Recruiting the next generation of priests is a priority for Palmerston North’s new Bishop. Charles Drennan was ordained coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Palmerston North last Saturday. “One aspect that Bishop Peter has also been involved with is trying to promote vocations to the priesthood, because there aren’t many young men in the seminary in New Read more
The Vatican’s circular letter to all Bishops’ conferences to assist them to develop guidelines for dealing with cases of sexual abuse of minors by clergy has received a mixed reaction. The general consensus is that it is a step in the right direction but the guidelines for handling sex abuse leave a key issue unaddressed – Read more
Gerald Arbuckle reflects on the removal of Bishop Morris: The recent, unfortunate forced early retirement of Bishop Morris of Toowoomba has caused significant disquiet, not just in Australia, but throughout the Catholic world says Gerald Arbuckle. Even the Australian Bishops’ Conference, while reaffirming their loyalty to the Pope as the head of the College of Bishops, Read more
On Monday 16 May the Vatican is issuing a new sexual abuse protocol document, giving guidelines for bishops to follow when dealing with cases of sexual abuse of children by priests. The letter comes from the Vatican’s top-ranking Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). CDF head, Cardinal William Levada said the circular would include Read more
We are living in a particularly difficult time; there is an undeniable crisis of authority in the Church. It is not a simple problem and instant answers, although desirable, are not possible. Bishop Morris’s resignation highlights one of the Pope’s fundamental roles: to preserve the unity of the Church. He has the task of building bridges between diverse and sometimes opposing groups Read more
John Key says the nine National party MPs who are not in favour of changing the rules around Easter trading “were mostly of a Catholic persuasion and didn’t support Easter trading on religious grounds,” which Key said he respects. However he wants the rules changed and he says it is a conscience vote and people need to vote Read more
After a barrage of criticism from the Catholic Bishops in the Philippines, fast-food chain McDonalds has scrapped a television commercial. The commercial showed two young children flirting with each, and a young girl asks a boy of the same age if she can be his girlfriend. The boy wasn’t interested and says that “girls are Read more
Many of Australia’s Catholic priests don’t believe in crucial church teachings and are critical of their bishops. While most Australian priests find fulfillment in the priesthood, many say they are overworked, poorly managed and feel constrained in their religious vocation by bureaucracy and parish administration. Nearly half of the surveyed priests consider their bishops as Read more
The U.S. bishops have been accused by a prominent U.S. theologian of not following their own guidelines in handling disputes between bishops and theologians before issuing a critique of last week of a 2007 book by Elizabeth Johnson. The bishops’ doctrine committee said that Elizabeth Johnson’s book, “Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God” is Read more
Emeritus Bishop of Rarotonga who served there as Bishop for 14 years before retiring in 1997 has launched his autobiography “Truly Blessed – My Story.” In it he records the struggles and joys of his priestly life, sharing personal stories and experiences. Sr Patricia Leamy, SMSM, the Bishop’s sister, writes in the foreword: “During his Read more