The announcement was made Monday by the Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington and Apostolic Administrator of the Christchurch diocese, Paul Martin.

The diocese hopes the whole complex will be completed within five years.

To fund the project Martin says the diocese is considering selling the site of the former Christchurch Catholic Cathedral in Barbados Street along with other surplus land.

The diocese will also launch a fundraising campaign to fund the project.

Martin says that raising money for the new Christchurch Catholic Cathedral will be a challenge but remains prayerfully optimistic the Cathedral Precinct Campaign will get the support of Canterbury Catholics, the wider community and the government.

He admits it will be a significant financial challenge but says he is looking to build something more traditional than modern.

"It needs to tap into why people loved the [former cathedral]. People loved the [former cathedral] because of the style and elegance."

Current plans for the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral Complex represent a 40:60 split.

$40m for a 1,000 seat Cathedral and $60m for an open courtyard, offices for diocesan officials, a garden and parking.

Martin says projections to fully restore the former cathedral were costed at $149m and this was too expensive.

During the announcement, it was also revealed that two firms have been chosen as the architects.

American firm Franck & Lohsen Architects have been chosen as the lead design team and they will be supported by prominent Christchurch firm, Warren and Mahoney.

Franck & Lohsen were chosen because they specialise in Catholic architecture with a traditional design and have built churches all over the world.

Stuff reports that Art Lohsen visited Christchurch in 2018 and Michael Franck visited New Zealand last year to present concept designs for a potential new cathedral.

Franck said he wanted the new building to feel timeless.

"We hope to design a uniquely New Zealand-style cathedral, bridging a classical style of architecture with more contemporary styles."

Martin says Franck & Lohsen came of their own volition.

Warren and Mahoney are well known New Zealand architects.

Source

• Stuff

Family and friends were joined at the Church last Friday by hundreds of other mourners from patched gangs including the Rebels, King Cobras, Hells Angels, Killer Beez, Mongrel Mob and Two Eight Brotherhood, among others.

The deceased man was Taranaki Fuimano, who died in Auckland Hospital over the weekend after he was found unresponsive in police custody.

Dame Lyndsay Freer, spokesperson for the Auckland diocese told CathNews that the deceased and his brothers and sisters all went to Catholic primary and secondary schools, and members of the family are parishioners at the Grey Lynn parish.

"Pope Francis continues to remind us of God's mercy and love for us all.

"From time to time it is good to remember that the Church care for people includes the temporal as well as the spiritual," she said.

Freer said, one of the marks, a tangible test of the Church's merciful face of God, is its care for other people.

"In Catholic thinking caring for people is labelled a 'corporal (as in bodily) act of mercy', and burying the dead is clearly a work of mercy.

"Burying the dead ranks alongside other corporal works of mercy such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless and visiting the sick."

To aid the funeral process, Police closed roads as hundreds of gang members descended onto St Joseph's Catholic Church in central Auckland for the Head Hunter's funeral.

Although there were no arrests made at the funeral, not everybody was impressed by the police's management of the occasion.

Police kept a low profile, managing traffic in Great North Rd as the outlaws blocked the street once the coffin was removed from the church and into a hearse.

"From our point of view, the [funeral] procession went relatively well.

"Yes, there were roads blocked off and we did have to employ traffic management plans, but our aim, as always, is to ensure that everyone on the roads is safe and is kept safe.

"And that's what we feel that we were able to achieve today," Auckland District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus told Checkpoint's Lisa Owen

Source

• TVNZ
• Stuff
• RNZ
• NZ Herald
• NewsHub
• Image: Stuff

The Rt Hon Helen Clark ONZ PC said this in response to a question put to her by former Labour party cabinet minster Winnie Laban, who had asked her about the role of religion in addressing the world's problems.

"Absolutely critical and I say that as a person of no faith whatsoever, but most people aren't like me. Most people to have some adherence to faith and so faith communities have enormous influence."

Clark spoke particularly of the influence of Pope Francis.

"You take a faith leader like the Pope. He has influence that transcends religion. I said to someone the other day, 'I am not a religious person but thank God for the Pope'."

Clark said it would be obvious she did not agree with everything the Pope said. In this regard she singled out sexual and reproductive health.

"But on the basic issues of poverty, climate, justice - this man is speaking for the hopes of so many."

Clark said the importance of working with faith leaders on the local, national and global level is well acknowledged across agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF.

It is critical, she said, to have the local faith leaders involved in the issues of gender.

"In something like trying to stop female genital mutilation, cutting - to have faith leaders come out against that [practice] and back the women in the community who are obviously trying to trying to stop it, is just critical.

"It is extremely important to bring the faith leaders with us and engage with them so that their voice can be heard on these issues," she said.

Clark was taking part a conversation with Dr Gill Greer, at Te Papa on 29 June.

The Conversation was Broadcast on RNZ National on Sunday August 6.

Greer has been CEO of Volunteer Service Abroad since July 2012. She leaves the organisation this month.

From 2006-2011 Greer was the Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

Listen to the podcast

Source

• Transcript taken from RNZ podcast " Helen Clark in Conversation with Gilll Greer"
• Image: Amritapuri

Owen, who is portraying Te Whaea o Te Motu (mother of the Nation) in a new movie called simply Whina, says the role is her most challenging yet.

The way Owen tells it, it was as if in acting Cooper, the kuia lived again through her.

She says she often heard Cooper talk to her and she was able to channel her in her performance. But at a cost - she found it hard to divest herself of the role after work.

Like Cooper, Owen was baptised Catholic. In fact, that was one of the reasons Cooper's family approved of her playing the role.

As Cooper openly practised her faith, Rena emulated her: she went back to Church to help prepare for the role.

"I went to confession and the priest asked me when was the last time I had done confession!"

She also gave up alcohol while filming as a way to honour Cooper's beliefs.

"I gave up alcohol for Lent, then lockdown happened and my Lent went from 40 days to seven months. I could have drunk but I knew I wanted to have a clear channel.

"I prayed a lot during those seven months because it was so important to me to get it right.

"She had this sense of humour. It's almost like she said, ‘I am not going to be number two on your list. I'm going all the way to the top and I'm gonna be your number one.'"

"We wanted to show her [Cooper] as a fully three-dimensional human being," says one of the film's co-directors, James Napier Robertson.

"Dame Whina is this towering figure, so it's easy to forget the day-to-day struggles that she might have dealt with and the challenges she had to overcome to do the things that she did."

"She had flaws, and we weren't afraid to address them," the film's other co-director Paula Whetu Jones says.

"But we wanted to address them in a way that would allow the audience to feel compassion for the choices that she had to make."

Owen says she struggled when she learnt things about Cooper she didn't necessarily like.

She says Napier Robertson helped, saying: "Just remember Rena, you are portraying a very flawed person".

"He's right, we're all flawed. And I think when we as a society give each other permission to be flawed, then we'll have better lives.

"I call myself a recovering perfectionist because there's the pressure to be perfect and to succeed and that can rob a lot of us of joy.

"What's important to me is Whina's message about kotahi tatou (we are one).

"Whina wasn't about tearing people down or dividing them. She was always about coming together. It was for the love of the country. We are always stronger together than divided."

Source

• NewsHub
• Viva
• NZ Film

"It is strange that bars and restaurants can open but churches are limited to just ten people", said Fr Pete Roe the Parish Administrator of St Francis of Assisi parish of Ohariu, Wellington.

Roe says the thriving parish normally has over 1,000 attendees and was already struggling with how to cater for congregations of what it thought would be one hundred.

"But now it's just ten, and it's the limit the Government has put on one table in a restaurant", Roe said.

He observed that Churches generally have more space than restaurants.

With no projection on when Churches might be allowed even one hundred Roe says that Churches are left in limbo.

"Do we have to wait for Level One?" he asked.

Roe is sensitive to those who at this point may feel uncomfortable about coming out of lockup straight back to church but says it is ultimately about people's choice.

He admits that some parish procedures will need to change. For example, contact tracing would be a little strange for parishioners but said that it is not an impossibility.

"We know it's not business as usual and there's an element of new wine and new wineskins in these times", Roe said, referring to Matthew 9:17.

Last evening the New Zealand Catholic Bishops also expressed surprise at Jacinda Ardern's decision.

"Many people will be disappointed in this news of more restricted gatherings than expected but others will be grateful for more time to prepare safely," the bishops commented on Facebook.

The bishops are inviting on the faithful to reflect on Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer".

They say they are looking at the details of the announcement with urgency.

Little churches

The decision to limit church congregations to ten means the Wellington Ohariu parish will further its investigation into a concept it is calling Little Churches.

"Normally Churches are the opposite of little; they are for all-comers, yet we're being limited to in effect minister to the few," said Roe.

Roe acknowledges that not everyone will be comfortable with the Little Churches concept.

Little churches is an alternative way of gathering for worship based on the practice of the early Christians as recorded in The Acts of Apostles.

As part of a parish survey, the leadership team in St Francis of Assisi parish of Ohariu, Wellington is asking for parishioners for feedback on a proposal to establish little churches.

The little churches concept is a limited assembly of up to 10 of parishioners gathering in a home for worship that includes prayer and possibly to receive the Eucharist.

In support of the idea the parish notes The Acts of Apostles records:

• "Every day, they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people". (Acts 2:46 -47).
• "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah". (Acts 5:42)

"The model of Little Churches can be considered as being akin to a parish ecclesia (assembly) in which the gathering happens in many different rooms," the parish says in its newsletter.

The parish has identified several practical issues that need to be resolved, including:

• Identification of leaders
• Identification of participants
• Protocols around people meeting safely in homes
• Protocols around the safe distribution of the communion hosts
• Preparation of a worship outline that will give facilitators some direction and
  confidence in running such a group.

The St Francis of Assisi leaderships hopes that in facilitating the establishment of Little Churches, they will become like living cells, both nurturing and being sustained by the body as a whole.

The team say they realise that the implementation of the concept of Little Churches will need to develop.

They also acknowledge there are some whom it may pose too high a risk, and there will be some to whom the idea will not appeal.

Source

• Supplied; St Francis of Assisi Ohariu Parish
• Facebook
• Image: tuimotu.org

On his October 15 posting from Rome, Archbishop Dew noted that there had been vigorous arguments in the small group discussions taking place this week.

"The arguments are very strong as to whether this should be about doctrine and truth, or about mercy and compassion for those who struggle or for whom life is difficult," he said.

But the Archbishop of Wellington stated that doctrine is not being done away with.

"We are saying that the Church needs to be warm and welcoming - showing the mercy and kindness of Jesus."

