The mass was celebrated by Bishop Barry Jones, the Bishop of Christchurch, and was part of a diocesan wide celebration known as Faithfest

There were five separate events:

• The Mass
• Cultural Festival with the 8 cultural communities singing and dancing
• Ecumenical Choral Festival
• Diocesan Expo

Pope Benedict XVI announced a Year of Faith beginning in October 2012 and coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, to invite "conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world".

Look at Faithfest Photos /Peter Fleming

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Stuff.co.nz
• The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch
• Image: johnoconnor.blogspot.co.nz
  

It is the first time in history, the bones, believed to be those of first Bishop of Rome's bones will leave the Vatican Grotto and be on display for public veneration.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president for the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, made the announcement in an editorial published in the Vatican's official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, however exact details are not yet clear.

The bones were discovered during excavations of the necropolis under St Peter's Basilica in the 1940s near a monument erected in the fourth century to honour St. Peter.

No pope has ever declared the bones to be authentic.

Scientific tests were conducted on the bones in the 1950s and '60s, and Pope Paul VI said in 1968 that the "relics" of St. Peter had been "identified in a way which we can hold to be convincing."

The Year of Faith concludes on November 24, Feast of Christ the King.

Sources

• Rome Reports
• CNS
• Image: Flickr

This is the first time Papua New Guinea and Solomon islands have held a conjunct General Assembly.

The theme of the Assembly is "Give me some water that I amy never be thirsty again"

Each of the 3 dioceses in the Solomon Islands and 19 diocese in Papua New Guinea has been invited to send 6 participants; three men, a Bishop a priest and a layman, and three women, one of who is a member of a religious order.

On Tuesday the hosting President of Divine Word University, Fr. Jan Czuba,reminded the participants of the challenges for the Church in the Pacific in this time of changes. "Values and doctrines do not change," he said, "but the ways we live, learn and take risks change".

Archbishop Douglas Young of Mt. Hagen traced the immediate motivation of the General Assembly to the April 2013 Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea on the "Year of Faith" generating an "Assembly of Faith", that may be able to generate in its turn a witnessing community.

The key question to guide the reflection and prayer of the General Assembly is "What is God asking of us now as Church of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea?" It is hope that the deliberation on this question may inspire a five-year pastoral plan.

The General Assembly coordinator Fr. Roger Purcell, says the New Evangelisation is the horizon of the General Assemby while the original source of it is the Vatican Council 2 and the renewal it brought about.

Continuity was also stressed by Archbishop Steven Reichert Madang with the first post Vatican Council 2 comprehensive "self-study " of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea in 1992 and the first General Assembly in Vunapope, Rabaul in 2004.

On Wednesday morning Dr. Catherine Nongkas of Divine Word University, Madang delivered her key note address on "Year of Faith, New Evangelization"

In her address she high-lighted the widespread and deepening trend of secularization.

"Faith and Christian way of living are no longer broadly accepted in many quarters - she said".

The number of practicing faithful seems to be dwindling. At the same time faith needs to challenge the culture, both traditional and modern. Christianity calls for life in a community and this provides an alternative to rampant individualism. Traditional sorcery believes, urban poverty and the breakdown of the family become the environment of the witnessing of faith.

Source

• The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea
• Image: Supplied

The original statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which had been brought to the square the evening before, took centre stage as the Holy Father made an act of devotion in front of her.

"Mother, embrace with benevolence this act of entrustment that we make today with confidence, before this your image which is so dear to us," he prayed.

"We are confident that each of us is precious in your sight and that nothing is alien to you of all that dwells in our hearts.

"We are touched by the gaze of your sweet eyes and welcome the comforting caress of your smile. Safeguard our lives in your arms: bless and strengthen every desire for goodness, revitalise and nourish our faith, sustain and brighten the hope that stirs the soul and charity; guide all of us on the path of holiness."

The act of consecration took place at the end of the Mass celebrated for Marian Day, a Year of Faith commemoration on the anniversary of the final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima (October 13, 1917).

In his homily, Pope Francis referred to the "yes" of Mary which threw her simple life in Nazareth into turmoil.

"Think of all the times when we were excited about something or other, some initiative, some task, but afterwards, at the first sign of difficulty, we threw in the towel," he said.

"Sadly, this also happens in the case of fundamental decisions, such as marriage. It is the difficulty of remaining steadfast, faithful to decisions we have made and to commitments we have made.

"Often it is easy enough to say ‘yes', but then we fail to repeat this ‘yes' each and every day."

He urged his listeners to consider: "Am I a Christian by fits and starts, or am I a Christian full-time?"

Sources:

Vatican Radio

AsiaNews

Vatican Radio

Image: Vatican Radio (Facebook)

The first encyclical of a pope is always closely watched, because it frequently signals the way in which he intends to govern the Church.

This new encyclical is even more intriguing because much of it was actually written by former Pope Benedict.

Here are 14 things you need to know . . .

