Pope Francis announced the theme of the XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: "Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment" on 6 October 2016.

This Synod comes after almost two years of collaborative work from throughout the global Catholic Church.

Last year, as part of the preparation, the Holy Father invited young people to participate in a global survey.

New Zealand's own survey received almost 2000 responses from throughout the country.

The survey, for those aged 16 - 29 years, asked questions and opinions of them about the Church, challenges and opportunities in their lives and their thoughts on vocation. A report summarising the findings was sent to Rome.

Earlier this year, 300 young people from across the world gathered in Rome or took part via social media to participate in a six-day Pre-Synodal Meeting.

New Zealander Isabella McCafferty was invited by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops to represent New Zealand at the meeting and assist in work to produce a document that has been presented to the Synodal Fathers in their preparation for the October Synod.

Bishop Steve said: "Taking care of young people in our Church is an integral part of its vocation and mission.

"I acknowledge the tremendous preparatory work our young people in New Zealand have undertaken to prepare for this Synod and on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of New Zealand, I want them to know I will carry their voices with me on this journey."

On the completion of the Synod, Pope Francis will prepare a post-Synod document on young people in the life and mission of the Church.

Source

• Supplied: The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference/Ko te Huinga Pihopa o te Hahi Katorika o Aotearoa
• Image: Facebook

"Some years ago I had a wonderful opportunity to visit Pakistan at a time when their Blasphemy Laws were causing real hardship. In contrast, we are fortunate to live in our land where freedom of speech and freedom of belief is enshrined into our laws and where blasphemy laws seem archaic," he said.

"The Stephen Fry case seems a nonsense when what he is struggling with is the same struggle many Christians experience, namely how to reconcile a God of love in the face of human suffering."

"Each of us has to work that out in our own way. It is when we can grapple with the great questions of spirituality and life with mutual respect for the opinions and beliefs of others that we grow as a healthy community."

Lowe has joined a chorus of church leaders and politicians who agree that the law is archaic.

However the ACT party's attempt to table a bill that would repeal New Zealand's blasphemy law has failed because it is not seen as an immediate threat to anyone.

"I don't think anyone is lying awake at night thinking 'good heavens, I'm a target and I'm liable for a blasphemy prosecution", said Labour leader Andrew Little

"The time to do it would be in the Statutes Amendment Bill, a part of a routine procedure for Parliament. I don't think we have to waste Parliament's time outside the usual order of business."

The Prime Minister Bill English agrees, "We have a process for cleaning up law that has become redundant, and that's the normal process it will go through."

Labour MP Chris Hipkins tabled an amendment to the Statutes Repeal Bill to delete the crime of blasphemy.

Seymour's attempt to have the law repealed followed news reports that the British actor Stephen Fry was being investigated by Irish police on a complaint of blasphemy.

He says he's forced the government's hand.

"I'm very happy, it's the right thing to do," he told reporters.

"Previously they refused to include the change in the Statutes Repeal Bill, now they seem to be prepared to do it... that means blasphemy laws can be gone by the end of this month."

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: newstalkzb.co.nz

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 in the Church until the consummation of time," he added.

Bishop Lowe said it had been truly "a humbling three months since I was informed Pope Francis had appointed me bishop of Hamilton".

"It has been a profound journey that many of you have part of," he told the congregation of more than 1000 which packed the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and overflowed onto its steps.

The second bishop of Hamilton, Bishop Denis Browne, was the principal consecrator.

Bishops Barry Jones of Christchurch and Charles Drennan of Palmerston North were the other official consecrating bishops.

Bishop Lowe said he wished Bishop Browne a happy retirement, but asked him to continue doing pastoral work among God's people.

"I look forward to you being for me a spiritual father, a man of wisdom, and great pastoral sense," Bishop Lowe said.

The new bishop's motto is "The Lord is my Shepherd".

In his homily, Bishop Browne referred to a reflection Pope Francis gave a year ago on the various qualities needed in a bishop.

We need men who are "guardians of doctrine, not to measure how far away the world lives from the truth it contains, but in order to attract the world, to enchant it by the beauty of love, to seduce it with the offer of freedom which is given by the Gospel", Bishop Browne quoted from Francis.

Bishop Browne also noted the blood relationship between Bishop Lowe and Blessed Abbott Columba Marmion, OSB, an Irish spiritual writer who died in 1923.

At the ordination, the Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand, Archbishop Martin Krebs, read out the mandate from the Holy See, in the name of Pope Francis.

On February 12, Bishop Lowe was welcomed in a powhiri at Hui Te Rangiora Marae in Hamilton.

Bishop Jones and a representative from Hokitika, Bishop Lowe's home town, took him from the Christchurch visitors and presented him to the people of Hamilton diocese.

Sources

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
• Waikato Times
• Food for Faith Blog
• St Thomas More parish
• Washington Post
• Vatican News
• Supplied material
• Image: NZCBC