"And if you find in your examination of conscience that you have not prayed for your leaders, bring it to confession. Because not to pray for leaders is a sin."

The Pope said that we must pray for those who govern - even if they make mistakes, even if we agree with their politics.

"We can't leave our leaders alone. We need to accompany them with our prayer".

"Pray, and do penance for leaders. Intercessory prayer, as Paul says, is such a wonderful thing. It is to be done for all."

At the same time, he called on leaders to pray too. "If leaders do not pray, they close themselves off in a self-referential circle or in that of their party, a circle from which they cannot escape."

He said those who are atheist or agnostic must "confront themselves with their conscience, with the wisdom of their people".

Pope Francis' appeal in came in his homily at Casa Santa Marta on September 18.

His homily was based on the Mass readings of the day in which Saint Paul advises Timothy to recite prayers for those in authority (1 Timothy 2;1-8).

In the Gospel, a centurion prays for the healing for his servant (Luke 7; 1 -10) and ponders on how he carries out his duties as a leader.

"This man felt the need for prayer, not because it was a last resort but because he knew that there was someone above him, another who is in charge," the Pope said.

Read the Pope's homily

Source

• La Stampa
• Crux\
• Image: TVNZ

Entitled Step Out and Vote, the statement encourages Catholics as faith-based citizens to make a difference to New Zealand's future through informed and considered voting in the upcoming election.

The Bishops put forward specific ideas that encourage questions and thinking among voters to help ‘build a nation in which all citizens - whanau and individuals alike - are valued and given equal opportunities to flourish'.

The issues the Bishops addressed in their statement were:

Pro-Life Policies
Bicultural New Zealand
Cultural Diversity
Migration
Safe Society
Caring For Our Planet
Fair Tax Structure
Affordable Housing
Prison Population

The Catholic newspaper WelCom later invited the leaders of the parliamentary parties represented in the 51st Parliament for their responses to these key issues.

WelCom spoke to Bishop Charles Drennan, Secretary of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, about the Step Out and Vote statement.

"All Kiwis have a contribution to make to political debate, and an increasing number of voters are not mother-tongue English speakers - just like our congregations.

"So there is what we might call a conscious ‘humility of communication' at work in this statement.

"The structure, layout and wording are attuned to contemporary society," said Drennan.

"Also, we Bishops are very aware of younger voters thinking deeply about what kind of society they want New Zealand to be. Preparing to vote in the election is then a formative experience for them, and indeed for everyone".

Source

• Welcom
• Welcom
• Image: Marist Messenger

Ardern has responded by saying abortions up to 40 weeks would not be made legal under Labour.

Despite this, Saving Downs created a social media post using Labour's campaign slogan (Let's do this), Labour's logo, and Labour's leader.

The graphic says: "Abortion up to birth for babies with disabilities", followed by the slogan "Let's do this".

A Labour Party spokesman said the party had contacted Saving Downs head Mike Sullivan, asking him to remove the post that contained the false claim alongside Labour branding.

The party had contacted Facebook and Twitter asking them to remove the posts.

Under the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act there is currently a gestational time limit of 20-weeks for abortion for disability.

But Saving Down's said that in the handful of jurisdictions that have decriminalised abortion - China, Vietnam, Canada and two states in Australia - gestational time limits for disability-selective abortions have been removed. Abortion for babies with disabilities is available right up to birth.

Saving Down's say Ardern's proposed change to the law could also see New Zealand fall foul of international disability rights obligations.

This is because the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has consistently criticised countries that provide for abortion in a way which discriminates on the basis of disability.

"That is not what I've said. What I've said is currently abortion is in the Crimes Act. It shouldn't be in the Crimes Act," Ardern said on Wednesday.

"Yes we need to have regulation and proper practice and standards around this area of our health law but it should not be contained in the Crimes Act.

"There will be some elements that some members of parliament have no issue with, including it being removed from the Crimes Act, there may be other elements that they do," she said.

"We'll make sure we draft a bill that enables members to vote on the bits that they do take no issue with versus the ones that they don't but I do need to do that work in office."

Source

• Scoop
• Stuff
• Yahoo News
• Saving Downs Syndrome

The Electoral Commission visited their school recently, and all four had enrolled to vote, although one was leaning towards not voting.