1. What is an encyclical?

An encyclical is a kind of letter. Papal encyclicals usually deal with matters of Church teaching (doctrine). Popes write them when they feel they have something important to say about particular teachings.

Although they are not infallible, encyclicals are authoritative.

The word "encyclical" comes from the Greek word for "circle," indicating that it is to be circulated among different people.

The encyclical Lumen Fidei is addressed to "the bishops, priests, and deacons, consecrated persons, and the lay faithful." This indicates a broad audience.

You can read the full encyclical here.

2. How did this encyclical come to be?

The encyclical was originally begun by Pope Benedict in order to commemorate the Year of Faith and to complete a trilogy of encyclicals he had been writing on the three theological virtues—faith, hope, and charity.

The preceding two were Deus Caritas Est, on the theological virtue of charity, and Spe Salvi, on the virtue of hope.

Pope Benedict's health did not allow him to remain in office, however, and so the draft of the encyclical was inherited by Pope Francis, who chose to complete it.

3. Has this ever happened before?

Yes. In fact, Pope Benedict's first encyclical was based, in part, on an encyclical that John Paul II had begun preparing but had not finished. Continue reading

Sources

• National Catholic Register
• Image: GreenwichTime.com

For Kiwis, it is a big call because 5pm Sunday in Rome translates in to 3am Monday June 3 in New Zealand. In Wellington, Archbishop Dew has invited people to join him in a holy hour at the Cathedral in Wellington at beginning at 3am.

In Christchurch they are taking a softer option. There will be an Hour of Adoration on Sunday 2 June, at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Manchester St, beginning at 4.00pm, which will include the Evening Prayer of the Church. In Auckland people are invited to St Benedict's Church at 7pm for adoration, praise and worship and Benediction.

The Vatican has organised this global hour of prayer around the Eucharist "for the first time in the history of the church," said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, the office organising events for the Year of Faith.

Archbishop Fisichella said the worldwide adoration would "witness to the profound piety found in the church for the Eucharist," the mystery of the real presence of Christ's body and blood, which unites and nourishes all Catholics.

While dioceses are free to organize the hour of prayer and adoration as they please, he said Pope Francis has chosen a specific prayer intention for each half hour of the service. The first, Archbishop Fisichella said, will be for the church and its mission of mercy; the second for the needs of those who suffer, including victims of war, the unemployed, the sick, immigrants and prisoners.

As of May 28, the New Evangelization council had received responses from hundreds of dioceses worldwide, including all of those in Vietnam and South Korea.

The list is a virtual tour of the globe, stretching from Reykjavik, Iceland in the north, to dioceses in South Africa, Chile and New Zealand in the south.

Christ will also be adored in the Eucharist in the Cook Islands, Samoa, Honolulu, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Guam.

Other countries with a large number of parishes or dioceses participating are: the United States with 243, India with 163, Brazil with 56, and Italy with 50.

Source

• Pathos.com
• CNS
• CNA
• Image: 3bp.blogspot.com

The group of students from Arts, Health and Business faculties will visit Vatican City (Basilica, Musei, etc.), Rome, Assisi, and Nettuno to pray at the tomb of St. Maria Goretti, who is patron of the youth in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

The request for prayer with the Pope has been forwarded through the Apostolic Nunciature channels on 1^st May.

Source

• Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Catholic Bishops' Conference
• Image: The Dialogue.org

In all honesty, at least from a media point of view, it's not even the biggest Vatican event happening right now. That distinction belongs to the trial of Paolo Gabriele, the former papal butler charged with being the mole at the heart of the Vatican leaks scandal. An initial verdict could come as early as Saturday.

Yet the synod is nonetheless worth tracking, especially given the theme. (For those not fluent in Catholic-speak, "evangelization" refers to missionary outreach. We'll get to the "new" part below.) Here are three good reasons why:

• Particularly in places where Catholicism traditionally has been strong, evangelization is a real challenge. In Latin America, the church has sustained massive losses to Pentecostal and evangelical Christianity, estimated at 8,000 defections per day during the 1990s; in the United States, Catholicism has a higher retention rate than other Christian denominations, but a lower recruitment rate, and would be losing ground without Hispanic immigration.
• Synods are always a valuable sounding board for the realities of the church in various parts of the world — sort of a graduate seminar in being part of a global family of faith.
• Synods are also a bit like the Iowa caucuses of Catholicism, a chance for up-and-coming leaders to break out of the crowd, often with one eye on the next papal election.

This synod will run Oct. 7-28. I'll be in Rome for most of that time covering it, so watch the NCR website for regular reports. In the meantime, here's a basic primer. Read more

Sources

• John L Allen Jr in National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Malankara Catholic News

Last October Pope Benedict wrote Porta Fidei (The "door of faith"). In that letter he announced a Year of Faith; starting in October to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

When the New Zealand Bishops made their ad limina visit to Rome last year, Pope Benedict told them that he proclaimed the Year of Faith ‘to give fresh impetus to the mission of the Church to lead human beings out of the wilderness in which they find themselves'.

