In a forward for the booklet titled "Equality, Encounter and Renewal", which was published March 7, Sister Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, lamented the historic marginalisation of women around the world.

"Despite the equal dignity of every human person, historically over the centuries, in so many aspects of life, women have not been allowed access to the same opportunities men have had," she said.

Apart from facing numerous barriers to opportunity, women and girls, she said, "have also disproportionately been innocent victims of violations against human dignity."

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"Racism is a sin and has no place in our world. As followers of Christ, it is our duty to welcome all people, regardless of race or background, into our Church and show them there is a place for them" said Canon Victor Darlington.

Darlington is the chair of the Archdiocese of Southark's Commission for Promoting Racial and Cultural Inclusion, which governs the London boroughs south of the River Thames.

It is the first Catholic diocese in England and Wales to establish such a Commission.

Welcoming diversity

One parish in particular "leads the way" in the archdiocese as to how it promotes racial and cultural inclusion.

The pastor of that parish (St. Margaret of Scotland) is Father Anthony Uche, originally from Nigeria.

Uche (pictured greeting a young parishioner) has established a Racial and Cultural Inclusion group in the community, saying "the face of the Church must be seen in all we do".

The parish's efforts to extend an inclusive welcome to all has seen a change in the imagery chosen to decorate the church. These include images and statues of saints from different cultural and racial backgrounds. There are several of the Virgin Mary from different parts of the world.

Darlington said that's why the work of St Margaret's Parish is so important - "because when people go to a parish, they should not only see white images but also people who look like them.

"Jesus loves us all and we in turn must love and welcome all" the priest said.

Diversity in the parish is increasing, says Uche. The impact has been extraordinary, with a previously predominantly white parish now including others from various cultures.

"You know how it can feel busy in London but we always feel at home and okay here. We are welcome to Mass, we are welcome to the church and the parish" a parishioner says

The parish's welcome is a welcome influence on his family which includes six children.

As his wife says "... the impact of the parish on each of them makes a huge difference in the community and we hope that can impact their friends".

Equality includes all

A member of St Margaret's Racial and Cultural Diversity group says racial equality means fairness to everybody regardless of what race they're from.

"When you think of what we're meant to be as Christians, we're called to love everybody, regardless of race."

Another parishioner - also a group member - says promoting racial and cultural diversity does not happen by accident.

"It needs a group which looks systemically at all the worship, the activities, the different ministries in the parish and making sure we're promoting racial and cultural diversity across everything we do.

"We have to show God loves everyone equally - in our activities and in our worship. If we don't show that, we are failing" he adds.

Source

• Crux Now

But we are forgetting something that goes beyond talking and demands action - the rangatahi at the heart of our education system.

Our young people have, for the last few years, experienced the unprecedented nature of a pandemic - lockdowns with education being dished out to varying standards via Zoom and Teams.

As adults, we need to acknowledge that we're failing the next generation.

We need to act and reverse the message that being at school just isn't important.

We know there is a strong correlation between attendance and achievement.

We are now in our fourth year of accepting and sending regular messages that days spent at school are not important. A habit that started with Covid, continuing today as the new norm.

Auckland schools once again started the school year with a "please close for a week notice" from the Wellington-based head office.

When it rains, we see schools rapidly put on alert to shut schools and send students home.

And now they're faced with more disruption from strike action and work-to-rule restrictions, as teachers demonstrate frustration with their ministry.

This industrial action, compounded with schools not having the resources to operate sees whole year groups rostered home, and curriculum-based activities and events cancelled.

No wonder rangatahi are not turning up.

No-one is turning up for them.

But more importantly, what are we doing to future-proof education, our workforce, and the productivity base of Aotearoa?

For most of this century, the literacy and numeracy achievement of our young people has been declining.

We continue to have an appalling truancy problem, despite headlines suggesting otherwise.

There has been a lot of commentary around NCEA level of literacy and numeracy among our young people.

NCEA literacy and numeracy test results in a 2021 pilot highlighted a troubling disparity between decile one schools and higher-decile schools in New Zealand.

Decile-one schools had pass rates of just 2% in writing 1 and 30% in numeracy, while higher-decile schools achieved much higher pass rates.

In reading the difference between decile 1 and 10 was 24% to 85%, and in numeracy 10% compared to 78%.

Recent data from the PIRLS study on reading assessments revealed we had dropped from 13th in 2001 to 27th in 2021. Shouldn't we be leading the way not falling backwards?

This is a damning insight into our success to end poverty for generations of today's children.

Education inequalities are embedded in our system.

The root causes have been manifesting for some time: social inequity, poverty, resources, wealth, and power.