Archbishop Dew also noted another bishop referring to the parable of the wheat and the weeds and saying that we need to admit we are all in this together.

"Sometimes we are the wheat and sometimes we are the weeds, but whatever happens, life will be full of both," Archbishop Dew said.

He also observed that some synod members only want to use scripture passages that support their own arguments.

In his October 16 posting, Archbishop Dew mentioned media portrayals of the competing factions at the synod, and admitted there is some truth in these.

"[But] it seems to me the majority [at the synod] are very aware of the need for the Church to reach out in new ways to many who do struggle," he wrote.

"I am sure that the mission of Pope Francis - even though some don't like it - is to make the Church a place of love and welcome, a community where people know they are accepted and cared for."

Archbishop Dew was sure this would come through when the small group discussions were to be reported back.

The blog is being updated daily with Archbishop Dew's postings on the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference website.

Sources

• Archbishop Dew synod blog
• Archbishop Dew synod blog
• Image: NZ Catholic

Dunn made the comment at a farewell lunch for Dame Lyndsay Freer, who for so long was the voice and face of Catholic Communications in New Zealand, and latterly communications spokesperson for the Auckland Diocese.

Freer has been involved in church communication for over 37 years. The Auckland Diocese on Saturday marked her significant contribution with a light lunch for 40 people at the Pompallier Diocesan Centre.

A once regular in the nation's media, Freer modernised Catholic communications in New Zealand.

Auckland based, she fronted the Church's engagement with media reporters and journalists who regularly contacted her for comment.

Freer showed that modern communication, a subtle art, is conversational, and how something is said is as important as the substance.

An excellent judge of the mood and tone of the message, Freer knew the right touch and the media's ability to receive what she was saying.

There were many times when she did not want to comment, did not want to have her voice or her image associated with a range of topics, yet she fronted, always using the opportunity to sow a seed, make a point or simply to keep the relationship and the conversation open for the next media request.

A professional, she respected the media but in line with Pope John Paul II's catchphrase, she was not afraid.

Emeritus Bishop of Auckland Patrick Dunn led the speeches at the farewell.

Dunn told the gathering that the Church has been very fortunate to have had Freer in this pivotal role for so long.

"The Church in New Zealand was the envy of Churches in other countries," Dunn said.

He commented that other churches were astounded with what New Zealand was able to achieve in having such a competent, talented and articulate person to help explain Church positions in the media.

It was a point reinforced after lunch when a guest commented that Freer gave Catholics and Christianity comfort in their faith and helped give them reason to believe.

Dunn praised former Auckland bishop Denis Browne's inspirational move to employ Freer initially as Auckland's communications spokesperson.

Competence has its detractors

Changing Catholic communications in New Zealand to engage with the media proved a threat to some people in the Church.

Something had changed in and around the bishops' conference.

Dunn explained that there was an idea surrounding the Conference that the New Zealand Church should have a variety of voices presenting the bishop's views to the media.

"I felt at the time that this was a mistake.

"I am now even more firmly convinced that we (the bishops) lost the plot.

"The Church has lost ‘brand recognition' since Lyndsay stepped down from the national role," said Dunn.

Implying the bishops' new model of Catholic communications is a lost opportunity, he suggested it may be a case of the Church talking more to itself than engaging in dialogue with the world.

Dunn says the decision has almost removed the church from the public eye.

Accentuating the positive of the previous communication model, Dunn said Freer epitomised professionalism, competence and respect and cited a recent example of how she even dealt with a media call at 9 pm on Good Friday!

"Talkback hosts, newspaper reporters or TV news producers sometimes do not know who to call if they want a quick and always ‘immediate' comment from the Church.

"I thought it ironic that, even after her retirement, Radio NZ still phoned her at 9pm on Good Friday for some comments on how church attendances were going with the change to the Orange Covid Traffic Light.

"Lyndsay had no idea where to refer them at that hour so made a quick comment herself which was then quoted on radio news bulletins for most of Holy Saturday morning!"

"It proves my point that the NZ Catholic Church does need to rethink our media strategy," said Dunn.

Speaking with CathNews afterwards, a guest agreed with Dunn, saying the people of God are blessed with many God-given gifts and posed the question why we (the Church) are not using them.

"Seminaries teach people the likes of philosophy, scripture and theology. They encourage an interior life of prayer. Ordination is no guarantee bishops and priests have skills other than what the seminary taught them," she said.

Also at the lunch was media trainer and RNZ host, Jim Mora, who commented that people in the media who might not be sympathetic to the message respected Freer, the messenger, because of her expertise, professionalism and her manner in relating to them.

Long-time media training specialists and now friends of Freer, Brian Edwards and Judy Callingham also joined the occasion.

Pope Francis, in a 2020 message to the Catholic Press Association, urged Catholic media to build bridges, defend life and break down visible and invisible walls that prevent dialogue and truthful communication between individuals and communities.

At the initial outbreak of Covid-19, Francis commented "recent months have shown how essential is the mission of the communications media for bringing people together, shortening distances, providing necessary information, and opening minds and hearts to truth."

Additional sources

• Supplied
• Vatican News

Bishop Peter J Cullinane says critics describe the present translation as clunky, awkward and a too literal translation of the Latin original.

However, Cullinane believes no purpose will be served by any overhaul unless the current guidelines behind liturgical translations are changed.

These were set out by the 2001 instruction Liturgiam Authenticam and said translations must convey the "integral manner" of the original Latin "even while being verbally or syntactically different from it."

Bishop Cullinane was a member of the Episcopal Board of ICEL between 1983 and 2003.

Another retired Bishop, Donald Trautman is calling "for the 1998 English Missal translation, which was approved by more than two-thirds of the United States bishops, to replace the present failed text of the New Roman Missal."

Bishop Trautman is the emeritus Bishop of Eire, and has also served as chairman of the US bishops' conference's Committee on the Liturgy.

The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) in Ireland has also called for a review of the current English edition.

The ACP has asked that, as a temporary solution, the Irish Bishops allow priests to use the 1998 translation of the Missal.

Last week Archbishop Arthur Roche, the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, said the option to use the 1998 translation was not possible as the Roman Liturgy should express the unity of the Church.

Source

• thetabletco.uk
• associationofcatholicpriests.ie
• Image: The Marist Messenger

Longhurst's comments, reported in the widely read publication La Croix International, are strongly critical of the very people from whom he receives his daily bread.

New Zealand's Catholic bishops employ him to teach at Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College.

He is also the leader of SNAP - the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Citing numerous broken promises, inadequate responses and apparent lack of accountability, Longhust (pictured) says "They [the bishops] have brought great shame on the New Zealand Catholic Church".

He says the bishops are overlooking the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care and adds that its final report, which shows their lack of accountability and transparency in responding to pervasive abuse, merits serious condemnation.

"Given such a finding, perhaps it would be best for the local Church and New Zealand society if those church leaders, the bishops, tendered their resignations to the pope" he says.

The problem is longstanding and is not just about the current leaders, Longhurst points out.

He says 22 years ago, a bishops' pastoral letter on abuse said "We give you an assurance of our commitment to confront this problem with openness and transparency".

Despite this assurance, the Inquiry found the Catholic bishops did not honour this commitment.

"Evidently they are not capable of making the required changes" Longhurst says.

"By such repetitive misbehaviour, they are keeping us all at risk, endangering more children and vulnerable people in the care of New Zealand's Catholic Church.

"Therefore, they themselves must be changed. They must resign."

Episcopal accountability

After publication of the Royal Commission's final report, the Catholic bishops promised "to ensure that the findings and recommendations of this significant Inquiry are not lost or confined to words in a report" Longhurst explains.

Longhurst has accused the bishops and congregational leaders of a lack of transparency.

He says he has had no response from the bishops.

Survivors appeal

Catholic survivors in New Zealand have appealed to Pope Francis three times since 2022 to ask him to hold the bishops to account.

They also asked him to respect his own calls for openness and transparency in dealing with survivors' complaints.

In addition, they asked Francis to help dismantle what they continue to call the local church's system of coverup and denial that is harming so many people.

So far they have not had a reply.

Source

• La Croix

Be the Change, Catholic Church, Aotearoa New Zealand chose Sunday - the day before the anniversary of women's suffrage day - to mount their installation where dozens of pairs of shoes were placed so they led to the Catholic cathedrals in central Auckland and Wellington.

Splashes of pink - including among the shoes - coloured the occasion, along with music, singing and speeches.

The shoes signify the largely unpaid work women have done for the Church throughout the ages, organisers say. Their contributions were recorded in accompanying printed vignettes.

Despite women often being in the majority of organisers and participants in any Catholic congregation and liturgical celebration, their role in the church is not equal, organisers point out.

The Catholic Church continues the injustice of refusing to recognise women's worth by denying them equality in leadership roles, Pink Shoes into the Vatican say.

Best wishes came from Steve Lowe, Catholic bishop of Auckland.

Apologising to "Pink Shoes into the Vatican" group for his inability to be with them in person, Lowe wrote a supportive letter.

"While there have been and continue to be a litany of amazing women throughout this history of the Church, your presence and voice today is a reminder that you are the Church and Church's need to change," he said.

"Thank you for your prophetic hikoi to the Cathedral today, which is ultimately a call to respect the dignity that flows from our being created male and female in the image and likeness of our God.

"Your voice today echoes the voice of women throughout the world who, as part of the current synodal process, are calling on the Church to reflect the inherent dignity of women in the leadership of the Church... May we have the courage not to get stuck in structures that are not necessarily of God."

In the absence of the bishop, the Administrator of St Patrick's Cathedral, Chris Denham, received the women's statement and gave them Lowe's letter of support.

"When Fiona and Christina visited me a couple of months ago, they presented me with Kate's pink shoes. They (the shoes) remain in my office and are certainly a talking point. They also remind me I too need to change," Lowe wrote.

Wellington's Coadjutor Archbishop Paul Martin, however, denied the Pink Shoes into the Vatican group publicity for their shoe installation. He also wrote to parishes in the Wellington archdiocese requesting they do the same.

"Since the archbishop's edict to parishes not to advertise this event, one woman has written of her indignation. Others have asked, 'what was he thinking?'" a Wellington organiser Cecily McNeil told the group.

She invited the Archbishop to read the first few paragraphs in the archdiocesan synod synthesis.

With Cardinal Dew in the South Island and Martin in Rome, there was no one to receive the predominantly women's group in Wellington.

Priest, Jim Dooley, spoke at the Wellington gathering saying his fellow priests did not understand equality because, in their priestly formation, they were exposed to a different set of principles.

He said, to applause, that what the women were looking for was a "no brainer."

Dooley equated the church's treatment of women to slavery, a reference to the fact that in most churches, women do much of the work - cleaning and pastoral work as well as liturgical preparation, almost always for no pay.

Source

• Be the Change
• Letter of Bishop Steve Lowe
• Supplied: Be the Change Wellington.

He was one of 12 students from the Asia-Pacific region who shared young people's concerns with the Pope during the online "Building Bridges" forum.

Organised by Loyola University Chicago, the forum was designed to enable Pope Francis and young people to meet and discuss their concerns.

New Zealand's youth

Lohrey represents a group he has been meeting with in New Zealand as part of the Building Bridges initiative.

He told Francis his student group is concerned with the Church's failure "in fully respecting and acting in accord with human dignity".

Because humans are created in God's image and likeness, we should be treated as full and valued members of society, he said.

The Church is inconsistent regarding human dignity, he said.

Abortion example

Lohrey told Francis his student group sees the Church offering insufficient dignity to the most vulnerable in our societies.

"We expect people to meet our rules, which turns people away from a relationship with Christ and makes the Church unattractive," he said.

"For example those who procure abortion are some of the most spiritually, emotionally and physically vulnerable people in our societies, yet the Church responds with an automatic excommunication.

"These people, desperately in need of unconditional love, must meet our requirements before we fully minister to them. This is a contradiction of the word unconditional.

"So how can young people be the change we need?" he asked.

Parishes also an issue

Lohery also expressed concern about the number of people who call themselves Christian but do not go to Church.

For instance he said that although 33 per cent of New Zealanders are Christian, only nine per cent go to Mass.

He suggested that the people not attending church were not necessarily at fault.

"Other organisations would believe a drop in attendance like this to be a result of their own doing.

"But in my experience, the attitude of clergymen and parish administration is that these people who do not attend Mass are simply not disciplined in practising their faith," he told the Pope.

A call to Pope Francis

At the end of his address to Pope Francis, Lohery asked for guidance.

"Pope Francis, you have been a revolutionary leader in making the church bring Christ's love to where people are.

"However, how can you ensure that the rest of our Church will follow your lead?

"What can be invested in ensuring there's education in recognising the dignity of all people, not just regular Mass attendees?"

Francis responds

Lohrey was one of three students in the video segment speaking with Pope Francis.

Chieh Hsuan Huang from Taiwan and Helen Vyanessa Ribca Oroh from Indonesia also joined the conversation raising concerns their own groups had discussed.

Francis thanked all three participants.

He did not address Lohrey's concerns directly but, speaking in a more general context, he focused on the importance of bearing witness.

In a time of automation, it is people and their witness that are most attractive, he said.

Belonging to groups, families, cultures and societies with good and strong values is helpful, as is witness.

The Pope encouraged the young people to develop and have their own identities.

"You must always bear witness, bear testimony for life and carry on.

"And I would insist on this very aspect.

"Focus on this ability of having your own identity.

"To move on, forward, working with others, helping one another, always. "

Abortion, reconciliation, absolution

Although Francis did not comment about abortion during the meeting, the Church's view on absolution for abortion is different from Lohrey's understanding.

During the Holy Year of Mercy in 2015 - 2016, Pope Francis extended the authority to absolve the sin of abortion to all priests.

He later indefinitely extended this faculty, which continues to this day.

Sources

• Building bridges across Asia Pacific: A synodal encounter between Pope Francis and university students (YouTube)
• CathNews NZ

On 27 September, in the most detailed statement to date from any Church or the State, Catholic Church leaders expressed deep regret and committed to concrete actions to address the systemic failures that contributed to the abuse.

"We are deeply sorry to victims and survivors, as well as their whanau" stated Bishop Steve Lowe, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, and Fr Tom Rouse, President of the Congregational Leaders Council.

"We know that words alone are not enough; we must demonstrate our apology by taking responsibility and through concrete actions."

Tight timeline

The Royal Commission's final report required responses within a tight two-month timeline.

While accepting 70 percent of the Commission's findings, the Church could not fully accept some.

Acknowledging the timeline constraints, Lowe and Rouse said that the Church would continue assessing the findings and provide a more comprehensive response in due course.

Church use of psychological assessment

One critical area highlighted in the report was the Church's reliance on psychiatric evaluations to determine whether abusers could be rehabilitated.

While the Church agreed that reliance on psychiatric advice led to some offenders being reassigned to new roles, it defended this practice as being "best practice" at the time.

The Church admitted that "with hindsight, much of the professional psychiatric advice it received was incorrect".

However, the Church notes that it continues to recognise that medical professionals' opinions remain part of the process in contemporary responses to professional misconduct or abuse.

Forgiveness over safeguarding

The report also criticised the Church's tendency to prioritise forgiveness over safeguarding and accountability.

The Church acknowledged that there was a tendency to regard abusive behaviour as a "moral failure" rather than recognising its psycho-sexual nature.

Statistics differ

In its report, the Royal Commission stated that a higher proportion of survivors were in faith settings than in State care.

The religious leaders disputed some statistical claims, particularly the 'higher proportion' claim.

"Our own research presents a different perspective" the Church stated, underlining a discrepancy in the interpretation of data.

It said further work would need to be done to make an adequate comparative analysis.

