An announcement regarding the new apostolic nuncio for New Zealand and the Pacific is expected to be made in the coming month.

On his time in New Zealand, Archbishop Martin says, "in this relatively small nation, I was happy to see how much attention is paid to people whom others consider too small and too weak.

And as a keen hiker, I often looked down from hills far over the sea, deeply enjoying the large horizons offered to the people of this country, which for a time has been also my country."

During his time in New Zealand, Archbishop Martin has actively participated in the life of the Church becoming part of his local parish community in the northern suburbs of Wellington.

Parishioners at St Francis of Assisi Parish will fondly remember singing Christmas carols together with the Nuncio.

Bishop Patrick Dunn, of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, expressed his sadness at the departure of the archbishop.

"There is always some sadness, when someone who has become a friend and colleague departs, but we also know that these periodic shifts are a fact of life for our nuncios.

Archbishop Krebs leaves behind many friends in New Zealand and the Pacific.

We wish him well on his new appointment and assure him of our prayers as he leaves the vast region he has served so diligently for the past five years."

Archbishop Martin has been Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia.

He was also Apostolic Delegate in six territories in the Pacific (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, Saipan, Guam, American Samoa), and in three small countries (Tokelau, Tuvalu and Niue).

He was based in Wellington during the term of his office.

Prior to becoming a Nuncio, Archbishop Martin worked in the Apostolic Nunciatures to Burundi, Japan, Austria, the Czech Republic, the European Union and the United States of America.

From 2008 to 2013, he was Apostolic Nuncio to Guinea and Mali.

Uruguay has a population of 3.44 million people, with 1.8 million living in its capital city, Montevideo.

According to a 2008 survey by the The National Institute of Statistics of Uruguay, Catholicism is the main religion, with 45.7% of the population identifying themselves as Catholic.

Source

• Supplied: Ko te Huinga Pihopa o te Hahi Katorika o Aotearoa/The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) Amanda Gregan
• Image: wn.catholic.org

Martin, ordained the tenth Bishop of Christchurch on 3 March 2018, by Cardinal John Dew, succeeds Bishop Barry Jones, who died in February 2016.

In a ceremony involving Latin, Maori and English, Pope Francis' diplomatic representative to New Zealand, Archbishop Martin Krebs, read the pope's message mandating Martin's appointment.

Service, not honour

Speaking at the ordination Dew highlighted the important role of service in the life of a bishop.

"Service is never far from the mind of a bishop", he said.

"A bishop's role is not one of honour but of function; striving to serve rather than rule".

Addressing the people of Christchurch, he told them, "Today you are gifted with someone who is ready to serve you.

"I am sure the people of Christchurch will delight in Bishop Paul as someone who is here with you and for you".

Describing Martin as a "humble servant", he told the congregation that the only authority Martin had was that of service.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Martin spoke with raw honesty and showed what a gift he will be to the diocese of Christchurch.

Thanking his family, particularly his mother and late father, he said, "I am very blessed being born into a family that is stable, loving, and showed me what living a Christian life looks like."

He continued, "Growing up in Hastings, there were 14 Marists living in the presbytery and so I had lots of great examples of how Marist life could be lived.

"I could see myself living that way also.

"So today, I am who I am because of my natural family and religious family."

Reflecting on his 24 years of priestly ministry in various dioceses in New Zealand he told the people that he now belonged to them.

"I'm no longer a wandering religious. Christchurch is my home", he said.

Installation as bishop

On Sunday, Martin presided at St Mary's pro-Cathedral for the first time.

In his first homily as Bishop of Christchurch he told the congregation that we may use words to express our faith, but what is important in life is what we do.

"If we are to be Christian, actions must be consistent with our words", he said.

Post Christchurch earthquake, Martin is faced with a major decision whether to rebuild the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.

The estimated cost of rebuilding the Cathedral is $100m.

Making reference to the scheduled Sunday Gospel reading about the money lenders in the temple, a good-humoured Martin smiled saying, "I hope the choice of Gospel reading is not a sign of things to come."

Calling the appointment 'a fresh start' and a 'new beginning for the diocese', those attending the ceremonies were optimistic about the choice of Martin as their bishop.

Martin is aged 50 and will serve as bishop until aged 75 when it is mandated he offers the pope his resignation.