We must ensure equal access to quality education for all students regardless of their socio-economic background. Education can lift people out of poverty, but based on all the indicators, things don't look great for New Zealand's future. Continue reading

• John O'Connell is chief executive of Life Education Trust.

My first reaction was gut-hurting laughter.

When I caught my breath, I said to the priest who had been sent to present the proposal, "Look at my face!"

It was, indeed, unprecedented to ask a non-Japanese to run a Japanese-language newspaper.

Later, I met the bishop who was the liaison with the paper and I asked him if I would have the sort of editorial freedom and authority that is usual for a newspaper editor. He replied, "So long as you don't start publishing heresy, you have that freedom. Test us."

I took the job, and shortly afterward we had the first test.

A bishop had been sued in a case that was never mentioned in any Catholic media. The only coverage was in a local secular newspaper and a Buddhist newspaper. Catholics in his diocese who knew the story were mostly cowed into silence.

When the bishop lost the suit, I told my staff that it was news, but since the whole case had been hidden from Catholics, we would have to do an article that explained its background and history.

When the reporters showed hesitancy, I assured them that the only job at risk was mine. The story went on the front page.

The day it was printed, the bishop who had told me to test the bishops happened to be in Tokyo and invited the priests who worked at the bishops' conference to join him for dinner before he headed home to his diocese.

When dessert came out, the bishop called my name. Immediately, every fork and coffee cup went down as the priests waited to hear what would come next.

"Your predecessor [who had come to the newspaper from a magazine put out by his religious order] would not have printed that story."

I replied, "My predecessor was not trying to run a newspaper."

"Yes, but we wanted him to."

Everyone went back to their dessert and coffee.

A couple of days later, a package arrived from the bishop who was the subject of the story. It contained his papers regarding the case along with a note saying that he would not appeal the verdict and that I had free use of the papers if I felt further coverage was necessary.

My mother once complained about a totally different sort of relationship between the Catholic press and a prelate in her diocesan newspaper: "There were nine pictures of the bishop on the first 11 pages!" I assume that none of the pictures illustrated an article about a lawsuit.

Catholic news sources that are objective, professional are rare

Pope Francis recently honored two journalists whose "beat" includes the Vatican. Neither works for a Church-related news agency. During the ceremony, the pope thanked all journalists who point out "what's wrong with the Church."

With few exceptions, it has been news media with no connection to the Church that have performed that service. Sexual abuse by clergy and cover-ups by those in positions of responsibility have been spotlighted by secular media.

There are other stories that will sooner or later be told, but probably not in Church-related media.

When independent Church-related news media have tried to present those stories, they have been attacked by those who claim to be "protecting the Church," though more often than not it is an exercise in self-defense. Non-independent sources print photos of bishops.

Catholic news sources that are objective, professional and, frankly, honest, are rare. Francis praised journalists, but the institution still does not want to see real journalism.

Two thousand years ago when there was as yet no such thing as journalism, Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy of those who exercised power among and against believers. Today, that is part of the vocation of journalism.

If that doesn't happen today, if the Church's communications are just public relations, the Church and its mission suffer.

We all suffer embarrassment when, as is inevitable, corruption and scandal that have been hidden are exposed by others. The shrinking number of those who have high expectations are scandalized.

Idealists who might otherwise choose lives of service in the Church turn away from an institution that values cover-up over truth. Some leave the Church in disgust.

Compared to all that, how can Church managers claim that bad press even (or especially) when true is a problem?

The biggest problem is a loss of credibility for the true message of the Church, the Gospel.

The Church desperately needs honest, objective, professional news sources or it will be useless for the proclamation of the Gospel. Such honesty, while sometimes embarrassing, will also be confirmation to the world that we are committed to the truth and therefore worthy of some trust.

The bishops of Japan knew that presenting the whole picture of the Church is ultimately a service to the People of God and the Gospel. Should not other Church managers learn from them?

• William Grimm is a missioner and presbyter in Tokyo and is the publisher of the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News).
• First published in La-Croix International. Republished with permission.

"As many other religious women, we believe we have come to the point that our superior generals can have a vote, same as a superior general of the brothers," said Sister Birgit Weiler during a news conference Friday (Oct. 11).

Weiler is a theologian with the Medical Missions Sisters, has been active in promoting the rights of indigenous communities in the Amazon and was tapped by Pope Francis to be an expert for the synod.

"There is no real reason why not," she added, stating that since "religious women are equal" to male religious orders, "it would be good" for both to be able to voice their opinion through their vote.

While the issue of gender equality has been a cause for constant criticism in the Catholic Church, the debate has escalated to a new level under Pope Francis.

During the 2018 synod of bishops on young people, faith and vocational discernment, for the first time Francis allowed mother superiors of religious orders to attend.

