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

Parents were messaged shortly after midnight, telling them the school was shut. However, by 9am, a second message updated the situation.

The new message informed parents the threat had been a hoax and that the school would open at 10am.

"The police have identified the source of the email and have assured us that there is no risk to our school" said Tom Wallis, principal of Christ the King School.

Noting the inconvenience it caused the community, Wallis said it was particularly unfortunate for all those involved in a winter sports tournament.

The threat also left parents in a situation of finding last-minute child care.

Police settle concerns

Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons said "Police were made aware of an emailed threat sent to a school yesterday.

"The source of the threat has since been identified and there is no risk to the public."

Christ the King School offers education for girls and boys from years 1 - 8 and its current roll is 344.

Last year, 70 schools and organisations across the country received threatening emails.

Sources

• The Herald
• The Press

The retired bishop of Toowoomba, Robert McGuckin (pictured), has been tasked with conducting an Apostolic Visitation to investigate the allegations.

The former professor of Canon Law at the University of Notre Dame, Australia, McGuckin has also served as President of the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand.

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

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

Gielen suspended exorcisms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That sense of privilege must be removed."

Nothing happened

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

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

Price believes the 'Holy Sons' should be disbanded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources

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

Mike Stevens of St Roch's parish spoke to the media, saying the parish is a vital component of what goes on in the community, it's also very integrated into the community.

Under the restructuring plan known as "All Things New" the archdiocese had aimed to consolidate 178 parishes into 134.

The restructure, set to take effect on August 1, had 35 parishes merging with neighbouring parishes, while 15 parishes were slated to form five new parishes.

Additionally, 158 priests were to be reassigned to various locations as part of the plan.

However, the archdiocese announced on July 31 that Archbishop Mitchell T Rozanski had "suspended the effects" for seven parishes as they had chosen to "pursue hierarchical recourse with the Vatican's Dicastery for the Clergy."

The appeals came after Archbishop Rozanski declined to reverse his decrees, affirming his commitment to implementing the restructuring plan.

The archdiocese said in its statement that "out of respect for each parishioner's right to this recourse and in keeping with Archbishop Rozanski's desire to maintain access to the sacraments, we will be suspending the effects of the following All Things New decrees" for those seven parishes "until this process has been exhausted."

No immediate plans to close or sell any churches

Lisa Shea, archdiocesan director of community and media engagement, told OSV News that there are "no immediate plans to close or sell any churches" in the archdiocese.

"They will all remain open in some capacity for worship for the foreseeable future" she said. "We have a couple of parishes in the city that are really well known for their social justice works, such as food pantries, and while their parishes are closing, the churches are staying open to do all those good works."

The archdiocese said in its statement that it will proceed with the reassignment of priests, and that incoming pastors for the seven parishes challenging the mergers" should not make changes in parish life which would be difficult to reverse, "including the sale of parish property."

Mergers suspension welcomed

Sean McGroarty, president of the St Roch Parish school board, welcomed the announcement of the suspension of mergers of several parishes.

McGroarty had, along with other parish lay leaders, encouraged concerned parishioners to write to Rozanski to appeal the decision to merge St Roch with Christ the King Parish.

He told OSV News that amid its All Things New initiative "the archdiocese missed an opportunity to strategically address the issues they're trying to address."

The problem, he argued, was not solely a lack of priests, but rather the unequal impact of transferring them to areas with more Catholics, adversely affecting smaller parishes and minority communities.

Allowing qualified lay faithful to assume greater co-responsibility for parishes would help address clerical shortages and avert parish closings and mergers, said McGroarty.

"You want priests to care for the universal good of the flock, to administer the sacraments," he said.

"You don't necessarily need them to administer finances in parishes and schools. If they (the archdiocese) had been able to separate that, it might have been a more helpful process. There are laypeople who would love to do all those things."

Sources

National Catholic Reporter

KSDK

CathNews New Zealand

Gielen is currently in Portugal at World Youth Day.