Inadequate training

The Church acknowledged its historical failures in training those responsible for the care of children and vulnerable adults.

It admitted that inadequate training and a lack of understanding contributed to the harmful environment in the past.

However, by the 1990s, the Church began actively encouraging disclosures of abuse and, more recently, mandatory police vetting and safeguarding training have been implemented for all those involved with children and vulnerable adults.

Power imbalance

In response to the Commission's finding that there is a power imbalance between religious, clergy and parishioners, the Church acknowledged this.

It noted an imbalance is inherent in the relationship between clergy and parishioners, particularly during the period examined by the Inquiry.

Slow to change

In response to the Royal Commission's criticism that the Church was slow to implement changes to prevent abuse, Lowe and Rouse pointed out that some Catholic entities were "developing responses and implementing changes on par with or even ahead of state-based institutions".

They reiterated their commitment to addressing past failures and improving current practices to ensure accountability and healing.

Lowe and Rouse echoed recent comments from Palmerston North Bishop John Adams that the Church had made changes.

They reinforced the Church's pledge to be part of a broader, community-wide effort to use the report's findings as a catalyst for change.

Source

• Supplied NZCBC

The two men are Bishop Charles Drennan, who resigned as Bishop of Palmerston North in 2019 but remains a priest and still holds the title of bishop, and Fr Larry Rustia who, after a period of suspension, returned to 'supervised' ministry.

The woman is Annie Benefield (taking the photo). The photo is on the occasion of her graduation from Good Shepherd College in Auckland where candidates train mainly for the priesthood.

NZ bishops want Drennan laicised - Vatican does not

In a statement, Stephen Lowe, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, said New Zealand officials believe "Drennan's actions, reported by a number of complainants, were wholly unacceptable" and "rise to the level of seriousness that warrants his removal from the priesthood".

The Vatican appears to disagree.

Lowe said multiple bishops have repeatedly and unsuccessfully asked the Vatican to laicise Drennan.

However, Lowe did not address why the Vatican did not act.

"We will continue to make the case at every opportunity" he said.

The Vatican required Drennan's resignation in August 2019. It was accepted at the end of September and announced in early October 2019.

As part of Drennan's resignation, the Vatican required him not to present himself as a bishop using episcopal regalia and dress and also not to engage in any public ministry.

The new Bishop of Palmerston North, John Adams, is also aware of Drennan's case.

"Several women have reported that Bishop Charles has had a sexual relationship with them. Although he has not been in public ministry in our country for some years now, we are still waiting for a final determination from Rome about his future as a cleric" Adams wrote to parishioners throughout the Palmerston North diocese.

Archbishop Gábor Pintér, the Vatican's representative in New Zealand, said the Vatican has a policy of not commenting on open cases. He declined to answer questions.

Two men, two affairs

Benefield, the Whanganui woman at the centre of the story was engaged to be married during part of the 10 years she was in a relationship with one or other either of the clerics.

She confesses she had sexual relations with Drennan (who admits some of her claims) and subsequently with Filipino priest Larry Rustia (who admits her claims are mainly true).

Eventually her affair with Drennan ended and her relationship with Rustia began and petered out; Benefield was left with a shaky faith, a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and a keen desire to see both men released from their priestly state.

Eventually, after seeking advice, Benefield went to the National Office for Professional Standards (Nops) - the complaints authority of the Church in New Zealand.

Nops commissioned an investigator, who trawled through messages Benefield provided, interviewed Benefield, Drennan and Rustia, and spoke to several of Benefield's family and friends.

In 2019, the investigator reported that her complaints were supported.

Larry Rustia and Annie Benefield

Rustia

While investigating Drennan, Nops also checked out Rustia.

After admitting to the affair, Rustia was suspended from the ministry in 2019 and sent to Australia for psychological therapy.

However according to Lowe, multiple psychologists reviewed his case and recommended that he return to ministry under supervision.

Around 2020, Rustia was assigned as a parish priest in Kaitaia.

"But I love my vocation and I wished to continue it. I was permitted to do so, but with a safety plan. That includes regular engagement with a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a spiritual director, an external supervisor and senior clergy. I have followed that plan for five years."

Rustia says he deeply regrets his mistake with Benefield.

Lowe said the church has not received any further complaints concerning him.

Benefield today

As part of two financial settlements from the Catholic Church, Benefield initially did not want the matters to become public.

She says however that her loyalty to the Church motivated her to share her story publicly for the first time.

She is adamant that Rustia and Drennan should no longer be priests.

"They have such power and such a gift in what they can do.

"Speaking as a Catholic, it's so special and so holy.

"The Church did the wrong thing for a long time, but it seems like they're trying to do the right thing now" she said.

Despite the pain, delays and secrecy, she said progress would prove "it wasn't the church who had done this. It was those men".

Source

• NZ Listener
• Supplied.

Earlier this year following Vatican advice, Bishop Michael Gielen instructed the Sons (aka Transalpine Redemptorists) to leave the Christchurch Catholic diocese. That order was later rescinded but others were not.

They may not, however, celebrate Mass or conduct any other "priestly ministry" for anyone outside their religious community.

Growth pains

Rather than follow Vatican instructions, the Catholic sect is in expansion mode. As CathNews recently reported, they're re staying in the Christchurch diocese where they have bought a church and land from the (blindsided) Anglican Church.

