The bishops do not consider the language used by the group in its communications, and actions the group has taken, to be consistent with the way in which a Catholic group should operate.

Canon Law provides for bishops to grant permission for the use of the name Catholic and the ability to remove it. The bishops have sent a letter to all Members of Parliament informing them that they do not have permission to use the word Catholic in their name and to cease using it. The bishops also assured Members that they do not condone the way in which the group operates, and that they do not consider it to be a Catholic group.

Catholic Action sent communications to MPs and media throughout their campaign against the Marriage Definition Bill. Their submission was rejected on the grounds that it was offensive. This means it was not considered or even seen by the committee, and will never be released publicly by Parliament.

Catholic action has previously protested against "blasphemous" art at Te Papa, ripped down church billboards depicting the Virgin Mary taking a pregnancy test, called for Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn to be sacked by the Pope if he did not to recant his qualified support for contraception, and called New Zealand's Catholic bishops "gutless".

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• The Northern Advocate
• DunedinSchool
• Stuff.co.nz
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The billboard erected at the front of St Matthews in the City today depicts a Facebook photo album with Jesus on the cross as the main image. Directly below, the image is "liked" by Judas Iscariot.

"We decided to make a joke about the propensity of Christians to lay blame," said Reverend Glynn Cardy.

On Sunday Skinner lead a group of protesters, gathered at St Matthew's in the recitation of the Rosary.

When interviewed, Skinner said, "Yes it's vandalism and if they want to arrest me then be my guest...If it comes to that, I believe in being persecuted for my faith."

"We don't look for trouble but watch out when you start this sort of thing," he added.

Skinner said there are half a million Catholics in New Zealand who were outraged by the Mary with pregnancy test kit billboard.

He was believed to have earlier phoned St Matthew's vicar Glynn Cardy to say he would "roast slowly in hell" for erecting the billboard.

On Monday Cardy released a statement in which he said "Arthur Skinner and the Catholic Action Group used our billboard, his vandalism of it, and our property this morning to gain publicity for his point of view and to further his supposedly "Catholic" organisation's agenda. He has also announced that he was willing to be arrested for his illegal act. We believe Mr Skinner could have gained the same attention without the vandalism. While his offer to be arrested is tempting, we declined the invitation (however we wouldn't decline restitution). We would rather bring attention to the world's poor, the plight of women in too many countries, hungry children, the destruction of the environment, and the need to end violence rather than his religious intolerance."

Commenting on the Mary with pregnancy test kit billboard, Lyndsay Freer, spokesperson for the Auckland Catholic Church said "Once again, St Matthew's shows us that they have moved away from traditional Christianity, even though their hearts might be in the right place.

"It is true that Christmas is real and celebrates a real pregnancy.

"It is also true that the anxiety and needs of young solo mothers today need to be addressed with compassion and care.

"But in making this point, St Matthew's ignores the gospel account of matters surrounding the pregnancy and birth of Jesus, in which Mary is not a shocked solo mother but a young woman who has given her assent and trust to God."

Freer said she, too, had received an unhappy phone call from someone who she thought was Skinner about the poster.

Source

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• The Telegraph
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