This is the view of Dr Joe Grayland, theologian, author and parish priest of three parishes in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

He questions whether we need another form of the clergy. - Originally reported 31 May 2021

Grayland made the comments, Thursday, during Flashes of Insight - Women Deacons in the Catholic Church, a conversation with Dr Phyllis Zagano, Emeritus Professor of New Testament at the Ecole Biblique, Justin Taylor and hosted by Emeritus Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Nottingham Thomas O'Loughlin.

Grayland asks if the Church actually needs permanent male or female deacons.

If it does, he suggests we need to change the understanding projected by the transitional diaconate modelled in seminaries.

Grayland says he works with eight women across the three parishes; they serve the community, they work full time, but none are ordained.

We might need more priests, but Grayland says the last thing we need is an expanded clerical class, the permanent diaconate.

It is not a perspective Zagano shares.

Zagano is an internationally recognised scholar, prolific writer and advocate for women deacons.

She says that if anyone wants to be a deacon to get power, they have other issues.

The ministry of the deacon is one of service, she says.

Zagano says it is important to have a specialised view of ministry and that the diaconate should not be limited to in-house Church functions.

Zagano says the office of the deacon is distinct from the function of deacons.

Deacons hold the same office, but their ministry of service would be expressed differently, she said.

She says that if people want to go to confession, they see a priest, and if they go for food, counselling or spiritual direction, deacons can offer the service.

If our prime concern is not to expand the clerical class, why ordain anyone, she asks.

She however noted that if the Church were to reintroduce deacons, there is a question around whether they would be installed or ordained.

Zagano says there is no doubt that women were deacons in the Early Church.

It is a point that Taylor, who works on some of the earliest evidence the Church has, agrees with.

Taylor says that it is clear from both scripture and the documents from the first thousand years that women were deacons.

When the Early Church spoke of deacons, there was no distinction made between male or female.

Taylor says that referencing deacons, men or women, the Early Church saw deacons as officeholders and not just functionaries.

Questioned by O'Loughlin about the future, Grayland says that women's ministry should not be seen as a threat to male in ministry.

He commented when looking at the evidence if the Church is going to have women deacons, the church needs to popularise it as part of the Church evolving.

He says that reflecting on what Zagano and Taylor have discussed; the Church needs to understand that the development of women's diaconate is not a straight-line trajectory but an evolution.

Grayland says he hopes our Church's understanding of women's ministry and women's diaconate will change but wonders why we do not have women deacons now.

Zagano agrees and says we must not go forth in political discussion but with a spirit of discernment.

She says that a wise bishop once wrote to her and says this about discernment.

"Discernment is not an organizational technique, and it's not a passing fashion, but it's an interior attitude rooted in an act of faith."

"Discernment is the method and at the same time the goal."

"It's based on the belief that God is at work in the history of the world in the events of life and the people we meet and who speak to us."

"This is why we are called to listen to what the Spirit suggests to us with often unpredictable ways and directions."

"As one might assume, he's a Jesuit bishop," she says.

Zagano concludes by saying it is important that theologians listen to the People of God and for the People of God to make their needs known.

In a spirit of discernment, Zagano is convinced that if the People of God make their needs known, they will not be denied.

As to the future, Zagano says that we need a genuine discerning discussion, a prayerful discussion, to move to a future where the Church will restore the tradition of women in ministry and the diaconate.

Of course, they feel threatened. Would a starving man feel threatened working with a chef?

I believe that the option of marriage for parish priests must come before the ordination of women in the Catholic Church.

I'll explain through question and answer, but first, an introduction to my own background.

My father was Scottish Presbyterian, my mother was Brethren. Jesus has always been a part of my life. I grew up in many churches, and found something in all of them, but ran out of space.

Catholic influence came through books and then through other people.

Eventually, I received instruction and entered the Catholic Church.

I had come home.

Five years later, my priest friend Terry Coles wanted to marry me.

Terry knew there were Anglican priests in my family, and he suggested we both become Anglicans.

I told Terry I had to remain Catholic.

We had support from Catholic clergy and Women Religious, but generally, laypeople seemed convinced we were going to hell.

Now I'd like to clear up some of the misinformation that is still out there.

Were the apostles celibate?

No. They were Jews, and marriage was important.

In 1 Corinthians 9:5, Paul writes: "Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?" (RSV)

In the Jerusalem Bible, "woman" is described as a "Christian wife."

Cephas was Peter, who was in Rome when Paul's letter was written. I doubt that you will find any reference to Mrs Peter in the Vatican.

Why were the apostles' wives not mentioned in the Gospels?

For the same reason that electricity is not mentioned in modern books.

Marriage was taken for granted.

We must also remember that Jesus did not leave writings, and neither did the apostles. It was the followers of the apostles who recorded the stories handed down to them.

Was Jesus married?

Probably not. But he loved and respected women.

Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus rebuke a woman for lack of faith.

We are told he had special friends in Martha and Mary and Mary of Magdala. When he was resurrected, he chose to appear first to Mary of Magdala.

Why would he say to her, "Do not touch me" if he wasn't accustomed to having her embrace him?

Women were not a part of Jesus' ministry

Really?

Let us read between the lines. Jesus' ministry began with his mother at the wedding in Cana. He thought he wasn't ready, but she knew he was ready.

Remember when Jesus believed that his ministry was to be to the lost children of Israel?

When he sent his disciples out, he told them not to go to Samaria or the Pagan Territories.

In Samaria, Jesus preached to Samaritans after his conversation with the woman at the well.

In the Pagan territories, he also preached to people after a woman challenged him to heal her daughter. We could say that both these women were instrumental in making his mission global.

In the Catholic tradition, priests have always been celibate

No. That is not true. Priests, bishops, and popes were married.

However, there came a time when Church property was being handed down to children. So the priesthood became celibate.

I suspect there is some truth in the saying, "The love of money is the root of all evil."

But priests need to be celibate to freely serve. They can't do this if they are looking after a family

My experience of other churches, especially the Anglican, tells me that the married priest has a spouse and family to help him or her in ministry. In Orthodox churches, celibacy is for the Religious. Parish priests must be married before they go into a parish.

Mistakes can happen, so one divorce is allowed, but not more than one. This seems to work.

But it costs money to raise a family. How would the Catholic Church cope with that?

How is the Catholic Church coping with payment for abuse cases?

If we walk away from nature, it will pursue us.

I know good men abused by priests when they were young, but they have not made this public because they love their Church. But what about those who have made claims? What has that cost the Church?