The Sons have also appealed Gielen's orders, saying they will take him to the Catholic equivalent of the Supreme Court.

With the new property, the cult's entire New Zealand property portfolio has a rateable value of $5 million.

Abusive power-hungry leaders

Former sect members fear the group's leadership will never cede control. The Church should do more to stop them, they say.

Fr Colin Marshall says his former superior, Fr Michael Mary, enjoyed having control over people.

One aspect of his management style is to isolate members from their families, he says.

Several former members - or their families - attest to this.

As an example, after not having a relationship with her child for several years, one mother recently discovered that might be because her child had joined the Sons.

Now, they have a family she is not allowed to see. The loss is "devastating" she says.

"They've been brainwashed and they need help."

Another former member says outsiders have no idea how extreme the Canterbury group has become.

"If you haven't been in there and heard Fr Michael talking, and heard his sermons and the way he communicates ... he has these people completely under his thumb."

She says the sect's defiant expansion ... "tells you it's about establishing power and control".

A man who left the sect after growing disillusioned with Fr Mary's leadership says the Sons' teachings grew increasingly extreme the more involved that priest became.

As a result members involve him in their personal decisions.

Even those who feel abused stay because most haven't experienced the Latin Mass outside the sect, a former member says.

"So it's like, because they offer the Latin Mass, it gives them this seal of authority and authenticity to anything and everything they say."

The Sons' deny all the pressure and abuse allegations, saying "There is no cult. There is no control".

Cult wants concessions!

Son's leader Michael Mary says he could be willing to do as he's asked - if a few concessions are granted.

He has written to Gielen saying his community will leave if three permanent replacement priests are found from one of three named traditional Church communities.

He says leaving would also be on the condition that it would involve no dereliction of duty on the Sons' part.

Liturgy expert and theologian Fr Joe Grayland has followed the drama surrounding the controversial Catholic sect. He says that the no dereliction of duty condition probably means the Sons want to be absolved of any alleged wrongdoing.

Source

• The Press

MacDonald had been in prison since May 2023.

He appeared in the Palmerston North District Court on Wednesday charged with arson.

He was also charged with additional offences including unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and possessing $13,000 worth of cancer drugs.

Restorative justice

The court was told Catholic church leaders had had a successful restorative justice meeting with MacDonald and he apologised for his actions.

MacDonald told the court he found the church to be a place of "solace and calm" and he had visited it several times while struggling with his demons.

The judge noted the church leaders were not seeking restitution.

Instead, they asked him to take note of concerns they have for MacDonald's wellbeing.

MacDonald also provided the court with a "well-written" letter of remorse.

Cars, drugs and a fire

MacDonald's foray into crime began two years ago in Blenheim when he stole a car. When police stopped him, they discovered he had 46 morphine tablets in his possession.

It was four months later that he set fire to curtains inside the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, causing significant damage.

The building was closed for a number of weeks while repairs took place.

Although MacDonald pleaded guilty to the arson charge, he said the fire was an accident.

Mid-2023 was a bad time for MacDonald as it was then - between April and May - that he also stole a MidCentral Health car along with $13,000 worth of oncology drugs.

Trauma noted

Before sentencing MacDonald to 28 months in jail, Judge Bruce Northwood noted he had been through his own personal trauma, which family said resulted in him turning to methamphetamine and alcohol to cope.

Contributing factors towards his offending were put down to trauma, grief and substance abuse.

A psychologist found he was suspicious and anti-social and had thoughts of conspiracy.

Northwood said a pre-sentence report found MacDonald lacked remorse for stealing the MidCentral Health car and felt confronted by the idea he set deliberately set the cathedral alight.

Source

• The Post

In a new report provided to the Herald by the New Zealand Jewish Council, figures showed in the 12 months from October 7, 2023, there were 227 recorded anti-Semitic incidents - a jump from 166 incidents in the eight-and-a-half years prior.

"Since the start of 2024, the number and severity of antisemitic incidents has decreased, however, there are still approximately 3.6 times more reported incidents than prior to 7 October 2023," the report said. Read more

Visitors will be greeted by a 10m steel City Mission Christmas tree which has been placed inside the cathedral for the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' event.

Bookings will be taken from December 3 to 18 for groups of up to 50 visitors at a time on weekdays. Each person will need to give a $25 koha donation which will go to the Christchurch City Mission. Read more

Some are struggling to pay for basic social costs due to crippling debt repayment, Caritas says.

Caritas spokesperson Tony Sutorius says worsening cyclones and flooding have created severe financial burdens.

"Climate damage leads to debt and that has the potential to turn into a huge debt spiral that could be really damaging to the integrity and sovereignty of emerging nations" he says.

"In the past, we would think of development aid perhaps in terms of grey aeroplanes arriving and sacks of things being taken out and given to people, but increasingly nowadays you're more likely to get an aeroplane full of bankers who are offering loans rather than actually giving grants."

Basic services impacted

Every country is uniquely impacted by climate change, debt and social needs.

"To use Fiji as an example, it has got to the stage now where the debt is approaching 90 per cent of GDP, which is a very high amount" says Sutorius.

"What that means in practice is that around 15 per cent of the total government spending every year is just paying the interest on the debt, and that's recognized internationally as a real danger threshold."

A concern he has is that some Pacific nations may seek quick fixes to debt at the cost of long-term sustainability.