The announcement arrives in the wake of a report by TV3 journalist Michael Morrah that exposed alleged unapproved exorcisms conducted by the fringe Latin Rite church group known as 'The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer', or more colloquially, the 'Transalpine Redemptorists'.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources

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

Poor Church communication is in the spotlight.

The nub of the issue is why a fringe group, that does not belong to the mainstream of the Church and does not follow the ordinary form the Mass promuligated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 (Novus Ordo) is permitted to perform any sacrament, let alone a sacramental like a "major exorcism"?

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

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

Exorcism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NZ Media

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

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

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

New Zealand Bishops' Conference's Response

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this, the Bishops' Conference is poorly served.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He clarified that sprinkling Holy Water around a child does not constitute an exorcism.

The controversy surrounding the 'Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer', also known as the Transalpine Redemptorists, emerged after TV3's programme 'Paddy Gower Has Issues' aired a segment Wednesday night.

The programme claimed that the group had performed exorcisms on children, and one child was allegedly told the Devil possessed them.

It was also reported that the group conducted exorcisms on seven individuals, with one person undergoing multiple lengthy sessions, some lasting for several hours, and one exorcism purportedly spanning three consecutive days.

There were also claims that individuals were restrained during these rituals.

Bishop Steve Lowe, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, acknowledges that exorcisms occasionally occur in New Zealand but said it is very unusual for people to be restrained.

Lowe describes the act of binding people during an exorcism as 'cinematic.'

Drawing from Church data, Gower stated that the official Catholic Church sanctioned 12 exorcisms over the past five years. Six of these were authorised for Auckland and Hamilton dioceses, though not all occurred.

An equal number were sanctioned in the Christchurch diocese.

In a YouTube video, Michael Mary stated that then Bishop Paul Martin of Christchurch permitted two exorcisms; both occurred, and he denies any illicit use of the permission.

Catholic community reaction

CathNews received feedback from a number of concerned Catholics regarding the 'Paddy Gower Has Issues' segments.

One correspondent accuses Gower and investigative journalist Michael Morah of trivialising a very serious matter and accusing the reporting as lacking maturity.

"A really nuanced topic is treated interspersed with getting fried chips!

"The juxtaposition shows the true level of New Zealand journalism,' said one.

"The country needs an injection of journalistic maturity,' another wrote.

The Church's perceived silence also drew attention.

"I think we can reasonably expect some response or even engagement from an official church spokesperson,' said another.

"The rather bizarre nature of these reported events, surely the Church must have something to say.

"It certainly needs to be more transparent and engage more fully.

"It's not the 1950s,' yet another said.

"It's not apt for the Church to remain silent. We, the regular Catholics, bear the brunt of public scrutiny."

A person said over the phone that concerns arose on Thursday while chatting after Mass about the medical and psychological evidence the bishop considered before granting permission for these practices.

"Tying up people, stabbing them with a crucifix is extreme.

"People have their dignity.

"With the Church so much in the spotlight, you'd think it would have something to say," they said.

A communications specialist expressed astonishment at the Church's seeming detachment and weak recent communication strategies.

"It feels like the Catholic Church leans heavily on Peter Lineham for its representation," he said.

Professor Peter Lineham has for many years written and lectured extensively on the religious history of New Zealand. Now retired, he is a member of the Anglican and Baptist Church.

"It would be better if there were a Catholic someone attached to the community.

"These days, the perception of the Church is that the church leadership seems more interested in being spiritual and holy. They're good ideals but are not sufficient. The Church also needs to engage in the here and now.

"The bishop at least needs to explain what training and expertise these priests have to perform exorcisms.

"The Church lacks engagement at critical times" said the communications specialist.

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer entered the Christchurch diocese in 2009.

Upon their arrival, Bishop Barry Jones cautioned Catholics that the group's services lacked authorisation and weren't in communion with the Pope.

In 2012, Pope Benedict granted his approval and the group continues to be responsible in the diocese for the Latin Mass chaplaincy.

However, in an expression of lex orandi, lex credendi - how we pray reflects what we believe - Pope Francis is not disposed to the belief behind the old Latin Rite.