Sources:

• Image: Christchurch Diocese

Last week, while on a visit to to Guam, the apostolic delegate archbishop Martin Krebs said he had come help build bridges and help those who want to build bridges.

Krebs met with people from Neocatechumenal Way, local religious, clergy and archbishop Anthony Apuron.

A group calling itself Concerned Catholics of Guam recently published a notice in the Pacific Daily News, calling on the Archdiocese of Hagåtña to publish audited financial statements annually on the Internet.

Guam Catholic Tim Rohr, whose blog Jungle Watch discusses controversial issues, said the archdiocese's leadership has yet to publicly answer questions about one of the local church's biggest assets — the former Accion Hotel which is now being used as a seminary.

There's growing concern among local parishioners, Rohr said, because of an alleged attempt to transfer title of the property from the archdiocese to a group that's in part controlled by New Jersey-based U.S. representatives of Neocatechumenal Way.

Krebs said his visit was intended to encourage bridges to be built, not torn down.

"There are many discussions going on in the archdiocese in Guam and of course I want to see the reality of the archdiocese," he said.

"I see these discussions and I met with the priests and religious and the people of the Neocatechumenal Way in order to see what I can do in these discussions."

"As an Apostolic Delegate I'm not called to solve the problems but to be helpful in order to encourage and empower the people who are here … and so that's what I have been doing in my talks and the talks were very fruitful, putting on the table which are the problems and then trying to build bridges."

Although a local blog reported the meeting was heated, according to the chancellor for the archdiocese of Hagåtña, Father Adrian Cristobal, overall it was a very positive visit.

He says that Apuron will be addressing the needs of the priests over a period of time and that Archbishop Krebs has instructed them to build bridges with open dialogue and reconciliation.

According to Rohr, the property could be worth $35 million in today's market,.

He said the archdiocese bought the former hotel for $2 million in 2002 after the $57 million hotel project failed.

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• Kuam News
• Guampdn.com
• Kuam News
• umatuna.org
• Image: umatuna.org

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• Vatican Information Service

Krebs was born in Essen, Germany, in 1956. He was ordained priest in 1983 and Bishop in 2008. He joined the Vatican's diplomatic corps in 1991. He has been described as "possessed of what's been called a 'precise serenity.'" As well as his mother tongue he speaks five languages, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Czech.

He represented the Holy See at its diplomatic missions in Burundi, Japan, Austria, the Czech Republic, and to the European Community. In 2006 he was appointed to Washington as Archbishop Pietro Sambi's #2.

Krebs' most recent appointment was as apostolic nuncio to Guinea and Mali.

He replaces Archbishop Charles Balvo who has been appointed apostolic nuncio to Kenya.

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The Vatican representative would normally have been the Apostolic Nuncio but Fiji does not presently have an Apostolic Nuncio.

The last Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand and the Pacific, Archbishop Charles Balvo, who was based in New Zealand, finished his term earlier this month and has been appointed to a new role as the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya. The newly appointed Nuncio, Archbishop Martin Krebs, has not yet arrived.

Protocol requires that the new Nuncio would first have to present his credentials to the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, before performing any role in Fiji.

Peter Loy Chong's ordination will be broadcast live throughout Fiji and the Pacific.

Source

• The Fiji Times
• The Fiji Times
• Image: Facebook

Archbishop Krebs (56) was born in Essen, Germany. He was ordained priest in 1983, and after obtaining a doctorate in Canon Law entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1991.

Archbishop Krebs has wide experience, working in a number of Apostolic Nunciatures in Burundi, Japan, Austria, the Czech Republic, the European Union and the United States of America.

In September 2008 Monsignor Krebs was appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Guinea and Mali. He was ordained Archbishop in November 2008.

As well as German, Archbishop Krebs speaks English, Italian, French, Spanish and Czech.

Vatican Radio reports Archbishop Krebs was in Guinea in 2009 when, despite church appeal for calm, a demonstration against the military junta ended in a 'bloodbath', the military killing 128.

Speaking with Vatican Radio, Archbishop Krebs said Guinea was a small country and urged the world community not to forget the terrible violence.

The main religion in Mali and Guinea is Islam. Catholics in Guinea number 250,000, representing 3% of the population, while Mali catholics number 200,00, just 1.5% of the population.

Image: Liebfrauen Parish