"One of the risks that Pacific countries face is that they are tempted by this cash crunch of having to pay these big loans into unsustainable mining, for example, or extractive industries where they see a kind of a golden hope of being able to dig their way out, literally."

Debt and climate disaster

Debt and climate disasters are connected and are critical considerations in countries vulnerable to climate change, says Soane Mafi Bishop, president of Caritas Oceania and Cardinal of Tonga and Niue.

"Governments are paying more in interest and other debt servicing obligations than they are on health, education or climate adaptation.

"Action must be taken to forgive debt and prevent it in the future" he stresses.

But Sutorius notes climate grants from rich countries are increasingly turning into climate loans. He also notes that, where debt used to be made on a country-to-country basis and allowed some friendly concessions, today's loans come mostly from the private sector.

Wealthy nations fall short

A report from Caritas Oceania and Australia groups, including the Jubilee Australia Research Centre, criticises wealthier nations for offering poorer Pacific nations loans instead of grants.

It's also critical of members of the (just finished) COP29 UN climate conference which failed to meet its finance goals by a margin of a trillion dollars.

Of that goal, just $300 billion was committed to help vulnerable nations, particularly those in the Pacific.

Source

• Cartias Australia

After experiencing exactly that sense of confusion having lost their spouses, a group of Palmerston North women created a free-of-charge practical guide to help others through the process of the death of a loved one.

People aren't always in the right mindset for the practical tasks that follow a death, particularly if it is sudden, says one of the authors, retired nurse Judy Seccombe.

A lot to know - but little knowledge

Assuming her nursing background would stand her in good stead when her husband was diagnosed with cancer and given a short time to live, Seccombe says she is "still surprised [by] everything you had to know and do, and where to go afterwards".

Adjusting to life without a loved one after many years spent together was difficult and came with a lot of challenges, Seccombe discovered.

She managed to get through these, but later discussed her experiences with a couple of widowed friends. After comparing notes about their experiences, they decided to write a booklet to tell others what to expect and make suggestions as to what to do.

To ensure their information for the booklet was spot-on they met with field experts such as doctors, hospice nurses, GPs, paramedics and ministers.

This help form their advice about concerns such as how to prepare for loss (sudden or otherwise), who to tell, the option of creating an advanced care plan and various legal, financial and insurance requirements.

Hey everyone - now's a good time to talk!

Seccombe and her friends hope "Practicalities Around a Death" will encourage families to discuss illness, disability, death and funerals while they are still in good health.

They also hope it will encourage people to think about end-of-life care options and funeral arrangements.

It is not a religious or medical resource, nor is it "about us" Seccombe clarifies.

"It's about putting something out there that might ease other people's journey."

It includes a number of blank pages so personal notes and reminders can be recorded. "That's because when you've got somebody going through an illness, you have lots of documents from hospital appointments and other things you need to write down" she says.

It's a resource for everyone. It allows people to understand that everyone's response to death is intensely personal, so the way they handle it is up to them. It's not a matter for others to sit in judgement.

How to get a copy

The group hope to distribute "Practicalities Around A Death" to as many places as possible.

After receiving financial assistance from the Justice-Compassion Trust Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pathways Presbyterian Church, they printed 4000 copies.

Contact Pathways Presbyterian Church on Church St: 06 358 0884 or pathways@inspire.net.nz for a copy.

Source

• The Post

To that end, accommodation for 13 is being fashioned from a once-derelict hall near central Masterton and is being transformed into "a haven of hope".

"My father was a Presbyterian minister. My mother was a Presbyterian minister's daughter. The motto of my life is, ‘What would Jesus do?'"

At 68, Tankersley is doing what Jesus would do, engaging in a massive community fundraising and work campaign that has helped bankroll the project.

About $175,000 has been raised so far.

Tradies are doing the physical work, but Tankersley, the homeless refuge's driving force, credits many friends and local businesses with ongoing support for the project.

While the refuge will house 13 people suffering what she describes as extreme homelessness, Tankersley estimates there are about 15-20 people in that category in the small Wairarapa town right now.

She is hopeful the nearly complete refuge will open before Christmas.

Refuge with a difference

The new accommodation is a refuge, not a shelter she says. The distinction is important.

Masterton already has a night shelter but it is restricted to men and it bans alcohol, she explains. But the town has a number of homeless women too - and its share of alcoholics.

Working with the need as she sees it and in what is probably a New Zealand first, Tankersley says the new refuge will allow a place for alcohol as well as men and women.

"It's going to be interesting to see how it goes" says Tankersley. "A lot of people are going to be watching to see what happens. It'll be a good learning curve."

She firmly believes alcoholic homeless people won't use the new facility if alcohol is banned. There will be rules, though.

"We're making it really strict. It's only for Masterton's extreme homeless. We're working very closely with Masterton police to make sure that happens" she says.

Accommodation by invitation only

Tankersley says as the refuge will be free-of-charge, being allowed to stay there will be by invitation only. This means people will be able to sleep in the same bed each night and enjoy breakfast and a shower.

The invitation-only rule will be strictly adhered to.

"We don't want anybody coming from other areas because this is a free thing. They don't have to pay. Once people in Palmy or Wellington start hearing about it, they'll start coming over the hill ... we don't want that to happen."

Volunteers will staff the facility initially, before full-time workers are employed, she says.

Source

• NZ Herald