The Church Resources Ltd board, the current publisher of CathNews, recently made this decision.

The move follows the closure of NZ Catholic in June and the promise of a new publication.

Forward looking - a new chapter

This change marks a new chapter for CathNews, which has played a unique role in delivering news, analysis, and commentary of interest to the Catholic Church community.

The decision also aligns with broader changes within the Catholic media landscape in New Zealand.

The NZCBC's request to take over CathNews was the fourth received by the publication.

The announcement comes as CathNews reports impressive readership statistics: 4,490,401 articles were read between December 1, 2023, and November 30, 2024.

However, while transferring the asset, NZCBC Executive Officer Damian Dempsey confirmed that the Bishops Conference did not require the current CathNews writers. This left Church Resources Chair Fr Kevin Conroy SM with the difficult task of informing the lay staff that they would lose their jobs just before Christmas.

Thanks to writers, contributors and readers

For quite some time, CathNews has been shaped by the dedication of its writers, Juliet, Ronan, and behind the scenes, Gerard, who for some time were instrumental in producing CathNews twice weekly.

These people brought diverse life experiences and talents to the publication, often supporting each other to ensure continuity.

The team worked from various points within New Zealand, Australia, multiple parts of Asia, several European countries, and the US. CathNews never missed a publication, even during COVID.

Earlier, Pat McCarthy and Michael Otto also played significant roles as writers.

It is essential to say that just because they wrote about a topic from a particular perspective does not mean they wrote personally. They were doing their job.

Fr Denis O'Hagan SM also played a critical role in CathNews, helping establish its credibility and serving as its first editor. Denis had a particular interest in the gospel in broader society, and his passing earlier this year was a significant loss to the publication and its readers.

Several contributors, including Dr Joe Grayland, Professor Thomas O'Loughlin, Dr Phyllis Zagano, Joy Cowley, and occasionally Dr Christopher Longhurst, enriched CathNews with their experience and significant insightful commentary on the Church and society.

However, the unsung heroes of CathNews are its readers and those who have told their friends about it.

CathNews was compiled and managed on the 'charge of a regularly near empty rechargeable battery'. It was never advertised, so its growth was primarily by word of mouth.

Therefore, a thank you to the readers who enjoyed the publication sufficiently to promote it.

Others to thank are numerous people who offered comments and substantiated stories.

New Zealand is a small place where everyone knows our name, so most of these CathNews commentators wished to remain anonymous and changed their names and, occasionally, even their gender!

Regardless of name or gender, these real people with real perspectives gave gravitas to stories. Thank you.

There may still be a lesson in Denis O'Hagan's only opinion piece for CathNews, which we are re-publishing again today.

One distinct difference between publishing a newspaper and publishing online is the feedback statistics provide. CathNews heard you.

An occasional look at the list of countries where CathNews was read shows the reach of interest and the opportunity this medium presents, so a particular 'shout-out' to international readers recommending this New Zealand service to their friends, particularly in Australia and the United States.

Another highlight was the forward thinking of some priests who included seamlessly selected news in their parish newsletters.

Interestingly, on one occasion, the seamless syndication was promptly terminated when the priest shifted, and the communication role was transferred to a layperson.

CathNews enjoyed the support of a major sponsor. Without its significant backing and encouragement, CathNews would never have happened. On behalf of the readers, a sincere thank you. The sponsor always likes prayers.

CathNews was never Catholic News

While some referred to CathNews as "Catholic News," it never aimed to fit this mould. Instead, CathNews provided news and analysis of interest to the Catholic Church while addressing broader societal concerns, including AI, child poverty, housing, and modern technology.

A parish priest more than once suggested that CathNews only report on Catholic-specific issues and avoid controversial topics.

For those with similar views, we recommend reflecting on paragraph one of Gaudium et Spes.

CathNews was never limited to "news from inside a walled garden" but explored issues relevant to the Church in the modern world.

However, some critics felt CathNews was too liberal, not loyal, did not go far enough, or was not spiritual enough.

The publication carved a niche by maintaining editorial independence. Its mission was to inform and promote thoughtful reflection, and as such, it served as a possible seedbed for prayer.

To reference Pope Francis, there's room for 'everyone'.

Readers must opt-in to get the new CathNews

In January 2026, under NZCBC management, CathNews will undergo editorial changes.

While some readers may embrace the shift, others may not.

Following CathNews's privacy policy, existing readers must opt-in to receive the new version.

Opting out is not sufficient.

NZCBC CathNews

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Flashes of Insight

As CathNews transitions, a small global initiative, Flashes of Insight, is in its planning stages.

It will target forward-thinking readers.

A weekly publication will offer concise reflections and in-depth commentary on critical issues. Details about how to subscribe will be announced soon.

Flashes of Insight will remain free.

Today's edition

Today's edition of CathNews is a little different. In effect it's virtual fish n chip paper, it's yesterday's news.

The stories on today's page are a range of popularly read stories that cover an range of topics that CathNews have covered over the past thirteen years.

"I stood there in the Church and didn't know what to do. I was listening to this lament in a very public place. I wanted to leave, but then I thought I would be seen to be a perpetrator or outed as a victim. So, I sat down and spent the rest of the Mass angry…," said one man, who wrote to me.

The man says he felt used, adding, "I am so sick of apologies; they are just another form of victimisation."

This is the first of a series of stories I received following my initial piece in CathNews.

A nurse also wrote, recalling that at the end of the Mass, she and the other reader sat with the reader asked to lead the lament—without any preparation—and processed what it all meant.

"A truly professional organisation would have offered support to anyone in the congregation impacted by abuse because you never know who is sitting there and what they are experiencing, but there was nothing."

Another person wrote: "The Sunday Mass is no longer a safe place when I am made guilty of the sins of paedophiles, and church leaders who have not led."

