Priests are part of the church community; they ‘give savour’ to the community and are not the ‘main course’. The captivating comment that shed light on the role of priests within the Church was made on Saturday, by Monsignor Gerard Burns, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Wellington, during the installation ceremony of Catholic Read more
One of the strong social movements of our time is the growing recognition of indigenous (first/original/ aboriginal peoples) in countries that have taken their contemporary form following a period of colonisation by European powers. The ways colonisation took place varied according to place and time but usually involved the imposition of European power over local Read more
The other day I went to get a haircut after the last 2 months in lockdown (I didn’t trust the others in my ‘bubble’ to give me a haircut!). As I entered the shop to see my old friend and barber, I noticed – further along the street – the blanket-covered body of someone sleeping Read more
Cardinal John Dew left for Rome on Thursday. On Sunday (Rome time) he will be installed as the titular parish priest of Sant’ Ippolito. All cardinals are made nominal parish priest of a Roman parish. Next week he will be at the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. Msgr Gerard Burns Read more
The Holy Father has nominated as Members of the Executive Board of Caritas Internationalis: Msgr Gerard Patrick Burns, President of Caritas Oceania, Lucas Van Looy, Bishop of Gent and President of Caritas Europe; Youssef Antoine Soueif, Archbishop of Cipro and President of Caritas Cipro. Msgr Burns is the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Wellington. Source Read more
A Wellington priest has made a submission to the Select Committee considering the the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) and Related Legislation Amendment Bill. Monsignor Gerard Burns said his deepest concern about this bill is that it shakes the relationship of trust between the State and the citizens of Aotearoa New Zealand. “Because a healthy society Read more
The annual Caritas Oceania forum, which began in Auckland on 3 October, was attended by representatives from eight different nations. About 25 people attended the week-long event, including representatives from Caritas Internationalis, and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) – Asia. Many of the states represented, such as Tonga and Kiribati, are among the most vulnerable to Read more