Posts Tagged ‘NZ Catholic Bishops Conference’

More exorcisms! The Vatican acts

Thursday, November 16th, 2023
exorcisms

The Vatican has responded to Bishop of Christchurch Michael Gielen’s request for help dealing with unauthorised exorcisms and related spiritual abuse in the Diocese. The retired bishop of Toowoomba, Robert McGuckin (pictured), has been tasked with conducting an Apostolic Visitation to investigate the allegations. The former professor of Canon Law at the University of Notre Read more

Avoid trivia and scandals – NZ Bishops’ election statement

Monday, September 25th, 2023
Bishops election statement

The New Zealand Catholic bishops’ election statement wants elected politicians to focus on issues that matter. They say that scandals and trivia that dominate public debate shouldn’t be on the 2023 election agenda. The bishops’ Election Statement for the 2023 General Election says increasing numbers of people are becoming disillusioned and people are disenfranchised because Read more

More than just financial compensation says survivor

Monday, August 7th, 2023
financial compensation

Financial compensation is just a starting point for a survivor of abuse at the Marylands School – he is calling for more. Darryl Smith suffered at the hands of the John of God Brothers in Australia and New Zealand. He has already undergone a redress settlement process in Australia and received compensation from the Queensland Read more

Abhorrent sexual abuse should never have happened

Thursday, August 3rd, 2023
sexual abuse

“Abhorrent and should never have happened” is how Archbishop Paul Martin describes the sexual abuse at Marylands School. Martin is responding in a media release to the Royal Commission’s interim report Stolen Lives, Marked Souls. The report into the St John of God brothers’ Marylands School in Christchurch was released on Wednesday. Martin suggests it Read more

Exorcisms suspended by Christchurch bishop

Thursday, August 3rd, 2023
exorcisms

Following allegations of unauthorised exorcisms, Bishop Michael Gielen has suspended all exorcisms in the Christchurch diocese and ordered a comprehensive review of the practice. Gielen is currently in Portugal at World Youth Day. The announcement arrives in the wake of a report by TV3 journalist Michael Morrah that exposed alleged unapproved exorcisms conducted by the Read more

Poor Church communication helps trivialise exorcism

Monday, July 31st, 2023
Sacrosanctum Concilium,

The recent television reporting of exorcisms and potential abuse by a fringe religious group in the Diocese of Christchurch is deeply disturbing on several levels. Poor Church communication is in the spotlight. The nub of the issue is why a fringe group, that does not belong to the mainstream of the Church and does not Read more

NZ Catholic Bishops Conference leadership positions announced

Monday, May 15th, 2023

Three of four New Zealand Catholic bishops (NZCBC), the national body for the bishops of New Zealand have new leadership roles. With two dioceses still waiting for a bishop, New Zealand has only four bishops and the changes follow the retirement of Cardinal John Dew. The positions were announced following the Conference meeting in Auckland Read more

Globally groundbreaking NZ bishops

Monday, October 17th, 2022

The new pastoral guidelines concerning gender and sexuality are “groundbreaking”, says New Ways Ministry’s Robert Shine. Primarily targeting Catholic educators, “Aroha and Diversity in Catholic Schools” is the opposite of so many policies which have harmed students and upset school communities in recent years, Shine comments. The document clearly shows the bishops’ core concern is Read more

New Catholic diversity guidelines welcome all rangatahi

Thursday, October 6th, 2022
Diversity guidelines

New diversity guidelines for the country’s 235 Catholic schools offer support for rangatahi with regard to sexual diversity. New Zealand’s Catholic bishops, who released the guidelines, say all young people in Catholic schools are to be welcomed, supported and encouraged. This is important as they navigate their journey from childhood to adult and discover more Read more

Catholics to help NZ’s hospices and palliative care services

Monday, September 5th, 2022

Catholics are being urged to support New Zealand’s under-funded hospices and palliative care services. Donating, volunteering in hospice shops and asking members of Parliament and the Government to make palliative care a priority are some options. NZ Catholic Bishops Conference Secretary, Bishop Stephen Lowe, says hospices provide a free service to 20,000 palliative care patients Read more