No party had yet convinced her enough to do it, she said.

She was concerned about housing and the level of homelessness in the community. Continue reading

Winston Peters has recently derided National's promise to the Sikh community to amend the law for allowing Sikh Kirpan in New Zealand if re-elected to power after elections. Continue reading

He was speaking prior to a housing forum organised by the Anglican and Catholic churches of Wellington.

Approximately 600 people attended the forum in the Anglican Cathedral of St Paul on Wednesday evening.

The assistant Anglican bishop of Wellington, Eleanor Sanderson, and Cardinal Dew opened the evening with reflections on what it means to be at home, and what the nation needs in order for this to be possible. Watch

Dew reminding those present that on a global scale, New Zealand has the worst rate of homelessness in the OECD - according to a Yale University study.

He told those present that they had a responsibility towards the homeless.

"As we prepare for this General Election, let's ensure that we elect a government which will work to provide housing for all, a government who will provide homes that will cater for all living in this country, and create a setting for a dignified life," he said.

Bishop Justin Duckworth, the Anglican bishop of Wellington provided a provocative reminder to those in Parliament. Watch

"Our challenge is to make sure that even though it seems like the people next door [in Parliament] don't seem to care enough to cross the road, we will make sure that they hear our voice."

"We're talking about probably the issue that in the polls is the greatest issue facing New Zealanders. For me, this is no longer about housing, it's just simply about do you care? Do you actually care?"

Turning to address the politicians, Bishop Justin asked: "can you people do me a favour and can you take a message to the house next door, and say: 'we care'."

"We've come from all around Wellington because we care. And I want you to know that we cared enough to turn out tonight because we're gonna vote on this issue."

Short presentations made by the politicians

• National Party: Hon Alfred Ngaro watch
• Conservative Party: Leighton Baker watch,
• Labour Party housing spokesperson: Phil Twyford watch
• The Opportunities Party: Jenny Condie from watch
• United Future: Roger Ellis watch

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei was scheduled to speak but just hours before the forum she had resigned as co-leader of the Greens.

New Zealand First, Act and the Maori Party were not represented.

Other presentations

• Working with Hutt Valley's most vulnerable people watch
• Tenants suffering in dire conditions watch
• Karen Holland from Soup Kitchen: The voices of the homeless watch

Sources

• The New Zealand Herald
• Anglican Communion News Service
• Movement
• Movement
• Image: AllEvents

Attendance is welcome and there is no charge.

The forum formally starts at 6:30pm on 9 August 2017, with snacks and drinks available from 5:45pm and the Wellington Community Choir at 6:15pm. The venue is the Anglican Cathedral of St Paul, corner of Molesworth St and John St.

Political Party spokespeople attending the forum will include National's Alfred Ngaro, the Labour party's Phil Twyford, Green party co-leader, Metiria Turei, Ron Mark of NZ First, United Future's Roger Ellis and Jenny Condi of The Opportunities Party.

With less than two months until our country's general election, home affordability is one of the main issues being kicked around the political football field, yet all the while reaching crisis level. Stories of families unable to afford a home or struggling to pay rent while others sleep in cars, motels and overcrowded accommodation have become all too common.

Cardinal John states, "Excessive rents and inflated house prices are leaving families homeless and young couples despondent. Without effective policies to support regional and provincial economic development and employment, many New Zealanders are paying a high price, which will affect generations to come."

Reinforcing this message, Bishop Justin recently called churches in his Diocese to a month of prayer and action on the housing crisis. This election forum will come during this period.

The forum will provide an opportunity for members of the community to join the Cardinal and Bishop to hear community stories of those affected, discuss Christian perspectives and action on tackling the housing crisis. Those attending can hear directly from political parties on how they intend to address the housing crisis.

For further information visit www.facebook.com

Society President Terry Comber said that the social issues that the Bishops raise are
at the forefront of the Society's work.

"On behalf of Vincentians in New Zealand, I would like to publicly support their Statement.

"We encounter people every day who are facing the personal and social challenges
the bishops are talking about - particularly lack of affordable housing, mental
health issues and the struggle of many elderly in our society to get by each week.
Their situation cannot be ignored. It is up to everybody from politicians to local
communities to address these issues.

"In the words of Pope Francis: 'Nothing else will change the world but people who
fight for justice and human dignity."'

