Two survivor groups are at acrimonious odds over the Dunedin diocese’s commercial agreement for helping abuse survivors. In March, the diocese struck a memorandum of understanding with the Male Survivors of Aotearoa (MSA) support group. The document details the process where abuse survivors are referred to MSA, which in turn will help survivors access counselling Read more
Cardinal John Dew has referred to the Vatican the handling of historic sexual offending within the Dunedin Diocese. The period under review is when Bishop John Kavanagh was bishop. Recently Pope Francis’ published new procedures for making bishops accountable for their actions and non-actions. The new procedures give power to a Metropolitan Archbishop to refer Read more
Last Friday the Catholic bishop of Dunedin, Michael Dooley, signed a memorandum of understanding with representatives from the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse, Aotearoa New Zealand support group (MSSAT Aotearoa) according to a report in the Otago Daily Times. The Otago branch senior manager of MSSAT Aotearoa, Dugal Armour, said the agreement meant survivors of Read more
Michael Dooley, the Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, says a Vatican conference on sexual abuse is just ”the beginning”, despite the lack of concrete action. Last week he told the Otago Daily Times Insight the international gathering of bishops was about getting ”attitudes right”. Pope Francis had indicated new guidelines would follow on the response to Read more
Dunedin sexual abuse survivor, Darryl Smith, has been unsuccessful in his attempt to meet Pope Francis. “We were blocked by the Swiss Guard who dismissed the letter from Bishop Dooley”, writes Spokesman for the Auckland-based Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions, Dr Murray Heasley. Heasley is in Rome with Smith. Writing on Facebook, Heasley reports,”They Read more
A New Zealand sexual abuse survivor, Darryl Smith, has gone to the Vatican to take part in survivor meetings, coinciding with a gathering of the leaders of bishops’ conferences from around the world. Smith is hopeful of an audience with Pope Francis while in Rome. With him he is carrying a letter of introduction from Read more
Dunedin’s Bishop, Michael Dooley met with Pope Francis in Rome on Saturday. Bishop Dooley (top left) is among the 74 newly-appointed bishops from 34 countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America including those as diverse as Algeria, Myanmar, Cameroon and Indonesia attending a 12-day seminar learning about the roles and responsibilities of bishops. Bishop Read more
Bishop Colin Campbell was the principal celebrant at last Thursday’s ordination of the new Bishop of Dunedin, Michael Dooley. There were 11 concelebrating bishops: Cardinal John Dew, Archbishop Martin Krebs, and bishops Patrick Dunn, Stephen Lowe, Paul Martin, Charles Drennan, Dennis Brown, Peter Cullinane, Owen Dolan, Basil Meeking and Stuart O’Connell. The ordination was attended Read more
Later this week Michael Dooley will become the 7th bishop of Dunedin. His ordination will take place in the Dunedin town hall on Thursday. Over 1000 people are expected to attend including clergy, the Vatican’s diplomatic representative, the apostolic nuncio Archbishop Martin Krebs, civic leaders and other Church leaders. The ordination will be followed on Friday morning Read more
Bruce Munro talks to Fr Michael Dooley about church abuse, celibate priests, Jesus and the future of Christianity. Continue reading