A respected Christchurch Catholic priest was attacked on Good Friday. Assailants jumped on Father Alister Castillo at about 1am when he tried to help an injured person in Fendalton. “They just beat the living daylights out of me … I hope they recognise what they did was wrong,” he said. Castillo, who serves at the Read more
CCTV helped identify a man who, on Thursday, set fire to the Day Chapel in the Palmerston North Cathedral. According to the Cathedral Parish Priest, Fr Joseph Grayland, the man was caught on camera lighting the fire. Grayland says the fire shocked everyone. The alarm was raised by a man who is in Palmerston North Read more
Pope Francis is warning against the self-referential attitude of some lay ministers who become ‘puffed up’ by their ministry. Francis stressed the significance of lay ministers serving others rather than inflating their egos. “I get angry when I see lay ministers who — pardon the expression — are ‘puffed up’ by this ministry. This is Read more
Pope Francis, April 17, approved a decision that lay women and lay men will vote at the upcoming Synod of Bishops. The Vatican has always said while input from many was essential to a synod, bishops were tasked with discerning and voting. The move to allow lay women and lay men to vote at the Read more
New Council recommendations may see Christchurch’s new Catholic Cathedral precinct and 600-space parking building go ahead after all. This will come as a relief to developers and the Christchurch Catholic diocese. The diocese was providing $30 million towards development costs – funds it raised for the purpose. Plans with developers were well underway last month Read more
After being voted into a leadership role at her Catholic parish, a 78-year old nana decided she had to get her driver’s licence. She faced a few challenges, though. English is her second language. Sepiuta Skudder had never had a licence or even driven a car. Her husband or one of the children always drove Read more
One of the most ancient axioms to define the See of Peter’s role in the Church reads: “prima sedes a nemine iudicatur” — no one can judge the first see. Centuries before papal primacy was defined at Vatican Council I in 1870, the Bishop of Rome already enjoyed a type of immunity in both the Read more
There are many ways to be Catholic. The comment comes from the West Australian archbishop and member of the preparatory committee for the General Assembly of the Synod, Timothy Costelloe. He says that ongoing consultation with Catholics worldwide needs to give more deference to local church authorities. Pope Francis’s global synod – which began in Read more
A prominent French archbishop has resigned but strongly defends his turbulent six-year tenure. Luc Ravel, the Archbishop of Strasbourg, announced his resignation on April 20. However, he gave no reason for his resignation. “Peace being the supreme good (…), I have presented my resignation to the Holy Father, for whom I pray every day”, he Read more
A communication breakdown led to permission being given to a group of Anglican clergy (some pictured) to celebrate the Eucharist in the pope’s cathedral, Rome’s Basilica of St John Lateran last Tuesday. Auxiliary Bishop Guerino Di Tora of Rome, vicar for the basilica’s chapter, has acknowledged and apologised for the communication problem, which led to Read more