A younger person recounted the experience of being "personally blamed for the crimes that others did in my country" during her grandparent's generation.

"To me, the lament does the same, and I know that others also were upset; I just wonder how those who were abused felt?"

Communications blunder

"They did old-form communications, focusing mainly on content rather than modern messaging that also considers the impact," wrote a communications professional.

Nowadays, there is also more than one channel to deliver a suitable message.

Given that most Catholics no longer regularly attend Sunday Mass, using the Mass as a key communications channel is designed for the village; it is pre-digital and shows that if the bishops receive communication advice, the advisors must up their game.

The response I received to my original piece from clergy has been supportive.

Several wrote expressing their distaste for what they had to do and how they had to do it. Some expressed surprise that no network of support was offered.

Having received the material before Sunday Mass, one priest offered pastoral feedback to his bishop on the content and strategy, but the priest says his advice was not taken.

Other priests also wrote saying they modified the lament or ignored it all together.

Sunday Mass

Sunday Mass is a space where the divine and the human meet, a place beyond the pragmatic.

Understanding the nature of liturgical rites and how they function theologically is the work of liturgical theologians, not a dive into the esoteric.

Using a biblical lament during a Sunday Mass is never appropriate.

Biblical laments are placed within penitential services as part of the healing process.

Accordingly, penitential laments change in their structure, language and purpose according to who is lamenting and what is being lamented:

• I lament that I have done this,
• I lament that others have done this to me,
• We lament that we as a people and nation have done this.

Laments should not be used as a cheap ‘apologetic hocus-pocus'.

It also appears that the bishops' liturgical advisors and theologians must up their game.

Representative or actual guilt and accountability

In making these comments, distinguishing between representative guilt, actual guilt and accountability must be more carefully considered.

How do the current group of bishops, congregational leaders and school leaders/Boards carry the representative guilt and accountability for their predecessors' lapses in moral judgment when they do not carry the actual guilt or personal accountability?

Is it reasonable to project representative guilt or accountability onto the general population with little knowledge of what went on, who have had no part in decision-making and those without agency?

The reality of abuse will be the defining historical term of this period of the Church.

Institutional abuse must be addressed on many levels because it is primarily a human reality; and it is through addressing human needs, decision-making and the human experience of being abused that the institution can find a new way of operating.

An approach to moving forward

In order for everyone to move forward with their lives I'd like to suggest three conversations may be appropriate:

• ask survivors what an authentic act of penance or repentance would look like;
• ask survivors and parishioners what a genuine act of restitution for survivors might look like;
• ask survivors, parishioners, and perpetrators what a healing form of public reconciliation might look like.

In these conversations, a synodal approach to the reality of abuse might uncover and communicate more than an apology ever can.

Importantly, these conversations must not be forced on survivors, Sunday Mass-goers, or perpetrators; they should not be seen as conversations that solve the problem so everyone can move on.

Healing

The function of the Royal Commission was to listen, judge, and act by making recommendations. The Royal Commission helps by exposing issues but cannot heal because it is a legal instrument, not a theological one.

Similarly, political reform will only change the functions around abuse prevention, not abuse's ontology.

In contrast, the Christian Church possesses the tools to address abuse beyond legality and functional prevention, and the Church must offer more than a change in the management of abuse prevention.

The Church must forge new pathways to healing and reconciliation by applying the theological truths of faith, hope, and love through our sacramental system and the mercy of the Gospel.

The way forward for Christians is ultimately theological and liturgical because that is how we frame and understand salvation, life, death, meaning and purpose.

Similarly, a radical (from the roots) reform of the exercise of authority in the church needs to be addressed theologically if the experience and complexity of institutional abuse are to be transformative of institutional leadership.

• Dr Joe Grayland is an assistant lecturer in the Department of Liturgy at the University of Wuerzburg (Germany). He has also been a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Palmerston North (New Zealand) for more than 30 years.

The two men are Bishop Charles Drennan, who resigned as Bishop of Palmerston North in 2019 but remains a priest and still holds the title of bishop, and Fr Larry Rustia who, after a period of suspension, returned to 'supervised' ministry.

The woman is Annie Benefield (taking the photo). The photo is on the occasion of her graduation from Good Shepherd College in Auckland where candidates train mainly for the priesthood.

NZ bishops want Drennan laicised - Vatican does not

In a statement, Stephen Lowe, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, said New Zealand officials believe "Drennan's actions, reported by a number of complainants, were wholly unacceptable" and "rise to the level of seriousness that warrants his removal from the priesthood".

The Vatican appears to disagree.

Lowe said multiple bishops have repeatedly and unsuccessfully asked the Vatican to laicise Drennan.

However, Lowe did not address why the Vatican did not act.

"We will continue to make the case at every opportunity" he said.

The Vatican required Drennan's resignation in August 2019. It was accepted at the end of September and announced in early October 2019.

As part of Drennan's resignation, the Vatican required him not to present himself as a bishop using episcopal regalia and dress and also not to engage in any public ministry.

The new Bishop of Palmerston North, John Adams, is also aware of Drennan's case.

"Several women have reported that Bishop Charles has had a sexual relationship with them. Although he has not been in public ministry in our country for some years now, we are still waiting for a final determination from Rome about his future as a cleric" Adams wrote to parishioners throughout the Palmerston North diocese.

Archbishop Gábor Pintér, the Vatican's representative in New Zealand, said the Vatican has a policy of not commenting on open cases. He declined to answer questions.

Two men, two affairs

Benefield, the Whanganui woman at the centre of the story was engaged to be married during part of the 10 years she was in a relationship with one or other either of the clerics.

She confesses she had sexual relations with Drennan (who admits some of her claims) and subsequently with Filipino priest Larry Rustia (who admits her claims are mainly true).

Eventually her affair with Drennan ended and her relationship with Rustia began and petered out; Benefield was left with a shaky faith, a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and a keen desire to see both men released from their priestly state.

Eventually, after seeking advice, Benefield went to the National Office for Professional Standards (Nops) - the complaints authority of the Church in New Zealand.

Nops commissioned an investigator, who trawled through messages Benefield provided, interviewed Benefield, Drennan and Rustia, and spoke to several of Benefield's family and friends.

In 2019, the investigator reported that her complaints were supported.

Larry Rustia and Annie Benefield

Rustia

While investigating Drennan, Nops also checked out Rustia.

After admitting to the affair, Rustia was suspended from the ministry in 2019 and sent to Australia for psychological therapy.

However according to Lowe, multiple psychologists reviewed his case and recommended that he return to ministry under supervision.

Around 2020, Rustia was assigned as a parish priest in Kaitaia.

"But I love my vocation and I wished to continue it. I was permitted to do so, but with a safety plan. That includes regular engagement with a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a spiritual director, an external supervisor and senior clergy. I have followed that plan for five years."

Rustia says he deeply regrets his mistake with Benefield.

Lowe said the church has not received any further complaints concerning him.

Benefield today

As part of two financial settlements from the Catholic Church, Benefield initially did not want the matters to become public.

She says however that her loyalty to the Church motivated her to share her story publicly for the first time.

She is adamant that Rustia and Drennan should no longer be priests.

"They have such power and such a gift in what they can do.

"Speaking as a Catholic, it's so special and so holy.

"The Church did the wrong thing for a long time, but it seems like they're trying to do the right thing now" she said.

Despite the pain, delays and secrecy, she said progress would prove "it wasn't the church who had done this. It was those men".

Source

• NZ Listener
• Supplied.

In a letter that needed to be short, it is hard to know what language the bishops could have used to make their apology more comprehensive than it is.

Certainly, the apology needed to acknowledge, above all, Church leaders' own failures for inadequate handling of offenders and inadequate support for victims/survivors.

But as leaders, it also fell to them to apologise, as far as possible, for all offending within the Church.

In their own way, I think the bishops were trying to do all this, while acknowledging that "words alone can never replace what was stolen and can never fully restore that which was destroyed."

Responsibility and abuse

But when Joe claims that the bishops fail to take "full responsibility" he seems to mean "sole responsibility," because he says that, "through the apology and the lament", Sunday congregations were being "co-opted into sharing responsibility for their leaders' actions" and called to "become complicit in the leaders' sins".

Surely, the apology needed to encompass the failures of bishops, priests, religious and laity, because anything less would not have respected what victims/survivors have been telling us.

Joe's claim that using the occasion of a Sunday Mass was itself "a subtle form of abuse", and that it had "no rightful place in the Sunday liturgy" is surely unrealistic.

Real life

This was not the time for esoteric distinctions between laments, symbols of shame, public and private repentance, etc. Liturgy has to be incarnate in real life!

Real life includes: the right of victims/survivors and the Catholic people to hear the apology as directly as possible and not just via public media.

In real life, the time when most Catholics gather is at Sunday Masses. In the course of every year, special causes are occasionally featured without prejudice to the Sunday's primary meaning.

In real life, a letter that needs to be short is never going to say everything that everybody wants it to say.

And in real life, most sexual offending occurs in homes or among relatives, and most vocations to priesthood and religious life come from homes. The apology and the lament were an occasion for all of us.

I think our congregations would have been pleased to hear the bishops' apology, and appreciated the opportunity to participate in a form of communal lament, and would have recognised the need for it to be on a Sunday.

• Copy supplied
• Bishop Peter Cullinane (pictured) is Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Palmerston North.

The inability to take full responsibility for these decisions has been a constant complaint of survivors and victims of abuse.

However, in this action, the episcopal and religious leaders commit a liturgical abuse of the Sunday Assembly by calling them to become complicit in the leaders' sins.

The majority of Mass-going Catholics—laity and clergy alike—are not complicit in the hierarchy's (bishops, congregational leaders, and functionaries) failures of moral judgment, nor have most of them perpetrated crimes of abuse against victims within the Church.

Nonetheless, they are co-opted, through the apology and lament, into sharing responsibility for their leaders' actions.

Consistently, victims and survivors of abuse have complained that their voices have not been heard and that they have been ignored or minimised.

Last Sunday, the voice of the liturgical assembly—and each believer's right to participate without coercion in the Mass—was added to the number of those who have suffered at the hands of a leadership that seems incapable of real change.

The Litany of Lament

The Litany of Lament used during the Mass was a subtle form of abuse because it demands that the Sunday Assembly participate in an act of repentance that has no rightful place in the Sunday liturgy.

Positioned either in the middle of the Liturgy of the Word (in place of the homily), it disrupts the focus on Scripture.

Placed at the end of Mass, it undermines the Assembly's commissioning for evangelisation. If deemed necessary (which is questionable), it should have been integrated into the Preparation Rites as a Penitential Rite, where corporate sin is acknowledged and forgiven.

However, placing this form of litany with its antiphonal structure and form of words in place of the Penitential Rite would be inappropriate because the Penitential Rite's structure and theology are qualitatively different from the Rite of Penance and Reconciliation, from which the Litany of Lament has been derived.

A Litany of Lament

The litany of lament used on Sunday is a biblical form of prayer used by individuals and communities when they are overwhelmed by exhaustion, confusion, numbness, or despair due to their actions.

Its purpose is to process grief in God's presence, not, as the bishops erroneously suggested, to "channel anger" or "rekindle our thirst for justice in an unjust world."

Litanies of lament function differently depending on whether they are a lament of repentance or penance.

A lament of repentance is used before a lament of penance, but both are used by individuals who have directly sinned to process their grief at their decisions and actions as they kneel at the feet of those they have sinned against.

Penitents use these types of litanies before they receive individual absolution.

These litanies are not for bystanders

Using these forms of litanies in a penitential service makes sense.

Using them in the Sunday Mass—without a clear understanding of what the litany is supposed to achieve—shows that those responsible for this do not understand the nature of forgiveness in the Eucharistic liturgy or the nature of reconciliation in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, where restitution and a firm commitment to change are essential.

Symbols of shame and repentance

Biblical acts of lamentation are accompanied by symbols and gestures of shame—rituals such as rending garments, sitting in ashes, or walking barefoot through the city.

These practices articulate repentance that comes through penance.

Potent symbols speak louder than apologies, which have become hollow acts of avoidance. Symbolic acts of repentance might include tearing episcopal garments and mitres or breaking episcopal staffs.

Penance might show Church leaders sitting humbly on the ground outside each cathedral in front of survivors and the wider Catholic community, publicly asking for forgiveness. They would wait in silence until survivors and the baptised community were prepared to offer forgiveness.

Such profound acts of penance, followed by visible restitution, could culminate in a public sacramental reconciliation.

Given the depth of sin and the severity of the crimes, symbolic actions must resonate with the ontological violence inflicted to address the shame honestly.

Public sin, public reconciliation

Failures in moral judgement and crimes against innocents demand rigorous theological reflection.

The Church's ancient tradition of public forgiveness for public sins offers a framework for this reflection. It recognises how sin and crime corrode not just the individual but the broader community of the Church and society.

Public sins, such as moral failings or abuse, require public acknowledgement and forgiveness because they are experienced and known publicly.

The processes of restitution, forgiveness, and reconciliation must also unfold publicly. Within the Church, this is liturgical and ultimately sacramental.

The scandal of abuse has deeply shamed the Body of Christ.

Addressing this shame requires a healing process that names it explicitly and offers it to the Father through Christ.

Without such an approach, shame and violence will continue to burden the entire community.

Healing the communion of the Church is imperative because victims and perpetrators alike are members of the Body of Christ.

• Dr Joe Grayland is currently an assistant lecturer in the Department of Liturgy, University of Wuerzburg (Germany). He is priest of the Catholic Diocese of Palmerston North (New Zealand) for nearly 30 years.

They said that some of the earlier responses and solutions were ill-advised and had devastating consequences. Along with the sins and crimes of the priests, religious and lay workers, they are left full of shame.

The bishops said they have heard how the response of Church leaders was inadequate, inappropriate and, in many cases, added to survivors' grief and trauma.

Renewing their sincere and unconditional apology to victims of abuse in the Catholic Church, the bishops acknowledged that words can never replace what was stolen or fully restore what was destroyed - and to this end they continue to reflect on the lessons of the Royal Commission.

Looking back, the bishops say they cannot change the past, but they can help shape the future.

The Sunday assembly also engaged in a Litany of Lament.

Shaping the future

"Starting from the place of shame and disgrace, but emboldened by hope, we as the faith community must continue working to ensure that history does not repeat itself" the bishops wrote.

They say they have made significant changes to their procedures and protocols, the prime among them being that the police are best placed to investigate criminal allegations.

They also pledge to work closely with survivors, stating "We honour them for their courage" and that they are "striving to create better opportunities to assist those who have been harmed". They have learned that "safeguarding is everyone's responsibility".

The bishops conclude their letter by quoting from Pope Francis - "Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient.

"Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated."

PM's historic appology

The NZ Bishops' statement follows on from last week's historic apology by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, acknowledging the abuse suffered by survivors in state and faith-based care, marking a significant step toward healing for many affected.

The Prime Minister's emotional apology underlines a national commitment to accountability and reform.

Source

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference (supplied)

Census 2023 found that almost half of New Zealanders (48 percent) identified as belonging to an organised religion while 51.6 percent said they had none at all.

Further Census analysis shows that although a third of us identify as Christian, the proportion of people with "no religion" increased by 3.4 percent between 2018 and 2023.

The Census found New Zealand's next largest religious groupings were Hindu at 2.9 percent, then Islam at 1.5 percent.

What's happening?

"The message of Jesus Christ and his Gospel continues to resonate with more than 1.5 million people [a third of us] around our country" the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference comments.

But what does that even mean, wonders Facebook correspondent Russell Hoban as he ponders the Bishops' Conference Facebook announcement.

He says it begs the question - what does it mean for someone to identify as Christian, is it a cultural and social identity as well?

Is it about how often they attend church? Only 12 percent attend a church service at least once a week and 38 percent go only on special occasions - or never go.

Anglican Archbishop Justin Duckworth says New Zealand has moved past a time where there was a "cultural normality" around the Christian faith.

He thinks this is because of a greater recognition of te ao Maori - which is a good thing.

"Across the Western world, there has also been a continuing move towards a secular materialist worldview and a move away from traditional religious beliefs" he observes.

Massey University's Professor Emeritus of History Peter Lineham says young people lead the move away from Christian affiliation.

"The shift is taking place in younger people who no longer see any need to connect with a religious organisation unless they have a strong commitment to it."

Where most parents sent their children to Sunday School, most don't these days - "so, there's very little natural attraction that religions have to widespread numbers of young people".

The sacredness of Sunday had gone and religion was no longer automatically assumed to be good, he says.

Feed the people

Duckworth thinks people are spiritually hungry and aware but are withdrawing from inherited faith traditions in some places.

"A question we always have to ask ourselves is: Are the forms of our worshipping tradition limiting the ability for people to connect with the ultimate message that we think is important?"

The Census provides further encouragement to ask that question deeply, he says.

Source

• NZ Herald
• Facebook
• Newstalk ZB

The claim was made by the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference on Facebook.

As their time in Rome was ending, Bishops Laurenson and Adams visited the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.

The Church where the bishops had their photos taken is the one where Bishop Pompallier was ordained Bishop more than 180 years ago.