Do I think women will become priests?

Yes, I do.

Even in Biblical times, women were priests.

Miriam, sister of Moses, was made High Priest with Aaron.

St Paul mentions Phoebe, a woman who looked after several churches in Chencre. What do we call someone who looks after several churches? A bishop?

There will be women priests, but I think that marriage for parish priests must come first. My hope for this is with our compassionate and wise Pope Francis.

It is said that if a priest marries, the marriage will fail

That is political nonsense.

My husband Terry left his body six months ago. He was 92, and in 32 years of lovely marriage, I believe we have done more for our Church than we could have done separately.

Have I wanted to be a priest?

No.

My call is to the laity, and my heart lies with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I love the Catholic Church.

I love the beauty of our Faith, the messiness of our history, and that great mixture of the human and the Divine.

I am a year older than our Pope, and I will remain Catholic to the end of my last breath. But in the time left, I pray that I will see married priests.

• Joy Cowley is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and retreat facilitator.

Others hold him in high esteem.

Neither of these groups will have their minds changed about Cardinal Pell, ­regardless of what any court might determine.

The majority of Australians fall into neither camp.

Victorian Police

In the midst of controversy and with allegations of gross criminal activity, these Australians expect the police, the prosecution authorities and the courts to do their work diligently, imposing punishment on proven criminals and protecting the rights and liberties of all other citizens.

The Pell saga has now run for more than four years, ever since the Victoria Police commenced an operation on Christmas Eve 2015 seeking evidence of any wrongdoing by Pell around his cathedral during the years 1996-2001, when he was archbishop of Melbourne.

One complainant

This extraordinary trawling exercise turned up only one complainant, whose allegations were taken all the way to trial.

The complainant gave evidence that he and his now-deceased companion were serially assaulted sexually by Pell in the priests' sacristy immediately after solemn Sunday mass in St Patrick's Cathedral in late 1996.

He also gave evidence that Pell assaulted him in the sacristy corridor after another mass a couple of months later.

That's the case the High Court has just thrown out.

Thus the anger and relief at Tuesday's decision.

Court unanimous and with one voice

The High Court has spoken definitively, unanimously and with one voice.

All seven Justices have agreed that in relation to all five charges, "there is a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted".

The court ­ordered that Pell's "convictions be quashed and judgments of acquittal be entered in their place".

Pell has rightly walked free in time for Easter.

The complainant is left to get on with his life as best he can, wondering what was the point of this protracted legal trauma.

The court accepted that the jury had assessed the complainant's evidence "as thoroughly credible and reliable".

In the Victorian Court of Appeal, that step was enough for two of the judges to uphold the convictions.

But the dissenting judge, Mark Weinberg, Australia's most experienced criminal appeal court judge, thought that was just the first step of a court's inquiry, and not the last.

All seven High Court judges agree.

Reasonable doubt

The court needed to examine the record of all the evidence in the case "to see whether, notwithstanding that assessment, the court is satisfied that the jury, acting rationally, ought nonetheless to have entertained a reasonable doubt as to proof of guilt".

The court unanimously decided that any jury acting rationally must have had a reasonable doubt.

In addition to the complainant, there were many other witnesses called by the prosecution in Pell's case.

They included 23 witnesses "who were involved in the conduct of solemn mass at the cathedral or who were members of the choir in 1996 and/or 1997".

Many of these witnesses were also thoroughly credible and reliable, though their reliability faltered at times given that they were trying to recall what they would have been doing after mass in St Patrick's Cathedral on a particular Sunday 22 years before.

The honesty of these witnesses was not questioned by the prosecution.

The High Court found that many of these witnesses had given consistent evidence that placed Pell on the steps of the cathedral for at least 10 minutes after mass on December 15 and 22, 1996, the only possible dates when the first four offences could have been committed.

The prosecution "conceded that the offences alleged in the first incident could not have been committed if, following mass, (Pell) had stood on the cathedral steps greeting congregants for 10 minutes".

The court also found that there was unquestioned evidence by honest witnesses that placed Pell in company with his Master of Ceremonies when he returned to the priests' sacristy to disrobe.

Furthermore, there was abundant evidence of "continuous traffic into and out of the priests' sacristy for 10 to 15 minutes" after the altar servers returned to the sacristy at the end of the procession at the conclusion of mass.

There was no five-to-six-minute hiatus for the offences to occur with Pell, the complainant and his companion in the sacristy alone, together and uninterrupted, straight after mass.

A tragedy

The tragedy of this case for everyone, including victims and complainants (and most especially this complainant), is that an ordinary police investigation would have highlighted these problems with the complainant's account.

When interviewed in Rome back in October 2016 by Victorian police officers who were being supervised by their Deputy Commissioner, Shane Patton, Pell told the police that the sacristy was "a hive of activity" after mass with altar servers, sacristan, assistant sacristan, money collectors and any concelebrating priests coming and going.

He said he would have been accompanied at all relevant times by his MC Charles Portelli.

The police returned to Australia and interviewed Portelli and the sacristan, Max Potter, who basically confirmed all Pell had said about the "hive of activity".

But police did not bother to interview one single altar server.

They made no inquiries about money collectors or concelebrating priests.

They just went ahead and charged Pell, and with great media fanfare.

They went ahead building a case on the idea the priests' sacristy might have been left ­vacant and open on this one particular day, contrary to all church routine and ritual.

The High Court rightly observed that "adherence to ritual and compliance with ­established liturgical practice is a defining feature of religious observance".

The farce of the case was the ­belated attempt by the Director of Public Prosecutions to create the space for the necessary hiatus.

At trial, the prosecutor suggested, contrary to the evidence, the altar servers might have adjourned to another room, for no reason, for five to six minutes before being called back to the priests' sacristy to resume their duties.

He had to withdraw that suggestion before the jury.

In the High Court, the DPP submitted once again that the servers might have adjourned to another room or to the sanctuary to assist the sacristan.

The High Court dealt with this suggestion kindly but firmly: "The submission comes close to repeating the submission which the prosecutor withdrew at the trial.

"There was no evidence that the altar servers went to their room to disrobe prior to returning to the sanctuary in order to assist in clearing away the sacred vessels and other objects."

In the end, there was just not the evidence to support the complainant's account.

There never was.

For the good of all victims and complainants, Victoria's DPP and police must review procedures for cases like this.

Those who neither canonise nor despise George Pell should be grateful the High Court has delivered justice according to law in this protracted saga.

• Frank Brennan is a Jesuit priest and lawyer who attended some of the Pell court proceedings. This article was first published in The Australian newspaper.

Not all of them have been approved for publication. - Originally reported 29 May 2015.

Feed-back we have received would lead us to believe we are not alone in our discomfort.

In the year 197 Tertullian imagined pagans looking at Christians and saying "Look how they love one another (for they themselves [pagans] hate one another); and how they are ready to die for each other (for they themselves [pagans] are ready to kill each other.")

We wonder if a searcher for the truth coming across the comments in CathNews New Zealand and Pacific would say the same thing.

At CathNews New Zealand and Pacific we work hard to provide a broad range of news items, comments, features and opinions.

We select items from all parts of the faith spectrum, in the hope that knowledge might lead to understanding and understanding to bridge building.

It is not a matter of agreeing, but of seeking to get inside the skin of another person so as to understand why they think and act in the way they do.

Without this understanding, a genuine exchange of ideas is impossible.

No one changes their mind by being shouted at, let alone being labeled as evil.

Polarisation is a bad thing. Conflict need not be, and in fact in human affairs it is often vital for growth in truth.

The opening of the Good News to us, the Gentiles, depended in no small measure on the conflict between Paul and Peter in the early Church.

Pope Benedict XVI repeatedly stressed the compatibility of faith and reason, and there is a lovely phrase in the Declaration of Religious Freedom in Vatican II that says, "Truth cannot be imposed except by virtue of its own truth, as it makes its entry into the mind at once quietly and with power."

So in the words of Barack Obama can we:

• Find a way back to civility empowered by faith
• Step out of our comfort zones in an effort to bridge divisions
• At least be civil, by relearning how to disagree without being disagreeable

A rule of thumb could be, "If you can't speak the truth with love, then it is better to remain silent."

In 1997 Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who was the Archbishop of Chicago, wrote:

"American Catholics must reconstitute the conditions for addressing our differences constructively—a common ground centred on faith in Jesus, marked by accountability to the living Catholic tradition, and ruled by a renewed spirit of civility, dialogue, generosity, and broad and serious consultation."

Here is a summary of seven principles for dialogue suggested by Bernardin:

1. We should recognise that no single group or viewpoint in the church has a complete monopoly on the truth.
2. We should not think of ourselves or any one part of the church a saving remnant.
3. We should test all proposals for their pastoral realism and potential impact on living individuals as well as for their theological truth.
4. We should presume that those with whom we differ are acting in good faith. They deserve civility, charity, and a good-faith effort to understand their concerns.
5. We should put the best possible construction on differing positions, addressing their strongest points rather than seizing upon the most vulnerable aspects in order to discredit them.
6. We should be cautious in ascribing motives. We should not impugn another's love of the church and loyalty to it.
7. We should bring the church to engage in the issues of the day, not by simple defiance or by naive acquiescence, but acknowledging, in the fashion of Gaudium et Spes, both our culture's valid achievements and real dangers.

Called to be Catholic in a time of peril

There is always a fair degree of editorial judgment in allowing and not allowing comments. In general the editors' choice is governed by several factors:

At CathNews New Zealand and Pacific, in deciding whether or not to approve a comment we ask ourselves:

• is the comment spam?
• is the comment offensive?
• is the comment libellous?
• is the comment ad-hominem?
• is the comment a put down?
• is the comment a "cheap shot"?
• is the comment on topic?
• is the commenter repeating themselves?
• has the point been been already made by someone else?
• is the comment adding to the discussion?

We hope comments on CathNews New Zealand and Pacific will be expressed in a manner befitting the followers of Jesus Christ who said, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

DenisO'Hagan

Denis O'Hagan is the editor of CathNews New Zealand and Pacific

Image: ovenantaldivide.com

The announcement was made Monday by the Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington and Apostolic Administrator of the Christchurch diocese, Paul Martin.

The diocese hopes the whole complex will be completed within five years.

To fund the project Martin says the diocese is considering selling the site of the former Christchurch Catholic Cathedral in Barbados Street along with other surplus land.

The diocese will also launch a fundraising campaign to fund the project.

Martin says that raising money for the new Christchurch Catholic Cathedral will be a challenge but remains prayerfully optimistic the Cathedral Precinct Campaign will get the support of Canterbury Catholics, the wider community and the government.

He admits it will be a significant financial challenge but says he is looking to build something more traditional than modern.

"It needs to tap into why people loved the [former cathedral]. People loved the [former cathedral] because of the style and elegance."

Current plans for the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral Complex represent a 40:60 split.

$40m for a 1,000 seat Cathedral and $60m for an open courtyard, offices for diocesan officials, a garden and parking.

Martin says projections to fully restore the former cathedral were costed at $149m and this was too expensive.

During the announcement, it was also revealed that two firms have been chosen as the architects.

American firm Franck & Lohsen Architects have been chosen as the lead design team and they will be supported by prominent Christchurch firm, Warren and Mahoney.

Franck & Lohsen were chosen because they specialise in Catholic architecture with a traditional design and have built churches all over the world.

Stuff reports that Art Lohsen visited Christchurch in 2018 and Michael Franck visited New Zealand last year to present concept designs for a potential new cathedral.

Franck said he wanted the new building to feel timeless.

"We hope to design a uniquely New Zealand-style cathedral, bridging a classical style of architecture with more contemporary styles."

Martin says Franck & Lohsen came of their own volition.

Warren and Mahoney are well known New Zealand architects.

Source

• Stuff

(We liked Pope Francis even when he was Jorge Bergoglio. This is the only story that ever brought down the whole website. People flocked to it after Cardinal Bergoglio was elected. - Ed. 2024)

Almost apologising for the actions of some priests, Bergoglio recalled the story of a young unmarried mother who had the courage to bring her child into the world and who then "found herself on a pilgrimage, going from parish to parish, trying to find someone who would baptise her child."

Vatican Insider reports that in his homily at the end of a Buenos Aires convention on urban pastoral care, Bergoglio called for an end to "sacramental blackmail" saying that "hijacking" of the sacraments is an expression of rigorous and hypocritical neo-clericalism.

"Sacraments are not a way for priests to affirm their own supremacy", said the Cardinal.

Rubbing the fragility and wounds of the faithful in their faces, or dampening the hopes and expectations of those who supposedly do not fulfil the 'requirements' in terms of doctrinal preparation, or moral status, is a pastorally misleading model which rejects the dynamics of Christ's incarnation.

"Jesus did not preach his own politics: he accompanied others", said Bergoglio.

Priests who deny the sacraments to people because of their life circumstances are the "hypocrites of today", and the "followers of the Pharisees", the ones Jesus turned his back on.

Emphasising that the Church is not an NGO or a proselyte of some multinational company", Bergoglio said denying baptism to children born out of wedlock is a form of "pharisaic Gnosticism" that "drives people away from salvation".

Sources

• Vatican Insider
• The Tablet
• Image: m24digital

Family and friends were joined at the Church last Friday by hundreds of other mourners from patched gangs including the Rebels, King Cobras, Hells Angels, Killer Beez, Mongrel Mob and Two Eight Brotherhood, among others.

The deceased man was Taranaki Fuimano, who died in Auckland Hospital over the weekend after he was found unresponsive in police custody.

Dame Lyndsay Freer, spokesperson for the Auckland diocese told CathNews that the deceased and his brothers and sisters all went to Catholic primary and secondary schools, and members of the family are parishioners at the Grey Lynn parish.

"Pope Francis continues to remind us of God's mercy and love for us all.

"From time to time it is good to remember that the Church care for people includes the temporal as well as the spiritual," she said.

Freer said, one of the marks, a tangible test of the Church's merciful face of God, is its care for other people.

"In Catholic thinking caring for people is labelled a 'corporal (as in bodily) act of mercy', and burying the dead is clearly a work of mercy.

"Burying the dead ranks alongside other corporal works of mercy such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless and visiting the sick."

To aid the funeral process, Police closed roads as hundreds of gang members descended onto St Joseph's Catholic Church in central Auckland for the Head Hunter's funeral.

Although there were no arrests made at the funeral, not everybody was impressed by the police's management of the occasion.

Police kept a low profile, managing traffic in Great North Rd as the outlaws blocked the street once the coffin was removed from the church and into a hearse.

"From our point of view, the [funeral] procession went relatively well.

"Yes, there were roads blocked off and we did have to employ traffic management plans, but our aim, as always, is to ensure that everyone on the roads is safe and is kept safe.

"And that's what we feel that we were able to achieve today," Auckland District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus told Checkpoint's Lisa Owen

Source

• TVNZ
• Stuff
• RNZ
• NZ Herald
• NewsHub
• Image: Stuff

The Rt Hon Helen Clark ONZ PC said this in response to a question put to her by former Labour party cabinet minster Winnie Laban, who had asked her about the role of religion in addressing the world's problems.

"Absolutely critical and I say that as a person of no faith whatsoever, but most people aren't like me. Most people to have some adherence to faith and so faith communities have enormous influence."

Clark spoke particularly of the influence of Pope Francis.

"You take a faith leader like the Pope. He has influence that transcends religion. I said to someone the other day, 'I am not a religious person but thank God for the Pope'."

Clark said it would be obvious she did not agree with everything the Pope said. In this regard she singled out sexual and reproductive health.

"But on the basic issues of poverty, climate, justice - this man is speaking for the hopes of so many."

Clark said the importance of working with faith leaders on the local, national and global level is well acknowledged across agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF.

It is critical, she said, to have the local faith leaders involved in the issues of gender.

"In something like trying to stop female genital mutilation, cutting - to have faith leaders come out against that [practice] and back the women in the community who are obviously trying to trying to stop it, is just critical.

"It is extremely important to bring the faith leaders with us and engage with them so that their voice can be heard on these issues," she said.

Clark was taking part a conversation with Dr Gill Greer, at Te Papa on 29 June.

The Conversation was Broadcast on RNZ National on Sunday August 6.

Greer has been CEO of Volunteer Service Abroad since July 2012. She leaves the organisation this month.

From 2006-2011 Greer was the Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

Listen to the podcast

Source

• Transcript taken from RNZ podcast " Helen Clark in Conversation with Gilll Greer"
• Image: Amritapuri

Owen, who is portraying Te Whaea o Te Motu (mother of the Nation) in a new movie called simply Whina, says the role is her most challenging yet.

The way Owen tells it, it was as if in acting Cooper, the kuia lived again through her.

She says she often heard Cooper talk to her and she was able to channel her in her performance. But at a cost - she found it hard to divest herself of the role after work.

Like Cooper, Owen was baptised Catholic. In fact, that was one of the reasons Cooper's family approved of her playing the role.

As Cooper openly practised her faith, Rena emulated her: she went back to Church to help prepare for the role.

"I went to confession and the priest asked me when was the last time I had done confession!"

She also gave up alcohol while filming as a way to honour Cooper's beliefs.

"I gave up alcohol for Lent, then lockdown happened and my Lent went from 40 days to seven months. I could have drunk but I knew I wanted to have a clear channel.

"I prayed a lot during those seven months because it was so important to me to get it right.

"She had this sense of humour. It's almost like she said, ‘I am not going to be number two on your list. I'm going all the way to the top and I'm gonna be your number one.'"

"We wanted to show her [Cooper] as a fully three-dimensional human being," says one of the film's co-directors, James Napier Robertson.

"Dame Whina is this towering figure, so it's easy to forget the day-to-day struggles that she might have dealt with and the challenges she had to overcome to do the things that she did."

"She had flaws, and we weren't afraid to address them," the film's other co-director Paula Whetu Jones says.

"But we wanted to address them in a way that would allow the audience to feel compassion for the choices that she had to make."

Owen says she struggled when she learnt things about Cooper she didn't necessarily like.

She says Napier Robertson helped, saying: "Just remember Rena, you are portraying a very flawed person".

"He's right, we're all flawed. And I think when we as a society give each other permission to be flawed, then we'll have better lives.

"I call myself a recovering perfectionist because there's the pressure to be perfect and to succeed and that can rob a lot of us of joy.

"What's important to me is Whina's message about kotahi tatou (we are one).

"Whina wasn't about tearing people down or dividing them. She was always about coming together. It was for the love of the country. We are always stronger together than divided."

Source

• NewsHub
• Viva
• NZ Film

"It is strange that bars and restaurants can open but churches are limited to just ten people", said Fr Pete Roe the Parish Administrator of St Francis of Assisi parish of Ohariu, Wellington.

Roe says the thriving parish normally has over 1,000 attendees and was already struggling with how to cater for congregations of what it thought would be one hundred.

"But now it's just ten, and it's the limit the Government has put on one table in a restaurant", Roe said.

He observed that Churches generally have more space than restaurants.

With no projection on when Churches might be allowed even one hundred Roe says that Churches are left in limbo.

"Do we have to wait for Level One?" he asked.