• Archdiocese of Wellington Year of Faith
• Diocese of Auckland Year of Faith
• Diocese of Hamilton Year of Faith
• Diocese of Christchurch Year of Faith
• Diocese of Dunedin Year of Faith

Source

• Welcom
• Catholic Diocese of Chirstchurch

The theme of the conference was "The challenge of the sects, in the horizon of the new evangelization".

It was reported that at the meeting it was agreed sects have a greater impact among Catholics whose faith is not based on a personal encounter with Christ and his ecclesial body, or resulting from true initiation to life in Christ.

The meeting also noted that the Year of Faith is the appropriate occasion to grow in faith, personally and communally, and in its testimony.

In sharing the challenges which the Church finds facing various Portuguese-speaking countries, the urgent need for Christians to engage in the promotion of a fair, free and united society, as an inalienable requirement of the faith, was highlighted.

The Bishops were received by the President of the Republic, Taur Matan Ruak, in an atmosphere of great cordiality, and by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, who spoke about the priorities of his government for the coming years.

An opportunity was provided to celebrate the Eucharist in various parishes in and around Dili. Particularly significant was the Eucharist concelebrated on Sunday, September 9 in the Cathedral of Dili, in thanksgiving for the 450th anniversary of the evangelization of Timor. The Mass was attended by the President, the Prime Minister, other members of the government, various authorities and countless faithful.

The meeting was attended by Bishops representing Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor, as well as Fr. Maia Joseph, President of Fundação Fe and Cooperação (FEC) and Fr. Morujão Manuel, Secretary of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference.

Source

• Fides
• Image: Galenfrysingers.com

The Bishops looked at ways to prepare the different Catholic communities in Oceania for the Year of Faith (11 October 2012 - 24 November 2013), bringing attention to the challenges of the "new evangelization," according to Pope Benedict XVI's recommendations.

Rochus Tatamai, Bishop of Berlina, Papua New Guinea, said "In Australia and New Zealand Churches struggle to cope with the influence of secularism. But with the development of technology and communication information, even in other Pacific countries, such as Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, one realizes that the challenge is the same: reaching with the Gospel the verandas of our humble homes in rural areas."

The meeting was also a follow-up on the recommendations passed in the 2010 Sydney Federation Assembly. It was noted that a lot of the initiatives had been implemented, such as the call for more cooperation and sharing of lecturers for our seminaries especially in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. The call for possible insurance cover for the priests working in the dioceses and their personal health care was also assessed.

The Federation of Oceania Bishops consists of four Episcopal Conferences: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea-Solomon Islands, and CEPAC, which includes all other nations and small islands in the Pacific, such as Fiji, Tonga, Guam, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Vanuatu.

SOURCE

• Fides
• Voice of ToRot
• Image: Voice of ToRot

Since the Pope has already written encyclicals on hope and charity, there has long been speculation that he would address the third theological virtue with an encyclical on faith. Such a document could coincide with the opening of the Year of Faith on October 11.

In March this year, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said an encyclical on faith "has only ever been a hypothesis — acceptable, but a hypothesis". He added that it "was not a precise plan that the Pope has spoken about".

Last summer, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano revealed the Pope was working on a "reflection on faith" that would form part of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone told reporters that Pope Benedict had completed his third Jesus of Nazareth book, which focuses on the Gospels relating to Jesus' childhood.

The cardinal had just celebrated Mass in the parish of Introd, a village in the Valle d'Aosta region of the northern Italian Alps, where he is on holiday. He said the book would be "a great gift for the Year of Faith".

"We will read the third book by Benedict XVI avidly and with great relish," he predicted.

The Pope completed the text while on vacation at his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome.

The Vatican confirmed the news, saying the volume is currently being translated from the original German into several languages.

The two previous Jesus of Nazareth books were published in seven languages as well as electronically, with more than one million copies sold.

Sources:

National Catholic Register

Catholic News Agency

Image: Lux Veritatis 7

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, said he wants the Year of Faith to reach out to all baptised Catholics, including lapsed believers and those who "have the desire of God but cannot find signs of faith".

"We are not hiding the fact that there is a crisis of faith, but it is only when one becomes completely aware of a crisis that one can find ways to remedy it," the archbishop said.

The Year of Faith, intended to give momentum to a new evangelisation, will run from October 11, 2012, to November 24, 2013.

Among key events are:

• October 11 will see the opening liturgy in St Peter's Square, on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, with about 35 "Council fathers" expected to be present.
• On May 18, Catholic movements and lay associations, both old and new, will gather in Rome.
• On the feast of Corpus Christi, June 2, simultaneous adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is planned at sites all around the world.
• On June 22, Archbishop Fisichella promised a "huge concert" in St Peter's Square, led by a well-known (but unnamed) conductor.
• On July 7, seminarians and religious novices from around the world will arrive in Rome at the end of a pilgrimage.
• September 29 will be dedicated to catechists, and a multilingual pastoral guide to assist with catechesis will be published.

Sources:

• CNA
• CNS
• Year of Faith website
• Image: Scottish Catholic Observer