and bread and wine in Communion are examples of this, Bishop Lowe said. “With sinful and weak men, [the Lord’s] priesthood lives Read more
Wellington’s Archbishop John Dew said he couldn’t understand why his cellphone kept beeping at 3am while he was holidaying in Waikanae Beach. It turned out to be a series of messages carrying prayers and congratulations after his name was included in a list of 20 new cardinals in the Catholic Church, announced by Pope Francis. Read more
A questionnaire that is part of the preparation for the next session of the Extraordinary Synod [The Synod on the Family] is available online. The New Zealand Catholic Bishops are inviting people to use the questionnaire as an opportunity to add their “voice” to the global discussion which began last year. Completed questionnaires must be returned by Read more
Brother Sir Patrick Lynch, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office, will step down from his role later in the year, at a time to be determined, announced Geoffrey Ricketts, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office, last week. “Applications to replace Brother Patrick will now Read more
Power grabbing, living hypocritical double lives, curial and personal rivalry, gossip, and over concern about their appearance and the colour of their robes are among just some of the sins Pope Francis’ identified as belonging to the Vatican Curia. The blistering indictment of the Vatican Curia came at the Pope’s Christmas message. The Pope’s top Read more
Pope Francis has appointed Mr Bill Kilgallon to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Kilgallon is the Director of the National Office for Professional Standards of the Catholic Church in New Zealand. Dr. Krysten Winter-Green, another New Zealander now resident in the United States, has also been appointed to the Commission. Bill has Read more
When he was visiting New Zealand last year Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, who is thought to be close to the Pope, said that there was a need for more cardinals from Oceania. He said Oceania is not Australia by itself, and the region has a wide variety of nations and peoples. So it is possible Read more