Roe is sensitive to those who at this point may feel uncomfortable about coming out of lockup straight back to church but says it is ultimately about people's choice.

He admits that some parish procedures will need to change. For example, contact tracing would be a little strange for parishioners but said that it is not an impossibility.

"We know it's not business as usual and there's an element of new wine and new wineskins in these times", Roe said, referring to Matthew 9:17.

Last evening the New Zealand Catholic Bishops also expressed surprise at Jacinda Ardern's decision.

"Many people will be disappointed in this news of more restricted gatherings than expected but others will be grateful for more time to prepare safely," the bishops commented on Facebook.

The bishops are inviting on the faithful to reflect on Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer".

They say they are looking at the details of the announcement with urgency.

Little churches

The decision to limit church congregations to ten means the Wellington Ohariu parish will further its investigation into a concept it is calling Little Churches.

"Normally Churches are the opposite of little; they are for all-comers, yet we're being limited to in effect minister to the few," said Roe.

Roe acknowledges that not everyone will be comfortable with the Little Churches concept.

Little churches is an alternative way of gathering for worship based on the practice of the early Christians as recorded in The Acts of Apostles.

As part of a parish survey, the leadership team in St Francis of Assisi parish of Ohariu, Wellington is asking for parishioners for feedback on a proposal to establish little churches.

The little churches concept is a limited assembly of up to 10 of parishioners gathering in a home for worship that includes prayer and possibly to receive the Eucharist.

In support of the idea the parish notes The Acts of Apostles records:

• "Every day, they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people". (Acts 2:46 -47).
• "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah". (Acts 5:42)

"The model of Little Churches can be considered as being akin to a parish ecclesia (assembly) in which the gathering happens in many different rooms," the parish says in its newsletter.

The parish has identified several practical issues that need to be resolved, including:

• Identification of leaders
• Identification of participants
• Protocols around people meeting safely in homes
• Protocols around the safe distribution of the communion hosts
• Preparation of a worship outline that will give facilitators some direction and
  confidence in running such a group.

The St Francis of Assisi leaderships hopes that in facilitating the establishment of Little Churches, they will become like living cells, both nurturing and being sustained by the body as a whole.

The team say they realise that the implementation of the concept of Little Churches will need to develop.

They also acknowledge there are some whom it may pose too high a risk, and there will be some to whom the idea will not appeal.

Source

• Supplied; St Francis of Assisi Ohariu Parish
• Facebook
• Image: tuimotu.org

On his October 15 posting from Rome, Archbishop Dew noted that there had been vigorous arguments in the small group discussions taking place this week.

"The arguments are very strong as to whether this should be about doctrine and truth, or about mercy and compassion for those who struggle or for whom life is difficult," he said.

But the Archbishop of Wellington stated that doctrine is not being done away with.

"We are saying that the Church needs to be warm and welcoming - showing the mercy and kindness of Jesus."

Archbishop Dew also noted another bishop referring to the parable of the wheat and the weeds and saying that we need to admit we are all in this together.

"Sometimes we are the wheat and sometimes we are the weeds, but whatever happens, life will be full of both," Archbishop Dew said.

He also observed that some synod members only want to use scripture passages that support their own arguments.

In his October 16 posting, Archbishop Dew mentioned media portrayals of the competing factions at the synod, and admitted there is some truth in these.

"[But] it seems to me the majority [at the synod] are very aware of the need for the Church to reach out in new ways to many who do struggle," he wrote.

"I am sure that the mission of Pope Francis - even though some don't like it - is to make the Church a place of love and welcome, a community where people know they are accepted and cared for."

Archbishop Dew was sure this would come through when the small group discussions were to be reported back.

The blog is being updated daily with Archbishop Dew's postings on the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference website.

Sources

• Archbishop Dew synod blog
• Archbishop Dew synod blog
• Image: NZ Catholic

Dunn made the comment at a farewell lunch for Dame Lyndsay Freer, who for so long was the voice and face of Catholic Communications in New Zealand, and latterly communications spokesperson for the Auckland Diocese.

Freer has been involved in church communication for over 37 years. The Auckland Diocese on Saturday marked her significant contribution with a light lunch for 40 people at the Pompallier Diocesan Centre.

A once regular in the nation's media, Freer modernised Catholic communications in New Zealand.

Auckland based, she fronted the Church's engagement with media reporters and journalists who regularly contacted her for comment.

Freer showed that modern communication, a subtle art, is conversational, and how something is said is as important as the substance.

An excellent judge of the mood and tone of the message, Freer knew the right touch and the media's ability to receive what she was saying.

There were many times when she did not want to comment, did not want to have her voice or her image associated with a range of topics, yet she fronted, always using the opportunity to sow a seed, make a point or simply to keep the relationship and the conversation open for the next media request.

A professional, she respected the media but in line with Pope John Paul II's catchphrase, she was not afraid.

Emeritus Bishop of Auckland Patrick Dunn led the speeches at the farewell.

Dunn told the gathering that the Church has been very fortunate to have had Freer in this pivotal role for so long.

"The Church in New Zealand was the envy of Churches in other countries," Dunn said.

He commented that other churches were astounded with what New Zealand was able to achieve in having such a competent, talented and articulate person to help explain Church positions in the media.

It was a point reinforced after lunch when a guest commented that Freer gave Catholics and Christianity comfort in their faith and helped give them reason to believe.

Dunn praised former Auckland bishop Denis Browne's inspirational move to employ Freer initially as Auckland's communications spokesperson.

Competence has its detractors

Changing Catholic communications in New Zealand to engage with the media proved a threat to some people in the Church.

Something had changed in and around the bishops' conference.

Dunn explained that there was an idea surrounding the Conference that the New Zealand Church should have a variety of voices presenting the bishop's views to the media.

"I felt at the time that this was a mistake.

"I am now even more firmly convinced that we (the bishops) lost the plot.

"The Church has lost ‘brand recognition' since Lyndsay stepped down from the national role," said Dunn.

Implying the bishops' new model of Catholic communications is a lost opportunity, he suggested it may be a case of the Church talking more to itself than engaging in dialogue with the world.

Dunn says the decision has almost removed the church from the public eye.

Accentuating the positive of the previous communication model, Dunn said Freer epitomised professionalism, competence and respect and cited a recent example of how she even dealt with a media call at 9 pm on Good Friday!

"Talkback hosts, newspaper reporters or TV news producers sometimes do not know who to call if they want a quick and always ‘immediate' comment from the Church.