While Pompallier's link to New Zealand is not disputed, commenter Matthew Blair points out that the lineage link to Pompallier claimed by the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference is incorrect.

In reply to the Conference's claim, Blair acknowledges that Pompallier has a special place in our history but says that according to the Catholic Hierarchy, most, if not all, our current bishops trace their lineage through Cardinal McKeefry to Cardinal Gilroy of Sydney, then via several senior Italian cardinals to Pope Clement XIII.

According to Catholic Hierarchy, Pompallier did not even consecrate New Zealand's second bishop, Philippe Viard.

Archbishop Polding, the Archbishop of Sydney, consecrated Viard. Pompallier only co-consecrated Viard.

According to Catholic Hierarchy, Pompallier was not the principal consecrator of any other bishop.

Sources

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference
• Catholic Hierarchy

The New Zealand Bishops Conference, in a report issued by Te Ropu Tautoko, says it also highlights areas where more work is needed.

Te Ropu Tautoko coordinated the Church's engagement with the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.

Te Ropu Tautoko says UK-based GCPS Consulting's assessment examined the implementation and suitability of safeguarding culture standards across the Catholic Church in New Zealand.

Unsafe institutions

The assessment revealed that up to 42 percent of those in faith-based care run by all denominations were abused from 1950 to 1999 - the period the Royal Commission focused on.

"The assumed moral authority and trustworthiness of clergy and religious leaders allowed abusers in faith-based institutions to perpetrate abuse and neglect with impunity" says Royal Commission advisor Arrun Soma.

"Religious beliefs were often used to justify the abuse and neglect and to silence survivors.

"Hierarchical and opaque decision-making processes impeded scrutiny and making complaints", he told the New Zealand Parliament in July this year.

A 2020 briefing from the Catholic Church previously noted abuse accusations against 14 percent of its New Zealand clergy during those decades.

Better safeguarding planned

The President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference, Bishop Steve Lowe, is encouraged by the range of approaches that are working well and acknowledges the areas that need further strengthening.

Critical recommendations for Catholic safeguarding in New Zealand include:

• Increased dialogue with survivors and their representatives
• Regular public reporting on the number of cases reported to Church authorities
• Ensuring documents are more accessible for people from a range of backgrounds
• Seeking to undertake investigations in a more timely manner
• Assessing the Church's allocation of resources on prevention and responding to complaints and concerns
• Ensuring safeguarding is embedded in all roles for those working in the Church

"We are grateful for the dedicated and knowledgeable people we have guiding our safeguarding initiatives, but it is important that we provide them with the appropriate support and promote collaboration and ongoing development for them" Lowe says.

Father Thomas Rouse, President of the Congregational Leaders Conference, stresses the need for increased dialogue with survivors and their representatives.

"The road towards a sense of truth, of justice, of healing is one we must walk with those who have been abused in our settings" he says.

Rouse and Lowe want their organisations to develop an official plan to respond to the Royal Commission's findings.

Source

• Crux Now
• Catholic News Agency
• Errors made in an earlier version of this article have been rectified.

The Vatican-published document - called the Instrumentum Laboris (or Working Instrument) - is based on 108 national summaries of bishops' conferences from around the world presented to the General Secretariat.

It is not a magisterial document or a catechism, but a way to encourage prayer, dialogue, discernment and the "maturing of a consensus", according to an explanatory paper.

The second round of the Synod on Synodality is to focus more on how decision-making processes in the church can be made more transparent at all levels.

The NZCBC also says the General Secretariat considered submissions from the 300 parish priests from around the world who attended a three-day working session in Rome in April, including Whanganui Parish Priest Fr Craig Butler.

The working paper

The working paper consists of five sections - the introduction, a section on "foundations" of the understanding of synodality, and three "perspectives" sections covering relationships, paths and places.

The NZCBC says the assembly will conclude with a final document,

After that, the synodal process will continue as "the entire People of God in each local Church will be called to concretise the call to grow as a synodal missionary people".

Transparency, accountability, synodality

The working paper focuses particularly on the need for transparency and accountability, and also on the role of women in the Church.

"A synodal church needs a culture and practice of transparency and accountability, which are essential to foster the mutual trust necessary to walk together and take co-responsibility for the common mission" the working paper says.

Demands for transparency and accountability are especially high-profile because of the Church's loss of credibility due to sexual abuse and financial scandals.

The paper also emphasises the fundamental need to make synodality visible in the Church through concrete changes.

"Without concrete changes, the vision of a synodal Church will not be credible, and this will alienate those members of the people of God who have drawn strength and hope from the synodal way."

The need to recognise and strengthen the position of women in all areas of Church life has become clear in the course of the synodal process, the paper says.

"The contributions from all over the world called for a broader participation of women in all phases of church decision-making processes as well as better access to positions of responsibility in dioceses and church organisations in accordance with existing regulations."

The Australian Bishops Conference welcomes the Instrumentum Laboris' publication.

President Archbishop Timothy Costelloe says the working document "will help guide the members of the second assembly of the Synod during their meeting in October in Rome.

"The fruits of that meeting and the consensus that emerges will be entrusted to the Holy Father. He will then, after his own prayerful discernment, offer guidance and direction for the universal Church as it enters the implementation phase of the synodal journey."

Source

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference
• Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
• Katholisch.de

The convention brought together Catholic educators, bishops, priests, school trustees and a range of others associated with our national Catholic education system. Catholic schools educate 8.1pc of the country's total school population, some 65,600 students. Read more

It - and other documents from all over the globe - will contribute to the global Synod on Synodality meeting in October.

The Synod has been underway since 2021 and concludes in Rome after the October meeting finishes.

Pope Francis established the Synod to help set the Catholic Church's future direction.

