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.

Dew (pictured right) explains "Canon law requires that bishops offer their resignation to the Holy Father when they reach 75 years of age, and yesterday I reached that age."

Pope Francis has accepted his resignation.

"It is with sadness that I say goodbye and an enormous thank you to you all," says Dew.

"I will still be about and look forward to being involved in the life of the Archdiocese in other ways."

Dew remains as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Palmerston North and will continue with his various Vatican roles, including appointments to the Dicastery for Evangelisation, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

He remains eligible to take part in papal elections until he is 80.

Being archbishop "has been a privilege" that came with "many challenges and some difficulties.

"Like Jesus at times I have also had to be resolute about "taking the road to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51).

"I have always loved this part of Luke's Gospel which follows straight after the experience of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

"It is a reminder that when we have encountered Jesus in prayer we can be resolute in dealing with challenges and difficulties."

"Never forget that we are all the chosen and beloved daughters and sons of God. We are privileged to walk together in our Church, our family of faith.

"Thank you for your prayers, love and support.

"Your constant support, your commitment to the Church, your willingness to walk the way of Jesus, tell the truth of Jesus and live the life of Jesus have been inspiring."

Since June 2022 pain in his legs meant Dew found it difficult to walk and on March 21 he had spinal surgery. After a period of convalescence, he is back walking with much more ease.

Dew had only briefly resumed his duties before Pope Francis accepted his resignation.

Simultaneous with Dew's resignation Pope Francis appointed Coadjutor Archbishop Paul Martin (pictured left) as the 8th Archbishop of Wellington.

"I wish Paul every blessing and ask that you support him in the same way as you have supported me," says Dew.

Dew wants people to pray for his successor.

"Every time you go to Mass and hear Archbishop Paul's name in the Eucharistic Prayer, please make that a sincere prayer for him," he says.

For his part, Martin says the Archdiocese will miss Dew.

"He has guided the Archdiocese of Wellington through many challenges and major changes, always with a very pastoral approach. He has also had many demanding national roles in the Church", says Martin.

Although already Archbishop of Wellington, Martin's installation as Archbishop takes place on Saturday 17th June at St Teresa's Pro-Cathedral, Karori.

Source

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference
• Vatican
• Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington