Father David Dowling has been appointed the new rector of Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland. The appointment has been confirmed by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelisation. Fr David is at present the Human Formator at Holy Cross. He will take over the role in April from the present Interim Rector, Bishop Emeritus Colin Campbell. Holy Read more
Holy See representative Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle had planned to visit New Zealand this October. However, as can happen, plans change and he won’t be coming after all. Considered by some to be Papabile, Tagle is the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelisation of the Dicastery for Evangelisation and is responsible for appointing New Zealand’s Read more
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is understood to have accepted an invitation to visit New Zealand. He is the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelisation of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, and is responsible for the appointment of New Zealand’s bishops. However the purpose of Tagle’s visit it to speak at the National Clergy Assembly, in October. Read more
The Anglican Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, was in Rome this week. It is his first official visit to the Anglican Centre and the Holy See. Cottrell said he felt encouraged to have met people within the Roman Catholic Church leadership after meeting Pope Francis at the Anglican Centre on Monday. His audience with Francis Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops are again stressing the importance of bishops to the Palmerston North and Hamilton dioceses. At their November meeting the bishops re-emphasised the need for two bishops to the Pope’s diplomatic representative to New Zealand, His Excellency, Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa (pictured). New Zealand bishops are appointed through the Dicastery for Evangelisation headed Read more
After years of prayerful waiting, Catholics in Indonesia’s Papua finally have what they want — a bishop from their own ranks. Nearly 70 percent or about 3 million of the total 4.3 million population of this underdeveloped province are Christians. Around 675,000 are Catholics. Additionally, there are around 90,000 Catholics in West Papua out of 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