Terry Comber urged Catholics to read the Statement carefully and act on its guidance.

"The Bishops' Statement covers complex topics honesty and sensitively. It shows
real awareness of what the reality is out there, a reality that our members are
encountering every day. When we vote, we need to consider the common good
and the vulnerable in New Zealand society, not just ourselves."

The Bishops' statement calls for a tax structure which is fair to low income earners
and advocates a thorough review and strengthening of the mental health sector. It
calls the growing prison population a "national disgrace", and advocates pro-life
attitudes and policies from inception to the last days of life.

The Bishops emphasise the role faith has in the public forum. It calls on all
brothers and sisters in Christ to let faith guide them in their political choices, and
to vote in accord with what's best for all of New Zealand, not just the individual
voter.

"Faith has a vital role in the public forum," says the Bishops' Statement. "Stand
up, uphold the common good of our nation, choose wisely and your vote will be a
blessing for our nation."

Political leaders are being invited to attend and speak, and it will be a fantastic opportunity for people to hear housing challenges and the proposed solutions of our political parties. Continue reading

And her leader, David Seymour agrees with her, saying too many children were being born into poverty.

The Spinoff (an online magazine) followed up on this story by posting a list of 25 people ACT thinks should not have been born.

Houlbrooke was reacting to the announcement of the Labour Party's $60-a-week baby bonus policy.

On her Facebook page she said Labour's policy of paying people to have babies encourages them to grow their families when they're not properly mature or financially prepared.

Her post generated a vitriolic response. Police are making enquiries after she received a message saying she needed "the bashing or a bullet"

Houlbrooke declined to confirm whether the complaint had been laid by her, citing ACT health and safety policies.

She said she'd had no contact with police and that the message in question was the only negative response directed at her.

Speaking RNZ's Morning Report, Houlbrooke clarified her position.

"It's not to say people on low incomes can't have children.

"Plenty of them make a very good fist of it.

"And they do that because they've got prospects and a plan."

That included being in a stable relationship or having strong family connections and stable housing.

She said ACT believed giving handouts increased dependency, so it was not fixing the root of the problem.

"What happens when the handout runs out after three years is you still have a child living in a family who cannot afford to meet its needs."

In her own case, she put off having children until she could afford it, at the age of 27.

"I have many friends who have put off having children until their late 30s, early 40s and they've done it successfully," she said.

"There's no rush to have children at an early age."

Source

• Facebook
• Newhub
• RNZ
• Image: Stuff

The prayer agenda, a confidential document, is distributed world-wide.

The actual words in the prayer agenda are for the "right Government which maintains Christian principles" to win the New Zealand election on September 23.

Contrary to the implication in Stuff's headline, the prayer request makes no mention of Bill English. Read More

"If any politician were to use social media as a way to communicate, it would be to their detriment. It's a terrible means of conveying detailed information."

"Candidates could talk to us and introduce themselves. It's not hard to say, 'this is me, this is what I stand for'."

This contradicts the popular view that social media is crucial if politician are to engage with younger voters.

Another student, Steven Pereira, 18, said, "They need to make themselves more known to give us an idea of who they are. They need to talk to young people so they know they actually exist."

Jack Peratiaki, 18, said politics and voting was not widely discussed among his mates. He thought a lack of information about the electoral system in conjunction with little exposure to politicians meant many young people felt out of their depth when it came time to cast their ballot papers.

"They just expect us to know what to do.They should come and talk to us instead of relying on parents to tell us [what to do]."

Although New Zealand enjoys a strong overall enrolled voter turnout among young people (aged 18 to 24) is proportionately much lower than all other age groups.

In May Stuff reported that in the 2014 election, just 75 percent of eligible voters aged 18 to 24 enrolled to vote and one third of those did not vote at all.

In an opinion piece on Stuff last month Cas Carter pointed out that "In what they're calling "the youth quake," the Labour Party managed to change the prevailing view of the long-time disaffected young demographic and showed them their vote could make a difference."

Source

• Matthew Tso /Stuff
• mm-research
• Ashleigh Martin
• Image: TVNZ

With the 2017 General Election in just over two months, this is the message of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops in their 2017 Election Statement, Step out and Vote.