At that same bishops' summit, the male superior general of a religious order — though not a priest — was allowed to vote, raising the question of whether ordination was a necessary prerequisite for voting at the synod.

That question has resurfaced at the 2019 synod and has reinforced appeals that women who lead religious orders be allowed to vote.

"I am really grateful to Pope Francis and aware of the steps he is taking to make it possible," Weiler said, noting that 35 women, lay and religious, are attending the proceedings at the synod.

"This is already a significant step forward and I want to honor it."

She noted that "there is a very open atmosphere" at the synod, which during the second week will have participants divided into smaller working groups, called circoli minori, to allow deeper discussion and reflection on the topics addressed during the opening remarks and presented in the working document.

According to Weiler there is no "clerical attitude," and women are encouraged to speak about how they feel within the church. This same sentiment, she said, is shared by other women attending the synod in other groups who believe there "is a more open atmosphere, so more critical questions may be, respectfully, put on the table."

She also noted that many bishops and cardinals at the event "really understand us women" and "want things to change."

Pope Francis has fostered a synodal approach, which promotes an inclusive and all-encompassing dialogue within the church. For Weiler, "that means you also have to have more women in positions of leadership," which doesn't necessarily imply the ordination of women to the priesthood or the diaconate.

Women play an outsized role in the Amazon region; many religious sisters work closely with the cut-off indigenous populations that inhabit it.

There are many spaces, at an organizational or pastoral level, that could benefit from female leadership, she said, and to help determine the best policies going forward.

But as the number of priests dwindles in the Amazon, women might be called on even more.

The drop in vocations and the shortage of priests working in the Amazon forest, which extends over thousands of miles and nine countries, has contributed to a "religious transit" where many indigenous peoples choose evangelical churches over Catholic ones, according to Bishop Joaquín Pertíñez Fernández of Rio Branco, Brazil.

"There are many reasons why people go from one religion to another," he told journalists at the news conference. "Among the reasons is welcoming and care, the response to the needs of the faithful.

"Due to the lack of priests, we don't have the preconditions to be present everywhere. There are religious gaps that we as Catholics cannot fill, and others come to occupy them," he added.

Sources

• Claire Giangrave is Vatican Correspondent for Religion News Service.
  
• First published in RNS. Republished with permission.
• Image YouTube

It is in stark contrast to the recent turbulent times for the church, including a royal commission which exposed widespread sexual abuse, and the conviction of Cardinal George Pell.

Those events have not made her question her faith, but they have made her question the future of the Catholic Church and changes it must make to embrace the role of women.

"If not after this catastrophe, then when?" Ms Englebrecht said.

Englebrecht does not say these things easily. Until a few months ago she worked for a nearby Catholic diocese, visiting parishioners and assisting the Bishop.

Now she has moved on and is free to speak about what she believes must happen in the wake of the Pell verdict.

"I think it was a moment of absolute clarity," she said.

"The culture of secrecy … those days have gone. They have to go."

She and others believe a greater role for women in the Catholic Church would have changed the culture that allowed sexual abuse to flourish.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse reached a similar conclusion.

It recommended women be given decision-making roles at all levels of the church after evidence suggested dioceses where women played a larger role had lower levels of sexual abuse.

But Ms Englebrecht goes further. She wants women to have a place in the highest role in the church. As long as she has been a Catholic, she has felt the calling to become a priest.

She knows due to Vatican law, that is unlikely to happen in her lifetime.

"It's very painful," she said.

"I live with the longing to serve in a way that I'm not going to be allowed to."

'It's about feeling equal with the priests'

The Catholic Church in Australia is preparing for one of the most important gatherings in its history next year, when it holds its first Plenary Council meeting since 1937.

The ordination of women priests will be on the agenda, but most agree there is no likelihood they will be sanctioned here.

That would directly contradict more than 1,500 years of canon law — the rules that govern the Catholic Church.

"It's based on the view that Jesus ordained the 12 apostles at the last supper … and therefore only men can represent Christ," Professor Dorothy Lee of the University of Divinity in Melbourne said.

"At mass, behind the altar, they are standing in the place of Christ. Therefore, the argument is they have to be male."

It is a belief fundamental to the Catholic Church and Pope Francis has been clear that, on this point, there is no room for negotiation. Continue reading

• Image: ABC

"Discriminating against women encourages and reinforces abuse and violence against women in many cultures and societies," they said.

Some of the 12 have been prominent members of the reformist Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland.

Among them is Redemptorist Fr Tony Flannery, who was suspended from public ministry by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2012.

"We believe that we can no longer remain silent because to do so colludes with the systemic oppression of women within the Catholic Church," the priests stated.

"So, in the spirit of Pope Francis constant encouragement of dialogue, we are calling for free and open discussion concerning the full equality of women in all facets of church life, including all forms of ministry," they stated.

