While numerous abuse allegations about a priest were upheld, New Zealand civil law meant it was almost a decade before his defrocking. The man faced complaints from more than one woman before being defrocked (removed from the clerical state). The former priest – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was defrocked last month. Read more
Bishop of Palmerston North John Adams has not ruled out accepting the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer’s priests into his diocese, reports the Christchurch Press. However Adams is being cautious, saying he will seek advice if the Sons’ ask to move to his diocese. He will also be considering recommendations from a Vatican investigation. Read more
The leaders of the Sons of The Most Holy Redeemer are taking legal action over their expulsion from the Christchurch Catholic diocese, reports Sinead Gill in The Press. Last month a Vatican investigation into abuse and unauthorised exorcism allegations recommended Christchurch’s Catholic bishop Michael Gielen ban the Order from performing Mass in the diocese. The Read more
A Wellington Catholic primary school is facing potential closure because of stagnant population growth in the capital. Parents of students at Cardinal McKeefry Catholic Primary School in Wilton have been told the Wellington Catholic Archdiocese had spoken to the Ministry of Education to consider the school’s future. Kelly Ross, vicar for education and the director Read more
Bishop Michael Gielen has announced the name of Christchurch’s new Catholic cathedral. Plans to construct the building on the Barbadoes Street site of the original Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament were confirmed earlier this year, a change from earlier plans to build it on Armagh Street. The older cathedral opened in 1905 but was demolished Read more
About $60 million of Kiwisaver funds are being invested in companies supplying weapons and components used by the Israeli military for the conflict in Gaza. Most investors don’t know this says Barry Coates, chief executive of the ethical investment charity Mindful Money. He says $9.3m of Kiwisaver funds are invested in Boeing, the largest supplier Read more
What place does the Treaty of Waitangi have in the Catholic Church in Aotearoa-New Zealand? It’s a question focused on at present by two Catholic organisations – the Christian Life Community and the Bicultural Committee of the Archdiocesan Commission for Ecology, Justice and Peace. They have already held a two-day hui to further their thinking Read more
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care’s final report has changed the Catholic Church in New Zealand, says Palmerston North diocese’s Catholic bishop John Adams. Adams (pictured) chose to speak to media about the report so he could put a face to the Church’s response to the Royal Commission’s findings. The Royal Commission Read more
Over 85 percent of Muslims living in Aotearoa believe Islamophobia exists in this country, and more than half have experienced discrimination, according to the first baseline study of Muslims in New Zealand. The study was conducted in 2023 by researchers from Massey University and funded by the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand and Read more
The government is being urged to look into thousands of unmarked graves across Aotearoa which could hold victims of state care abuse. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has recommended the government appoints and funds an independent advisory group to investigate potential unmarked graves and urupā at the sites of former psychiatric Read more