Bishop Patrick Dunn, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference says "this is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the big challenges facing our society and ask the tough questions, both of ourselves and our candidates.

"Last year while speaking at an international youth event in Poland, Pope Francis warned the young of being couch potatoes and leaving it to others to decide our future."

The Bishops' Election Statement, which is going out to churches this week, focuses on what they see as key considerations in shaping New Zealand's future.

Bishop Dunn says "what we're not doing is giving preference to or offering opinions on political parties. We are, however candid on what we see as non-negotiables in a vision for our country.

"These include the provision of affordable housing, ensuring a safe society, a respect for life, the nurturing of our environment and the care of refugees and asylum seekers."

He goes on to comment, "we acknowledge the different paths in working towards a just and peaceful society but, at the same time, echo the words of Pope Francis that an election is not simply a spectator sport."

"It is a wonderful opportunity and indeed our responsibility to decide who we feel best to steer the ship and guide the policy on the future course of this country. This is a time for us to reflect, discuss and debate on what sort of society we want New Zealand to be."

Stand up, uphold the common good of our nation, choose wisely, and your vote will be a blessing for our nation.

Click here for The full New Zealand Bishops 2017 Election Statement

Source

Supplied: Amanda Gregan, Communications Advisor, New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference

Image: Screenshot NZCBC

In Labour's first large donation for some time, Robert Smellie, QC, gave $100,000 this month, on top of the $15,000 he gave in December.

Smellie told the Herald one reason was his religion.

"[Former PM] Michael Joseph Savage once said, 'Labour is Christianity in action'. And I am a practising Anglican and as such I see socialism as being far closer to the Gospel than free enterprise." Continue reading

She said GOdsownnz did not source the graphics on their website from either of the Facebook pages mentioned in the news item.

"I purely copied the images from FaceBook posts that came across my FaceBook page - 'public' posts I believe," said Holley.

"They seemed appropriate to where we stand on freedom of speech, and left-wing judgmentalism and social engineering."

"We (GOdsownnz and myself and others managing the Party) do not align ourselves with 'Freedom of Speech USA' nor 'The Australian Freedom of Speech Productions'. she said.

"We have never been on their websites, FaceBook pages. We are not 'right-wing'. We are not "anti-refugee", however we do not agree with the Islam religion or it's extremists.

"I would really appreciate a correction in CathNews to amend your reporting on this issue."

"We do not want a false impression going out, of where we are coming from."

CathNews apologies for the mistake.

In their media release GOdsownNZ says it is is here "to stand for the New Zealand we once knew, want to retain, and continue to improve."

"We want to ensure that right is actually right, and wrong is understood as wrong. We hold to conservative Christian beliefs and practice - but there is nothing wrong with that! New Zealand's heritage is Christian, many New Zealanders identify as Christian, and we are proud of that!"

"Today, Christianity is made out to be a bad, wrong thing...what is actually a bad thing is all the PC, liberal, social engineering that ‘normalises' things that are actually wrong and makes out they are right, and judges those things that are right, to be wrong."

Source

• Supplied
• scoop.co.nz
• Image: FaceBook

The party is based in Greymouth.

The party is currently on an enrolment campaign to reach the threshold of 500 registered financial members that the Electoral Act requires before a party can be registered.

"We are ‘coming out' as Christians to have our say. We are voicing our right to free speech. We have the same right to enter Parliament as the 'PC Brigade' but we want to bring true values and ethics back in," the party said in a statement.

"We want God ('of nations') to have His way in New Zealand government and society once again."

GOdsownNZ website says it is a Christian Political Party that has been established "because its founders believe God wants His voice heard now, in this very perilous time we find ourselves in." The reader is referred to the second letter to Timothy 3:1-5.

"Political Correctness (PC), 'Social Engineering', Liberalism, 'Tolerance' ... these actions are taking New Zealand down a path without God, which is causing more evil than good...and God is not happy about it."

Claire Holley is the leader of GODsownnz which she founded with her husband Alan.

Claire had previously been involved with the Conservative Party since its launch in 2011, but resigned from the Board of Management at the end of last year.

"The Conservative Party started out well, but supporters have been let down by recent events, and a ‘watering down' of their original policy platform," she said.

Source

• Supplied
• godsownnz.org.nz
• Image: i.ytimg.com