In February 2023, Francis admonished bishops who permitted the Latin Mass in their dioceses without Vatican consent, urging them to obtain retrospective authorisation.

Following up on correspondence from a reader, CathNews sought clarification from the Catholic Bishops Conference on the practice of the traditional Latin Rite Mass and whether the required authorisations had been applied for.

Sources

• Paddy Gower has Issues (TV3)
• CathNews NZ
• Stuff
• Transalpine Redemptorists
• Earlier this article said that Peter Lineham is involved with the Charismatic Movement and the Pentecostal Church. In making this statement, CathNews used a reference from the National Library. (Reference dated 27 July, 2023).

  Peter Lineham has been in touch, objecting to our initial reference. He accused CathNews of making a false statement about him and told us to do some research.

  By referencing the National Library, we thought we were using an authoritative source; however, in light of his correspondence, we wish to apologise to Peter for what was a genuine mistake and thank him for pointing out the error.

There's more than one battle in this long saga and only one of the cathedrals will have a happy ending.

Both buildings were severely damaged by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes and aftershocks, and both sit derelict.

The future of the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Barbadoes St looked safe after the Bishop Barry Jones supported restoration.

Meanwhile, the iconic ChristChurch Anglican Cathedral in the city centre looked doomed after its Bishop Victoria Matthews opted to demolish and rebuild.

But several years after the disastrous events of 2011, their fates have switched.

The Gothic-designed ChristChurch cathedral will be rebuilt and its classical Catholic counterpart will be deconstructed and a new one built closer to the city centre.

The head of Historic Places Aotearoa, Dr Anna Crighton, is among the many people and groups that have fought hard to save the Anglican Cathedral in Cathedral Square.

"ChristChurch Cathedral is not only the centrepiece of Cathedral Square and our city, but it is our icon," she says. "It's in our living room here.

"It's the reason why the Anglican community was built here. So for seven years the Christchurch public have been fighting against the misinformation that it was beyond repair, that it was dangerous, they can't afford to repair it …. [that it was] an exciting opportunity to build a new cathedral and it would take too long to restore anyway."

After a bitter seven-year battle that involved the Church, the council, the government, community groups and residents, the Anglican Synod decided that the cathedral would be restored at a cost of $104 million.

It will be partly funded by the Church's insurance with grants from Christchurch City Council and the government.

Work has finally begun and it will take at least a decade to rebuild. For now, there's still a gaping hole where the pigeons get in, and the cathedral is out of bounds, surrounded by security fencing.

Just a few blocks away on Barbadoes Street is the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Its future looked safe until a few months ago when the new Bishop, Paul Martin announced it will be deconstructed and a new one built.

It is a Petre architecturally designed building, which was known as one of the most beautifully designed cathedrals in the Southern Hemisphere. Continue reading

It's just paradise. Heaven.

In the polluted concrete jungle of oppression and poverty that is big city Iran, the crisp waterfalls and snow-peaked mountains we had shown her sounded too good to be true.

The people are so friendly, the cities are so clean, the houses with their big backyards, the beaches all stretch for miles. Above all, it is safe.

But is there a rot that lies here beneath the cloak of decency that my grandmother fell for? Have you spoken to your migrant friends about their every day interactions before assuming that this isn't a racist country?

I have dark olive skin and Middle Eastern features. I'm both proud of that and also carry the weight of that.

My parents moved to Christchurch in 1989, I was just about to turn 5. I'm a Kiwi and I'm proud of that too, there isn't any other place that I want my kids to grow up in. But I'm also reminded constantly that I am different.

I've been spat at more than once and been told to "go back to India" countless times.

At primary school, I played mostly with the few other migrant kids because I wasn't accepted by most.

I knew not to approach groups in the playground because they would start chanting, "the brown girl's here," and stop playing. As a kid, I was told my family was dirty and asked what colour my blood was. In high school, it was worse and it was constant.

Where do school children and teenagers pick up this rhetoric? Parents have a lot to answer for.