"I thought it ironic that, even after her retirement, Radio NZ still phoned her at 9pm on Good Friday for some comments on how church attendances were going with the change to the Orange Covid Traffic Light.

"Lyndsay had no idea where to refer them at that hour so made a quick comment herself which was then quoted on radio news bulletins for most of Holy Saturday morning!"

"It proves my point that the NZ Catholic Church does need to rethink our media strategy," said Dunn.

Speaking with CathNews afterwards, a guest agreed with Dunn, saying the people of God are blessed with many God-given gifts and posed the question why we (the Church) are not using them.

"Seminaries teach people the likes of philosophy, scripture and theology. They encourage an interior life of prayer. Ordination is no guarantee bishops and priests have skills other than what the seminary taught them," she said.

Also at the lunch was media trainer and RNZ host, Jim Mora, who commented that people in the media who might not be sympathetic to the message respected Freer, the messenger, because of her expertise, professionalism and her manner in relating to them.

Long-time media training specialists and now friends of Freer, Brian Edwards and Judy Callingham also joined the occasion.

Pope Francis, in a 2020 message to the Catholic Press Association, urged Catholic media to build bridges, defend life and break down visible and invisible walls that prevent dialogue and truthful communication between individuals and communities.

At the initial outbreak of Covid-19, Francis commented "recent months have shown how essential is the mission of the communications media for bringing people together, shortening distances, providing necessary information, and opening minds and hearts to truth."

Additional sources

• Supplied
• Vatican News

Bishop Peter J Cullinane says critics describe the present translation as clunky, awkward and a too literal translation of the Latin original.

However, Cullinane believes no purpose will be served by any overhaul unless the current guidelines behind liturgical translations are changed.

These were set out by the 2001 instruction Liturgiam Authenticam and said translations must convey the "integral manner" of the original Latin "even while being verbally or syntactically different from it."

Bishop Cullinane was a member of the Episcopal Board of ICEL between 1983 and 2003.

Another retired Bishop, Donald Trautman is calling "for the 1998 English Missal translation, which was approved by more than two-thirds of the United States bishops, to replace the present failed text of the New Roman Missal."

Bishop Trautman is the emeritus Bishop of Eire, and has also served as chairman of the US bishops' conference's Committee on the Liturgy.

The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) in Ireland has also called for a review of the current English edition.

The ACP has asked that, as a temporary solution, the Irish Bishops allow priests to use the 1998 translation of the Missal.

Last week Archbishop Arthur Roche, the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, said the option to use the 1998 translation was not possible as the Roman Liturgy should express the unity of the Church.

Source

• thetabletco.uk
• associationofcatholicpriests.ie
• Image: The Marist Messenger

Longhurst's comments, reported in the widely read publication La Croix International, are strongly critical of the very people from whom he receives his daily bread.

New Zealand's Catholic bishops employ him to teach at Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College.

He is also the leader of SNAP - the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Citing numerous broken promises, inadequate responses and apparent lack of accountability, Longhust (pictured) says "They [the bishops] have brought great shame on the New Zealand Catholic Church".

He says the bishops are overlooking the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care and adds that its final report, which shows their lack of accountability and transparency in responding to pervasive abuse, merits serious condemnation.

"Given such a finding, perhaps it would be best for the local Church and New Zealand society if those church leaders, the bishops, tendered their resignations to the pope" he says.

The problem is longstanding and is not just about the current leaders, Longhurst points out.

He says 22 years ago, a bishops' pastoral letter on abuse said "We give you an assurance of our commitment to confront this problem with openness and transparency".

Despite this assurance, the Inquiry found the Catholic bishops did not honour this commitment.

"Evidently they are not capable of making the required changes" Longhurst says.

"By such repetitive misbehaviour, they are keeping us all at risk, endangering more children and vulnerable people in the care of New Zealand's Catholic Church.

"Therefore, they themselves must be changed. They must resign."

Episcopal accountability

After publication of the Royal Commission's final report, the Catholic bishops promised "to ensure that the findings and recommendations of this significant Inquiry are not lost or confined to words in a report" Longhurst explains.

Longhurst has accused the bishops and congregational leaders of a lack of transparency.

He says he has had no response from the bishops.

Survivors appeal

Catholic survivors in New Zealand have appealed to Pope Francis three times since 2022 to ask him to hold the bishops to account.

They also asked him to respect his own calls for openness and transparency in dealing with survivors' complaints.

In addition, they asked Francis to help dismantle what they continue to call the local church's system of coverup and denial that is harming so many people.

So far they have not had a reply.

Source

• La Croix

Be the Change, Catholic Church, Aotearoa New Zealand chose Sunday - the day before the anniversary of women's suffrage day - to mount their installation where dozens of pairs of shoes were placed so they led to the Catholic cathedrals in central Auckland and Wellington.

Splashes of pink - including among the shoes - coloured the occasion, along with music, singing and speeches.

The shoes signify the largely unpaid work women have done for the Church throughout the ages, organisers say. Their contributions were recorded in accompanying printed vignettes.

Despite women often being in the majority of organisers and participants in any Catholic congregation and liturgical celebration, their role in the church is not equal, organisers point out.

The Catholic Church continues the injustice of refusing to recognise women's worth by denying them equality in leadership roles, Pink Shoes into the Vatican say.

Best wishes came from Steve Lowe, Catholic bishop of Auckland.

Apologising to "Pink Shoes into the Vatican" group for his inability to be with them in person, Lowe wrote a supportive letter.

"While there have been and continue to be a litany of amazing women throughout this history of the Church, your presence and voice today is a reminder that you are the Church and Church's need to change," he said.

"Thank you for your prophetic hikoi to the Cathedral today, which is ultimately a call to respect the dignity that flows from our being created male and female in the image and likeness of our God.

"Your voice today echoes the voice of women throughout the world who, as part of the current synodal process, are calling on the Church to reflect the inherent dignity of women in the leadership of the Church... May we have the courage not to get stuck in structures that are not necessarily of God."

In the absence of the bishop, the Administrator of St Patrick's Cathedral, Chris Denham, received the women's statement and gave them Lowe's letter of support.

"When Fiona and Christina visited me a couple of months ago, they presented me with Kate's pink shoes. They (the shoes) remain in my office and are certainly a talking point. They also remind me I too need to change," Lowe wrote.

Wellington's Coadjutor Archbishop Paul Martin, however, denied the Pink Shoes into the Vatican group publicity for their shoe installation. He also wrote to parishes in the Wellington archdiocese requesting they do the same.