The post-October Vatican Synodal Church in Mission report asked for responses to these questions to reflect input from a wide range of national Catholic lay organisations.

Catholic voices

Called "Towards October 2024", the Rome-bound synod consultation document includes Catholic voices from throughout New Zealand.

The NZ Catholic bishops established a consultation process to garner responses to specific questions that arose during last October's synod.

These responses came from numerous people, including bishops' conference agencies, religious, youth groups and diocesan organisations as well as groups involved in previous synodal processes.

Bishops' voices

New Zealand's six Catholic bishops introduce "Towards October 2024" saying -

"Our people have spoken again with frankness and humility about their shared journey as the People of God, and about how we can be a synodal Church in mission.

"As we said when we presented our National Synod Synthesis in 2022, we may not agree with everything they have said, but we want their voices to be heard.

"Their responses to the various questions provide important insight into how we might together follow Jesus Christ, walking his way, telling his truth, living his life."

Following the synod progress

The first of the Synod on Synodality's two-part 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was held in Rome last October.

The second part will be held this coming October.

Copies of "Towards October 2024" can be downloaded via the NZ Catholic Bishops' Conference link below.

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference

He's concerned about the ACT Party's Easter Trading bill, which was drawn in a ballot just before Easter.

"I guess when I read about this, I groaned. I thought: 'Here we go again'. It's coming up every year, it's coming up every holiday break, but often what we're forgetting about is people and families."

CathNews has learnt that Catholic churches around the country were well attended, with many reporting a 'Standing Room Only' situation.

The bill

ACT MP Cameron Luxton's bill seeks to remove restrictions on laws surrounding trading and selling alcohol on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

As described, the current rules seem complicated, with complete bans, some exceptions and local council rules crowding the rule books.

Profits before people

Unions aren't happy with the changes the bill is proposing.

Like Lowe, First Union spokesperson Rudd Hughes is concerned about the people who will be affected by a change in law.

A law change would mean workers lose two of the three-and-a-half days they're currently guaranteed to have off. At present they get Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and the morning of ANZAC Day off, he says.

"It's another attack by this current Government on workers" Hughes says.

"The only thing they seem to hold sacrosanct is the pursuit of profit over the welfare of people."

Positive change

A Tauranga business that normally benefits from exemptions to trade says a more uniform approach is needed across the country.

"I just think simplicity, it'd be good for traders to have the option" café owner Hamish Carter says.

Others agree and say they'd like people to have a choice about what they do.

Luxton's thinking

Luxton sees his bill as contributing to ACT's campaign against needless and costly legislation.

"My Member's Bill will remove a burden on businesses by relieving the dumb restrictions on trading on Good Friday and Easter Sunday" he says.

"It just doesn't make sense that bar staff spend much of Easter telling customers when they can drink, how long they have to drink it, how much they are required to eat, and what they have to eat.

"How about we start treating adults like adults?

"It's quite simple — if you want to trade, you can.

"That's how a free society should operate.

"The Bill also looks after workers as it retains the existing employee protections that apply in respect of Easter Sunday and extends these protections to Good Friday."

It would amend the Shop Trading Hours Act to extend employee protections currently in place on Easter Sunday, such as the right to refuse work, to Good Friday as well.

Source

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference
• Scoop
• RNZ
• 1News

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 Dame, Australia, McGuckin has also served as President of the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand.

As the Apostolic Visitor, McGuckin represents the Pope in the matter.

His appointment is short-term and he will present a report to the Holy See at the end of the visitation.

Gielen suspended exorcisms

Following allegations of unauthorised exorcisms, Gielen suspended all exorcisms in the Christchurch diocese in August this year..

Yet despite the suspension order, Newshub alleges more unauthorised exorcisms and concerns about the wellbeing of young people have emerged.

A man told Newshub he had two exorcisms and he was ‘absolutely' sure Gielen had not given permission for them.

"In my situation, I would count that I knew had exorcisms were about a dozen" (sic).

The man told Newshub that the exorcisms were performed by a man who has since left the Order of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Transalpine Redemptorists. He said that the current leaders of the Order, Frs Michael Mary and Anthony Mary, knew exorcisms were occurring.

However Michael Mary denies this, saying the priest was never a community member.

"If he did illegal exorcisms, I have no knowledge of it" Michael Mary said.

In July, Michael Mary said sprinkling Holy Water does not constitute an exorcism.

However, the Newshub source says he doubts what Michael Mary said.

"The Order is a law unto itself. They are above the law. They don't respect the Bishop or anyone else" he said.

"That sense of privilege must be removed."

Nothing happened

Former congregant Greg Price feels relieved that something is finally happening.

He says his and other complaints to former Church leaders were ignored.

Price believes the 'Holy Sons' should be disbanded.

He told Newshub "I just pray that the truth comes to light and the right decisions are made."

The Press reports that in November 2021 an email from the Bishop of Christchurch, Paul Martin, said that the allegations against the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer had been referred to the Church's National Office for Professional Standards, and the matter was in its hands.

Martin said the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer follow the safeguarding protocols and are monitored by the Christchurch diocese's safeguarding officer like other parish groups.

Current Christchurch bishop Michael Gielen has been in the role for 18 months.

In a statement, he says that he sought guidance from the Holy See soon after his arrival in the diocese, and matters regarding the Institute of the Sons of the Holy Redeemer were brought to his attention.

Gielen recently returned from a visit to Rome and welcomes McGuckin's appointment.

"The Apostolic Visitor is appointed to act as a Papal representative tasked with reviewing circumstances identified by the Holy See. I have requested all parties involved respect this appointment and the visitation process.

"Out of respect for the Visitation, I have no further comment" writes Gielen.

Sources

• Newshub
• Newshub
• The Press
• The Press
• CathNews

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 serious issues are treated as political footballs.