I saw skinheads proudly and staunchly pacing Christchurch streets many times, swastikas on show. It seemed worse after 9/11. I hid from them, rage bubbling inside me. We've all been hiding from them for too long.

I once had a group of them turn up to a party at our university flat in Riccarton and start a fire in a drum in our backyard.

They burnt my bike and a bunch of our stuff. They weren't there to hate on me, they were just party crashing but one got close to me and screamed, "f... all the jews," in my face.

I hid in my bedroom for the rest of the night.

Skinheads crashing parties in Christchurch was common, it was just part of the city's landscape. My little sister, 7 years my junior, has said the same thing.

They're still around causing havoc.

Who is responsible for reining these people in? How can we stop their hate? Continue reading

• Shabnam Dastgheib (pictured) is an Iranian-New Zealander and proud Kiwi who emigrated to Christchurch with her mum and dad when she was five and lived there most of her life. She now lives in Auckland.

According to Fr James Mallon, it does not have to be this way.

Mallon, a Canadian priest, last week spoke to New Zealand's diocesan priests in Christchurch to explore what he calls "Divine Renovation."

The present century demands new models of ministry and new ways of engaging with society, he says.

"Divine Renovation exists to inspire and equip parishes to become missional."

The "Divine Renovation" programme exists through its network for parishes.

According to the Divine Renovation website, the movement has a goal to inspire and equip 35,000 parishes to become missional and within 10 years to bring 2 million people to Jesus.

Parishes who join the network are coached to move from "maintenance" mode to mission engagement.

As well as coaching, parishes can avail themselves of books, videos, conference workshops and retreats.

Divine Renovation also offers a free Podcast and its own YouTube Channel where the team explores leadership and parish renewal, and invites guests of the podcast to share their experience and expertise.

Mallon says "Divine Renovation" does not have all the answers, but it has many of the right questions.

"We've experienced first-hand what it's like to be a missional parish," he says on his website.

Mallon, along with the team at St Benedict Parish in Halifax, transformed their parish into a vibrant community of missionary disciples.

The national assembly of diocesan priests is held every five years.

The week's programme provided priests with a way to openly reflect on and discuss their own experiences in ministry and how pastoral life might be "renovated."

Sources

• Supplied
• James Mallon (Twitter)
• Divine Renovation
• Image: Supplied

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

Students from Marion College have, for six years, operated from a temporary building.

Currently, Marian College is sited at the southern end of the earthquake-damaged cathedral.

"They have had a whole generation of students go through since the earthquakes", he told The Press.

A new site for Marion College has not been identified.

In addition to re-sitting Marian College, a major decision surrounds the rebuilding of the Catholic Cathedral.

The estimated cost of rebuilding the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral is $70m.

Around eight earthquake affected churches in the diocese also need to be rebuilt.

Martin said he will assess the work done to date on the Cathedral and consult around the diocese before making a decision.

New bishop hopeful

Martin confessed to The Press that sexual abuse had done serious harm to the Church and its message.

He said sexual abuse by clergy makes it more challenging to promote many good things the Church does.

"The perception of the church is often not as positive as we would like it to be", he said.

Admitting the frail nature of humanity, Martin however is confident new procedures are helping prevent further instances of clergy sexual abuse.

He understands that for some whatever the Church does it will never make amends.

Despite the challenges, Martin remains hopeful.

He hopes the example of Pope Francis will inspire many and encourage dialogue between those of different opinions.

On Saturday 3 March, Martin will become Catholic Bishop of Christchurch.

Cardinal John Dew will officiate at the ordination ceremony.

The ceremony is being held at 1,400 capacity Christchurch Boys' High School Auditorium.

Source

• The Press
• Bishop Hierarchy
• Image: Stuff

Neil Stocker, Paul Dunlop and Scott Lucy died when Durham Street Methodist Church - one of the city's oldest stone buildings - collapsed in the earthquake, burying them under rubble.

The three men were recovering a pipe organ from the church, which had already been badly damaged in the September 2010 quake and was considered too dangerous to occupy.

