The Vatican, Friday, announced Cardinal John Dew’s resignation as Archbishop of Wellington last Friday. Dew (pictured right) explains “Canon law requires that bishops offer their resignation to the Holy Father when they reach 75 years of age, and yesterday I reached that age.” Pope Francis has accepted his resignation. “It is with sadness that I Read more
Following a legal challenge to the Vatican, Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew has withdrawn the decree of deconsecration of St Anthony of Padua Church, Martinborough. The news of deconsecration withdrawal came in a letter to Wairarapa Parish Priest Fr Bruce England and was distributed to the Martinborough community parishioners. With Dew recovering from an Read more
Cardinal John Dew is to have spinal surgery on March 21. A period of 6 – 8 weeks of convalescence will follow. Known to be a keen walker, Dew writes on Facebook: “since June of last year I have had difficulty walking due to pain in my legs. “I have greatly missed my early morning Read more
Catholics in Dublin are facing a new era where lay members of the community will be leading liturgies formerly conducted by priests. It’s just a matter of time before they’ll be conducting funerals, marriages and baptisms in the Dublin archdiocese and elsewhere, a diocesan spokesman says. They’ll be doing everything but celebrating the Mass and Read more
It takes a long time to appoint a bishop, says Steve Lowe, Bishop of Auckland and Secretary of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference. Lowe is responding to a piece by Luke Coppen in The Pillar, suggesting the Vatican has forgotten about New Zealand’s need to find two bishops. Coppen points out that the Diocese of Read more
Women’s role in the Catholic Church is the focus of a New Zealand group working for gender equality in Church leadership. A media release from a group called “Be the Change, Catholic Church, Aotearoa” notes New Zealand women’s suffrage was granted on 19 September 1893, and this month’s anniversary shows the Catholic Church is 129 Read more
Evangelisation doesn’t depend on big parishes, says Hanoi’s Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien. Even tiny ones, like those with just 70-200 parishioners each, can still evangelise others. The way Catholics live out their faith is what’s important, he says. They should trust in God, who always loves and blesses them. They should also try to Read more
Former Cabinet minister Chris Finlayson, a practicing Catholic, is also unsparing in his critiques of the Catholic Church. Finlayson says he has vigorously chided church leaders who try to intervene in politics. On one occasion the Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew, invited him to a picnic on Parliament’s lawn. Finlayson says Dew wanted to Read more
Conservative Catholics attempted to gatecrash the invitation-only National Synod meeting in Wellington last weekend. Before the meeting, a request was made to the bishops asking that at least one independent person might observe, but the request was declined. However, a statement received by CathNews says that nevertheless, two people who thought they should be at Read more
Radical, unrealistic and even heretical suggestions were part of the conversation background at the New Zealand Catholic Church’s national Synod synthesis group that met at St Catherine’s College, Wellington last weekend. The national Synod synthesis in New Zealand is the latest part of the local Church’s participation in the Pope’s Synodal path to the Church’s Read more