Their statement says in part:

"We are concerned with the growing trivialisation of politics, with the focus of politicians and media being on mistakes, misdemeanours or scandals of individual parliamentarians instead of being on the scandals of poverty, mental health and the diminishment of the sanctity and dignity of life."

Their bishops' statement is being distributed to the country's 470,000 Catholics in six dioceses and 194 parishes.

"We are concerned that so many of the issues affecting all of us are treated as political footballs.

"Successive election-season promises and the changing of policies in line with the agenda of each new government are not working.

"More and more people in our land are becoming disillusioned and feel disenfranchised.

"Our hope is that the politicians who will form the Government ... will focus on the issues that beset us as a nation and work together across party lines to make real progress in finding genuine, lasting solutions."

The bishops ' statement also comments on rising levels of poverty and mental health, the lack of housing in various dioceses, and this year's big storms.

During the past three years, the bishops have called out and complimented the government on several issues.

"We lamented the growing indifference to the sanctity of life. We affirmed our commitment for Te Tiriti o Waitangi as offering us a pathway of unity for our nation.

"And we talked about the rapidly growing toxicity in our communities that is dividing us and that generates anger, hate and even violence. These are but some of the many issues we face."

Love your neighbour

Citing Jesus' command to love your neighbour as yourself, the bishops acknowledge finding a party or candidates that subscribe to Christian behaviour can be difficult.

Nonetheless, they urge all Catholics to be informed. All Catholics should look seriously at the policies of each party and the position of each individual candidate, the bishops say.

"At times we cannot find parties or candidates who subscribe to all we believe. When this happens, we make choices, informed by our conscience guided by the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching, for the party or candidate which will bring forth the most common good, especially for the poor and vulnerable, and at the same time whose policies will bring forth the least moral harm."

Source

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference

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 government and the John of God brothers.

Smith told the Otago Daily Times (ODT) that he believes Queensland has more support for survivors than New Zealand. He has presented his recommendations for a redress scheme to the Royal Commission, outlining what the New Zealand government's response to the inquiry must include.

His recommendations call for mandatory participation by all faith-based institutions in the redress, independent management of the process, and a review of historical claims with adjustments to financial compensation where necessary.

The report noted that Smith views redress as encompassing more than just financial compensation, expressing his hope that New Zealand would follow Australia's lead.

"Queensland has more support for survivors than in New Zealand."

"The Royal Commission Act also shows survivors in Australia that the changes are there for the long haul. New Zealand also needs to commit to redress in legislation," Smith said.

In New Zealand, the ACC Sensitive Claims Unit provides support for survivors of sexual abuse and assault.

It says that in response to the growing number of survivors accessing its services, it has increased the number of providers it works with and is also changing how it works to ensure it can better meet people's needs.

The ACC reports that, in the last five years, the number of claims it has received from survivors of sexual abuse and assault has doubled.

"Greater public awareness of sexual violence and easier access to support services has contributed to this increase.

"Other influences include media coverage on sexual violence and the #MeToo movement. These and other societal trends and conversations are changing attitudes towards sexual violence" reports the ACC.

The Royal Commission's findings have shed light on the extreme nature of the abuse at Marylands School.

"We are aware of no other circumstances or institution where the sexual abuse has been so extreme or has involved such a high proportion of perpetrators over the same extended period of time as that at Marylands School," says Judge Coral Shaw, the Chair of the Royal Commission.

The report further concluded that social workers, police, the state, the brothers and the Catholic Church had failed the children, highlighting a systemic failure that resonates beyond the school itself.

On Friday CathNews reported a very strong statement by Archbishop Paul Martin, General Secretary of the New Zealand Bishops Conference

"The abuse described should never have happened.

"Nor should any abuse happen.

"I want to restate categorically that the bishops of the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand have zero tolerance for abuse.

"No form of abuse, misconduct or inappropriate behaviour is acceptable in the Church community.

"The Church must continue to confront the difficult truths of the past, including the inexcusable abuse and suffering described in the case study report," wrote Martin.

Needing help?

• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
• If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Sources

• SMH
• ACC Sensitive Claims Newsroom
• ODT
• CathNews NZ
• CathNews NZ
• CathNews NZ

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 is the failure of individuals first to ensure students' safety and then again to manage the redress adequately.

Martin, a former bishop of Christchurch, is now the Archbishop of Wellington and General Secretary of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

"Confronting these realities is a significant and necessary step as we all continue to transform the way we manage redress and ensure the safety of everyone in a Church environment.

"The abuse described should never have happened. Nor should any abuse happen. I want to restate categorically that the bishops of the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand have zero tolerance for abuse. No form of abuse, misconduct or inappropriate behaviour is acceptable in the Church community.

"The Church must continue to confront the difficult truths of the past, including the inexcusable abuse and suffering described in the case study report," writes Martin.

According to the media release, the Catholic Church began implementing formal abuse response procedures in the 1990s.

It acknowledged that over the last 30 years they have been subject to improvement.

"Everyone working in the Church is required to adhere to them.

"We must continue to monitor and improve the practices put in place throughout the Church to prevent harm, as well as supporting survivors of abuse. We know there is more we need to do and we are committed to doing it."

In a letter to the Archdiocese of Wellington, Martin encourages all who lead or have particular roles within the Church or Church-based organisations to do everything possible to be up-to-date on safeguarding policies and practices the archdiocese now follows.

"We do not tolerate any abuse," he writes.

Needing help?

• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
• If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Sources

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference
• Archdiocese of Wellington (Supplied. Not yet available online)
• CathNews NZ

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 fringe Latin Rite church group known as 'The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer', or more colloquially, the 'Transalpine Redemptorists'.

Reports suggest that the group performed at least seven exorcisms, five more than authorised by a Christchurch bishop.

Disturbingly, one individual was allegedly subjected to repeated protracted sessions, including an exorcism that was performed for three consecutive days.