On Monday, a blessing ceremony will be held to mark the beginning of the construction of a multi-purpose complex on the site, set to be completed by July 2019. Continue reading

As we sheltered under the sturdy tables, I learnt that in the advice "duck, cover and hold", the hold part is really important. It stops you being thrown across the room with everything else mobile - glasses, plates, chairs.

For the rest of the day I accompanied the bishop as we went back to the diocesan offices to gather up her staff; attempted to get to the Christ Church Cathedral but were turned back by terrified-looking police; made sure staff could get home and then with those who couldn't (and a German tourist we had welcomed into our little group), walked to the bishop's house and huddled in her garden flat, the house obviously too damaged to enter.

People eventually figured out a way to get home or to friends for shelter. I was the last of the group to leave as dusk closed in, collected and driven to the Antarctic Centre for evacuation with the members of a conference my husband was running.

As I left, Bishop Victoria trudged back to the city to see where she could be useful. I have never forgotten her care for each person on her staff and her care for people as we walked the streets, dodging falling masonry and liquefaction.

I still jump at the kind of noise the earthquake made - like a train, really. Just recently I was in a building with a large water feature and the pump made a surging noise.

After 30 minutes I couldn't stand being near the noise any more - it sounded like an earthquake coming.

I feel like that and I only had to survive one day of the quake and its aftershocks. The people of Christchurch have had six years. Continue reading

• The Rev Helen Jacobi is Anglican vicar of St Matthew-in-the-City in Auckland.

Robert Selwyn Burrett, 64, pleaded guilty to 21 child sex abuse charges last month.

His 40-year career in New Zealand's education system came to an end last year after he was arrested and charged while working as a special needs bus driver and school caretaker in Christchurch.

His victims were as young as 5; some were intellectually disabled and one was wheelchair-bound.

He is due to be sentenced next month.

The New Zealand Herald reported that in 1994, Burrett got a job as deputy principal at Pukenui School in Te Kuiti.

Former principal Keith McKenzie said Burrett was hired on the strength of a glowing reference from a Catholic school in Rotorua.

However, two Catholic schools in the city have no record of Burrett ever working there, reported the New Zealand Herald.

Parents, board members and former students from the two schools Burrett was removed from - Lake Rotoma School and Pukenui School - were brought to tears when they learned of his crimes, citing red flags as early as 1990.

They believe the abuse in Christchurch could have been prevented if his employment history was properly recorded.

The only black marks on Burrett's record were two drink-driving convictions.

Pukenui School tried to fire Burrett for incompetency - alleging he was drunk, unkempt and inept - but a teacher's union became involved and the case ended in a mediation hearing and confidential Board of Trustees payout in 2001.

When Burrett was convicted last month, the education ministry said it checked all records for any historical complaints received during Burrett's employment, but none were found.

Sources

• New Zealand Herald
• Image: New Zealand Herald

The use of water in Baptism and bread and wine in Communion are examples of this, Bishop Lowe said.

"With sinful and weak men, [the Lord's] priesthood lives in the Church until the consummation of time," he added.

Bishop Lowe said it had been truly "a humbling three months since I was informed Pope Francis had appointed me bishop of Hamilton".

"It has been a profound journey that many of you have part of," he told the congregation of more than 1000 which packed the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and overflowed onto its steps.

The second bishop of Hamilton, Bishop Denis Browne, was the principal consecrator.

Bishops Barry Jones of Christchurch and Charles Drennan of Palmerston North were the other official consecrating bishops.

Bishop Lowe said he wished Bishop Browne a happy retirement, but asked him to continue doing pastoral work among God's people.

"I look forward to you being for me a spiritual father, a man of wisdom, and great pastoral sense," Bishop Lowe said.

The new bishop's motto is "The Lord is my Shepherd".

In his homily, Bishop Browne referred to a reflection Pope Francis gave a year ago on the various qualities needed in a bishop.

We need men who are "guardians of doctrine, not to measure how far away the world lives from the truth it contains, but in order to attract the world, to enchant it by the beauty of love, to seduce it with the offer of freedom which is given by the Gospel", Bishop Browne quoted from Francis.