"Since the archbishop's edict to parishes not to advertise this event, one woman has written of her indignation. Others have asked, 'what was he thinking?'" a Wellington organiser Cecily McNeil told the group.

She invited the Archbishop to read the first few paragraphs in the archdiocesan synod synthesis.

With Cardinal Dew in the South Island and Martin in Rome, there was no one to receive the predominantly women's group in Wellington.

Priest, Jim Dooley, spoke at the Wellington gathering saying his fellow priests did not understand equality because, in their priestly formation, they were exposed to a different set of principles.

He said, to applause, that what the women were looking for was a "no brainer."

Dooley equated the church's treatment of women to slavery, a reference to the fact that in most churches, women do much of the work - cleaning and pastoral work as well as liturgical preparation, almost always for no pay.

Source

• Be the Change
• Letter of Bishop Steve Lowe
• Supplied: Be the Change Wellington.

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.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

Woman of the faith

British monarchs, although they hold the titles "defender of the faith" and "supreme governor of the Church of England," are not necessarily believers themselves. But Elizabeth II was a monarch apart.

"To understand her relationship to faith, you have to distinguish between Queen Elizabeth II, sovereign and formal, and Elizabeth Windsor, whose personal faith was alive," explained Gavin Ashenden, a former Anglican priest who was the Queen's honorary chaplain from 2008-2017.

"The constitutional balance requires that the Queen not express personal opinions," said Ashenden, who became a Roman Catholic in 2019.

"So the fact that she spoke openly about her faith was not insignificant," he pointed out.

Behind closed doors, Elizabeth II was very religious.

"Everyone knows that the Queen said her prayers, read the Bible and went to church every week," said Matthew Dennison, another of her biographers.

Elizabeth II was very open towards Catholics, who had long been reviled in the United Kingdom and seen by Queen Victoria as a risk to the country's security.

"(Elizabeth) called Cardinal Basil Hume 'our cardinal' and was very affectionate with Cardinal Murphy O'Connor," said Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe, former provincial of England and then Master of the Order of Preachers.

"She also appointed a Catholic as Lord Chamberlain, the first time since the Reformation!" he pointed out.

Queen Elizabeth met five popes during her long reign. The only ones who served during her lifetime whom she never met were Paul VI and John Paul I, who died just 33 days after becoming pope.

She provoked discontent among some Britons attached to state Anglicanism when she attended Catholic Vespers in Westminster Cathedral in 1995 for the church's 100th anniversary.

Pope Francis

Francis said he joins everyone who mourns her loss "in praying for the late Queen's eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in his promises."

"I willingly join all who mourn her loss in praying for the late Queen's eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth," the Pope said.

Shortly after her death, Pope Francis sent a message to offer his condolences to King Charles III for the death of his mother, the UK's longest-serving monarch.

"Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I offer heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, the People of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth."

Pope Francis also commended "her noble soul" to the mercy of God the Father.

"I assure Your Majesty of my prayers that Almighty God will sustain you with his unfailing grace as you now take up your high responsibilities as King. Upon you and all who cherish the memory of your late mother, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord."

Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, paid tribute to her Christian faith and life of unstinting service.

"On 21 April 1947, on her twenty-first birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'.

"Now, seventy-five years later, we are heartbroken in our loss at her death, and so full of admiration for the unfailing way in which she fulfilled that declaration.

"Even in my sorrow, shared with so many around the world, I am filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the gift to the world that has been the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

"At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty. We do so with confidence because the Christian faith marked every day of her life and activity.

"In her Millennium Christmas message, she said, ‘To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example.'

"This faith, so often and so eloquently proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith.

"Our prayer is that she is now received into the merciful presence of God, there to be reunited with her beloved Prince Philip. This is the promise of our faith, and our deep consolation.

"Queen Elizabeth II will remain, always, a shining light in our history. May she now rest in peace."

Elizabeth made 10 visits to New Zealand - seen here on the 1981 Royal tour.

Archbishop Justin Welby

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: "It is with profound sadness that I join the nation, the Commonwealth and the world in mourning the death of Her Late Majesty The Queen. My prayers are with The King and the Royal Family. May God draw near them and comfort them in the days, weeks and months ahead.

"As we grieve together, we know that, in losing our beloved Queen, we have lost the person whose steadfast loyalty, service and humility has helped us make sense of who we are through decades of extraordinary change in our world, nation and society.

"As deep as our grief runs, even deeper is our gratitude for Her Late Majesty's extraordinary dedication to the United Kingdom, her Realms and the Commonwealth. Through times of war and hardship, through seasons of upheaval and change, and through moments of joy and celebration, we have been sustained by Her Late Majesty's faith in what and who we are called to be.

"In the darkest days of the Coronavirus pandemic, The Late Queen spoke powerfully of the light that no darkness can overcome. As she had done before, she reminded us of a deep truth about ourselves - we are a people of hope who care for one another. Even as The Late Queen mourned the loss of her beloved husband, Prince Philip, we saw once again evidence of her courage, resilience and instinct for putting the needs of others first - all signs of a deeply rooted Christian faith.

"As we sustain one another in the face of this challenge, our shared grieving will also be a work of shared reimagining. I pray that we commence this journey with a sense of Her Late Majesty's faith and confidence in the future.

"As a faithful Christian disciple, and also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she lived out her faith every day of her life. Her trust in God and profound love for God was foundational in how she led her life - hour by hour, day by day.

"In The Late Queen's life, we saw what it means to receive the gift of life we have been given by God and - through patient, humble, selfless service - share it as a gift to others.

"Her Late Majesty found great joy and fulfilment in the service of her people and her God, ‘whose service is perfect freedom' (BCP). For giving her whole life to us, and allowing her life of service to be an instrument of God's peace among us, we owe her a debt of gratitude beyond measure.

"The Late Queen leaves behind a truly extraordinary legacy: one that is found in almost every corner of our national life, as well as the lives of so many nations around the world, and especially in the Commonwealth.

"It was my great privilege to meet Her Late Majesty on many occasions. Her clarity of thinking, capacity for careful listening, inquiring mind, humour, remarkable memory and extraordinary kindness invariably left me conscious of the blessing that she has been to us all.

"In my prayers at this time I also give thanks for the marriage of The Late Queen and His Late Royal Highness Prince Philip. Theirs was an inspirational example of Christian marriage - rooted in friendship, nourished by shared faith, and turned outwards in service to others."

Cardinal Arthur Roche

In Rome, UK Cardinal, Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, said Queen Elizabeth "not only dedicated herself unstintingly to serve her people, but also entrusted this to God's protection.