Notably absent were the standard medical and psychological evaluations required before performing an exorcism.

Despite their YouTube Channel having 263,000 subscribers, their most recent video having 563 likes, and 104 comments, a former member of The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, Greg Price stands by Gielen's call for a review.

"This goes much deeper and wider than just the exorcisms," Price said. He did not offer more details.

Suggesting that complaints were made to then Christchurch bishop, Paul Martin, Price expressed hope that Gielen would be proactive.

"There are people out there, and they will be willing to converse with the Bishop if he demonstrates a genuine interest in hearing them out."

Retired Professor Peter Lineham, a religious commentator, suggested: "Bishop Michael would be gravely mistaken if he ignored the pressing concerns."

Lineham also believes that in ordering a review, Gielen is looking to see whether these priests should be allowed to have standing in the Diocese of Christchurch.

In Tuesday's CathNews, Dr Joe Grayland questioned why a Bishop of Christchurch give permission to this fringe group to perform exorcisms and why, in light of Pope Francis' most recent instruction, they are still permitted to use the old Latin Rite for Mass.

Needing help?

• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
• If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Sources

• NewsHub
• CathNews - Christchurch exorcisms - Paddy Gower has issues
• CathNews - Poor Church communication helps trivialise exorcisms

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 follow the ordinary form the Mass promuligated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 (Novus Ordo) is permitted to perform any sacrament, let alone a sacramental like a "major exorcism"?

Why did a Bishop of Christchurch give permission to this fringe group to perform exorcisms?

Why, in light of Pope Francis' recent tight restrictions on the old Latin Rite has the permission to perform the old Latin Rite not been withdrawn from this group?

Exorcism

The distinction between a "simple form" of exorcism, such as the one performed in the Rite of Baptism or when blessing ourselves with holy water, and the more elaborate "major" or solemn form used in sacramental exorcisms, has not been made clear.

Due to this lack of clarification, exorcism has been trivialised, along with the serious issue of potential religious or spiritual abuse.

Now we have a situation where people have heard about exorcism and abuse in the same sentence and wonder what is going wrong.

As a point of teaching, it is important to clarify the major or solemn form of exorcism is only performed by a priest who has the explicit permission of the bishop.

No ordinary priest is permitted to perform the solemn form of exorcism.

The priest chosen for this sacramental must be judged against external criteria before being permitted to perform a solemn or major exorcism. The priest must proceed with caution, follow the strict rule laid down by the Church and be in regular contact with the diocesan bishop.

The ritual for this sacramental is found in the Rituale Romanum.

The rite is used to protect a person or object against the power of evil or withdraw the power of evil from a person.

The solemn rite of exorcism must not take place where there is a physical or psychological illness. These illnesses are to be treated through medical science, and engaging in the solemn form of exorcism where it is not warranted is just a return to magic or witchcraft.

NZ Media

The trivialisation of such an important matter by TV journalists shows the sorry state of journalism in New Zealand.

When allegations of ritual abuse are juxtaposed with the nonsense of finding out where the best-fried chips are found, it trivialises something very serious.

Add to this the expressed bias of the main presenter regarding his own Catholic upbringing, and one is left saddened that New Zealand seems to have few informed investigative journalists worthy of the title.

New Zealand Bishops' Conference's Response

The trivialisation by society's media of potential spiritual or ritual abuse was not helped by the communications response of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference.

In this particular case, a prior communication informing clergy and other diocesan and school leaders of the programme's airing was sent, merely saying that the programme was being aired and that Church representatives had engaged with the journalists.

It was not very helpful, and we still do not know what the Church representatives said to the journalists.

Unlike other recent communications from the Bishops' conference, this one did not forbid recipients from publishing its contents. Nor did it slander a journalist.

The Catholic Church needs to be able to speak clearly and professionally for itself in these matters.

In this instance, the lack of Bishops' Conference communication; its silence left those interviewed to explain the situation when they lacked a working knowledge of the Church, theology and practice of the solemn rite of exorcism.

More generally, the situation shows the paucity of theologically educated people employed by the Bishops' Conference and available to Catholics and local media.

It reveals the lack of skilled communicators who are able to intelligently explain the nature of the sacramental of exorcism and the relationship of the fringe Christchurch sect to the Catholic Church.

Overall, the approach of the Bishops' Conference highlights the mentality that has landed the Church in the scandal of the abuse of minors and others.

Through its lack of communication, the Bishops' Conference seems to suggest it is incapable of addressing issues in adult ways to adult believers and questioners alike.

In this, the Bishops' Conference is poorly served.

As Catholics and members of civil society, we must ask:

• Why were there no informed commentators from the Catholic Church?
• Where was an intelligent and informative press statement from the Bishops' Conference before the programme aired?
• Why was an intelligent and informative follow-up not issued?
• Why didn't the Bishops Conference issue a general press release to balance the television reporting and inform people of the complexity of the issue?

One of the Church's roles is to communicate and engage constructively in dialogue with society.

Where religious authorities do not take up their role of engagement with Catholics and society's media, we are all prey to uninformed journalism.

In times when the Church, its practice and indeed Christianity is not as familiar as it once may have been, and when it is in the spotlight for sexual abuse, the onus is on the Church to communicate effectively.

As instanced by this example, the lack of proper communication increases the likelihood of the Church giving scandal to the Catholic faithful, other Christians and those who see Catholicism as a risk to public safety.

• Joe Grayland is a theologian and a priest of the Diocese of Palmerston North. His latest book is: Liturgical Lockdown. Covid and the Absence of the Laity (Te Hepara Pai, 2020).

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 last week.

• Bishop of Auckland Stephen Lowe is NZCBC President.
• Bishop of Dunedin Michael Dooley is the Vice President.
• Archbishop of Wellington Paul Martin is General Secretary. Read more