Bishop Browne also noted the blood relationship between Bishop Lowe and Blessed Abbott Columba Marmion, OSB, an Irish spiritual writer who died in 1923.

At the ordination, the Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand, Archbishop Martin Krebs, read out the mandate from the Holy See, in the name of Pope Francis.

On February 12, Bishop Lowe was welcomed in a powhiri at Hui Te Rangiora Marae in Hamilton.

Bishop Jones and a representative from Hokitika, Bishop Lowe's home town, took him from the Christchurch visitors and presented him to the people of Hamilton diocese.

Sources

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
• Waikato Times
• Food for Faith Blog
• St Thomas More parish
• Washington Post
• Vatican News
• Supplied material
• Image: NZCBC

They got another court win late last week and are now basically allowed to get on with the demolition, as in deed they should.

The cathedral has turned into one of those heated overly emotive debates that becomes counter-productive and saps energy time and money.

I don't doubt for one moment that those who oppose its demise aren't passionate or determined or indeed think they're right. But a couple of key things are at play.

Firstly, it's not their church. Secondly, the courts have failed to side with them.

Of course the church's role in Christchurch society goes well beyond its ownership.

Having grown up in the place, I am not Anglican but I always felt the cathedral was the city's.

I've been in it many times, I've climbed to the top of it many times. But despite that, I have never felt as though I owned it or that I had any more say than anyone else, and certainly not as much say as those who do own it - i.e. the church.

Christchurch has a lot of big fish to fry and they'll be doing that for many years to come.

And part of that scenario working out requires people to be reasonable in their approach to any given major decision.

Decisions like the city centre, the convention centres, the sports facilities, the general design - all of those big calls require input but not to the point where it becomes a fight and a delay.

The cathedral debate falls smack into the middle of that category. Continue reading.

Mike Hosking presents the breakfast show on NewsTalkZB, and has lived and worked in Christchurch, Wellington, currently based in Auckland.

Source: NewsTalkZB

Image: Joshua Drummond

Boyle said cyber-bullying is even more insidious because the younger generation is on the whole far more adept in their use of technology than parents or St Bede's college staff.

Imploring parents to keep an eye on how their sons are using technology, Boyle said parents are welcome to contact the St Bede's guidance counsellor if they had a concern they cannot address.

Boyle promised to keep parents informed of a programme to address the issue proactively.

The programme is being designed by the College guidance counsellor and some senior students.

The incident involved a 14 year old student being held over a bin by three pupils, while a fourth took a photo and uploaded it to Facebook.

Boyle said the victim was not physically injured and is coping well.

The incident happened in the last week of last term and came to light only through an anonymous "survey" the school periodically ran to give students the opportunity to report inappropriate behaviour.

In St Bede's latest newsletter, Boyle said the school was working hard to tackle the problem, and he has told parents that if the school community chooses to ignore cyber-bullying it does so at its own peril, reports Stuff.

"I'd implore parents to keep an eye on how your son is using technology and if you have concerns you feel you cannot address, contact the college," he wrote.

NetSafe, an independent organisation promoting cybersafety, reported in 2007 that one in five New Zealand high school students have been cyber-bullied.

"Everyone has the power to do this in their hands yet most are choosing to exercise this power responsibly," Martin Cocker executive director of NetSafe said.

The St Bede's incident comes amid a push for a law change to address cyber-bullying. Under government proposals, aimed at protecting victims of online bullying, cyber-bullies could be jailed for up to three years.

Boyle said the cyber-bullies' behaviour "hasn't come to my attention before this, that's why they were given a second chance."

Sources

• Stuff
• St Bede's College Newsletter (PDF)
• Daily Mail

That's according to the company's latest financial results, for the year to December 2012, published yesterday.

Ansvar was inundated with claims after the Canterbury earthquakes and withdrew from the New Zealand insurance market at the end of 2011, leaving policyholders wondering if their claims would be met. Continue reading

The St John of God Waipuna Trust says an increasing number of young people have been looking for accommodation since the recent damaging earthquakes. Continue reading