“What might a more merciful family or school or parish or workplace or diocese look like?” This is the question posed by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops in their recent Pastoral Letter. “We are not here to give answers but let us all look to the example the Holy Father, Pope Francis, is giving us.” “The Read more
“The experience of those countries that have already legalised euthanasia shows that the demand for euthanasia cannot be limited to a carefully defined group,” say the New Zealand Catholic Bishops in their most recent statement on euthanasia. “In the Netherlands euthanasia was initially only available to dying adults with terminal illness who were able to Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops have welcomed the Terms of Reference released by Parliament’s Health Select Committee for an investigation into ending a person’s life in New Zealand. The inquiry will look at the factors that contributed to a person wanting to end their life, as well as the experiences of other countries who have Read more
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ quotes the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ statement on the environment which they published in 2006. Paragraph 95 of Laudato Si’ reads: “The natural environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for Read more
The retiring Bishop of Hamilton, New Zealand, has been a bishop for 38 years, serving in three dioceses, The Cook Islands, Auckland and Hamilton. He has been a priest for 52 years. “Looking back over nearly 38 years as a Bishop in three different Dioceses, I am grateful for the wonderful support and loyalty that Read more
Fr. Stephen Lowe has been appointed the third Bishop of Hamilton in New Zealand. He replaces bishop Denis Browne who has retired. He is at present Director of formation at the National Seminary, Holy Cross College. Hearing of the announcement Bishop Browne said, “I am delighted that Hamilton will receive a Bishop with such pastoral Read more
New Zealand cannot stand aloof from involvement in the Middle East when so many people are suffering and dying says Archbishop John Dew, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He has written to Prime Minister John Key, offering the support of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops for the cautious and measured approach to making Read more
A strong sense of exclusion and hurt is felt by many people who are living in situations not in accord with Church teaching in areas such as divorce and re-marriage, cohabitation, contraception and same sex unions. This information is contained in a Pastoral Letter from the New Zealand Catholic Bishops summarising the main themes that Read more
At the league’s annual conference in Auckland last month, participants were reflecting on Pope Francis’s call for the Church to develop a more profound theology of women. NZ Catholic reported that one group raised the idea of women deacons. CWL national chaplain Sr John Bosco Kendall then suggested the group put this idea to their Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have asked Pope Francis to declare a global prayer vigil for peace in Gaza and the rest of the Holy Land. In a letter, the New Zealand bishops praise the Pope for his efforts to bring about peace. But the bishops pick up on a request from a Gaza priest, Fr Raed, Read more