"Her Christian faith, expressed so often in her annual Christmas messages and elsewhere, were moments of outstanding witness to her faith, the Gospel and the values of the common good, family life, peace and concord among peoples.

"Her graciousness and common touch, her statesmanship and love for her people in the many countries, cultures and religions of the Commonwealth have witnessed an unbroken and unique bond of dedication to the service of others. She has been greatly loved by all."

Source

• Reuters
• Vatican News
• The Tablet
• La Croix International

Fr Helmut Schüller said merging independent parishes into vast, impersonal parish associations is "pretty much the most unimaginative thing one can do".

In the long run, the Church will not be able to avoid issues such as women's ordination and who can take over the leadership of priestless communities, Fr Schüller told Austria's Salzburger Nachrichten.

Fr Schüller founded the Austrian Priests' Initiative for church reform in 2006.

The initiative wants to pave the way for a new model of priesthood rather than merging parishes.

In 2011, Fr Schüller initiated a "Call to Disobedience", which pushed for distribution of Communion to all people of good will, without waiting for Church reforms.

Asked about lay leadership of parishes, Fr Schüller replied: "The Catholic Church is standing at a crossroads on this question."

"Either it succeeds in providing its communities with priests or it must begin to develop new forms of community leadership.

"Latin American communities are reacting to the situation very pragmatically.

"As far as we know, that is exactly how early Christian communities reacted. Community leadership was developed simultaneously in different forms."

But despite the crisis in parish leadership, bishops' conferences agendas have hardly changed, the priest said.

They are keeping to their defensive administrative strategy of merging independent parishes into vast, impersonal parish associations.

"I think many bishops are above all determined not to do anything wrong at the present moment because if this Pope does not come out on top, they could expect little good from those in leading positions in Rome," Fr Schüller said.

In a 2013 speaking tour in the United States, Fr Schüller was banned from speaking in Catholic churches in Detroit and Boston.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• The Plain Dealer
• Image: America

The church could be "dramatically overhauled" to give lay people more power, increase the number of women in leadership roles and force parishes to open up their finances to the public.

Peter Johnstone, who is the convener of the Australian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform, says it is "supremely ironic" that the bishops were now refusing to release a secret report asking them to be more transparent and inclusive of the communities they serve.

The report by the Australian Bishops' Conference report is said to respond to the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse.

The Commission found the hierarchical nature of the church, coupled with its lack of governance, had created "a culture of deferential obedience" in which the protection of paedophile priests was left unchallenged.

In a sign of how sensitive the church is to issues of reform, it is unlikely that the bishops will publicly release the report or reveal how it will respond to the Commission's 86 recommendations until the end of the year.

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge, who is the Conference's current president, acknowledged its proposals would have "far-reaching implications for the Church's life and mission.

"To do it justice, the bishops will now take advice, consider the report in depth, conduct discussions at a provincial level and otherwise prepare for a full discussion at their November plenary," he said.

The report followed a 15-month review of church governance, conducted by a seven-member panel led by Justice Neville Owen.

Owen is the former chair of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council.

It is understood the review recommends:

• Bishops cede more control to professional laity, taking a more collegial approach rather than simply being the chief decision maker.
• Catholic dioceses should set up pastoral councils or consultative bodies - ideally with equal numbers of men and women. Their roles would be to advise bishops and parish priests about pastoral matters.
• Church dioceses and agencies be required to meet similar governance standards to other entities. These would have clearer lines of accountability, greater oversight of risks and publicly available financial reports.

At present, religious charities are exempt from reporting to the national regulator. The church has always been guarded about its wealth - even to the point of misleading the royal commission.

However Comensoli has committed to greater financial transparency. Last month he told media "we're moving towards an annual report of some sort" - but the details were still being developed.

If the report's recommendations are adopted, the changes would represent a new paradigm for the church, its schools, hospitals and charities and could influence the Church in other parts of the world.

Source

• The Sydney Morning Hrrald
• Image: NPR

As a result, some delegates protested - they refused to take their seats and stood at the back of the meeting room.

The Catholic Weekly understands the protest was led by Francis Sullivan AO and John Warhurst AO.

Sullivan is Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia and the Mater Group of hospitals. He was previously CEO of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council. Warhurst is an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University, and chair of Concerned Catholics Canberra Goulburn.

Sullivan told The Catholic Weekly that a "palpable division" in the Plenary assembly room was evident.

"There was a lot of anger and frustration particularly on behalf of women but also the LGBT or rainbow community if you will," Sullivan said.

"This to my mind goes to the deeper issues confronting the Church over this period of listening and dialogue. Lots of voices have come forward and there is frustration that not all those voices are not actually in the room.

"The second thing is, are we actually being attentive to what those voices are saying to us.

"Underneath it all, I have to say, even from my own experience, there is a deep grief I think that we all feel about where the Church is at, not just for ourselves personally, but collectively there are generations of people who are no longer able to identify with the Church."

The Council had been discussing a two-part set of documents called ‘Witnessing to the Equal Dignity of Women and Men'.

One motion, including the consideration of women for ministry as deacons - should Rome agree - received a qualified majority among consultative voters.

However, it fell just short of a qualified majority among deliberative voters - the bishops - and did not pass.

The other motion asked: "That each Australian diocese and eparchy foster new opportunities for women to participate in ministries and roles that are stable, publicly recognised, and resourced with appropriate formation including theological education and commissioned by the bishop.

"These ministries and roles should engage with the most important aspects of diocesan and parish life and have a real impact on those communities."

The second motion did not receive a qualified majority on either the consultative or the deliberative votes, so was not passed.

During Plenary Council assemblies, consultative votes are exercised by the 277 lay, religious and clerical members and deliberative votes are exercised by the Australian bishops.

Acknowledging the embarrassment the result had caused, Plenary council vice president Bishop Shane Mackinlay said: "This is not the way we were anticipating or hoping the process would go.

"It is disappointing and a lot of people - women and men, priests, laypeople and bishops - were very distressed.

"It was clear our members were not ready to put this to one side and move on to other things."

Mackinlay said council members were trying to redraft the motion so that a new version could be approved on Friday.

"Everybody is absolutely adamant we need to say something about the equal dignity of women and men, and the way we recognise this in the life of the Church," he said.

A four-person writing group has been established to receive recommendations from Members for the drafting of revised motions. The new motions are expected to be considered later in the week.

Source

• Catholic Weekly
• The Sydney Morning Herald
• National Catholic Reporter