The priests note the equality of all Christians in Baptism.

They also reference recent papal statements, including those by Pope Francis on the topic, where he referenced St John Paul II and stated no further discussion is possible.

The priests stated that this situation is very damaging.

In September, Fr Flannery was banned from speaking at a parish in Cloyne diocese after intervention by a bishop.

Now the pastor of that parish has said that the bishop's actions came after a self-appointed vigilante group of conservative Catholics complained.

In the US, Benedictine feminist Sr Joan Chittister said women are leaving the Catholic Church in droves.

In a recent open letter to Pope Francis, Sr Chittister wrote that women "are ignored — rejected — as full human beings, as genuine disciples, by their churches, including our own".

Sources

• Irish Times
• Irish Times
• MPR News
• Association of Catholic Priests
• Image: Irish Examiner

A public consultation carried out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission also showed Christians are being mocked by colleagues for being bigoted.

Christians are also discriminated against when it comes to wearing religious symbols, the report showed.

Almost 2500 people took part in the consultation.

It found widespread public confusion and misunderstanding about the legal status of religion.

Continue reading

There are some real advantages a female leader can bring to a congregation that most — if not all — men lack. I don't mean this in a sycophantic "girls rule, boys drool" kind of way. There are some key characteristics women possess that are much needed in many of our churches today. Continue reading

Subtitled Faith Communities & Social Justice, the book is edited by Neil Darragh, and explores a faith response to inequality in using 31 people's stories about faith communities that promote fairness in New Zealand.

Darragh has divided the book into five sections:

• Sources and traditions,
• Existing faith communities working for fairness,
• Groups struggling for justice,
• Shelter and housing,
• Schools and the next generation.

The publisher has expressed the hope that the stories will to gives encouragement and ideas for action in the struggle to reduce inequality in society.

A second launch will take place in Wellington on Friday 4 April at Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace.

During the formal part of the evening Neil Darragh will introduce the contributors to the book.

The launch will also include a response to the book by Brian Easton, a blessing, and some refreshments and socializing.

Source

• Supplied by Accent Publications
• Image: Anglican Youth Accent Publications

It should have been considered urgent. Perhaps the indignity of that day was generally dismissed as mere farce, since Waitangi had by then become such a pressure-cooker pantomime and Clark's tormenter was Titewhai Harawira, who is not widely respected.

But the practice of silencing women and relegating them to a secondary role, which pervades other marae including that at Parliament, was and remains deeply offensive to most New Zealanders.

It has taken years of further routine humiliation of women at powhiri, hui and the like, most of it unreported, for someone in a position of leadership to cry enough. Continue reading.

Source: The Listener

Image: NICVA

Sir Peter Blake Trust chief executive Shelley Campbell praises O'Sullivan's dedication to eradicating child poverty.

"He is a tireless advocate for insulating houses and healthy lifestyle programmes, in addition to training New Zealand medical students across the country in responsive primary and community healthcare," Ms Campbell said.

O'Sullivan has worked to help communities in Northland, mainly in Kaitaia where he and his wife Tracey have set up a low-cost clinic, Te Kohanga Whakaora.

He said he believes in quality healthcare for all.

"It's come from my upbringing and my solo mum and seeing what she had to go through. We don't come from a lot of wealth. My mum, who is a Pakeha, was a cleaner and my dad worked in the freezing works.

"I'm a young Maori dad now and I have a skill - as a doctor - that is very much needed in this community. I'm really honoured to be here doing what I do."

The 41-year-old grew up in Auckland. He decided to move his family north with the hope of helping Maori. He opened his own practice in November last year, after leaving Te Hauora o Te Hiku o Te Ika over disputes about managing patients who cannot pay.

As well as setting up his medical practice O'Sullivan has been instrumental in establishing several programmes aimed at to improving child health. The Manawa Ora Korokoro Ora (Moko) programme, based at Kaitaia Primary School, aims to give medical care to up to 2000 children at 14 primary and intermediate schools.

The Kainga Ora - focuses on fixing cold, run-down homes to make sure all children in the community grow up in a warm and healthy environment.

The golden boy of Maori health, who counts Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia among his allies, hasn't always had it this good.

He was raised by a solo mum as a part-Maori boy in the mostly Pakeha Auckland suburb of Howick.

"It wasn't a place that was fully supportive of trying to find out who you are as a young Maori man," he says.

The young Lance developed a reputation as a trouble-maker and, after being expelled from two schools, his mum packed him off to a boarding college for Maori boys, Hato Petera on Auckland's North Shore.

It was a turning point for the 15-year-old and his first real exposure to the Maori world.

"As a part-Maori child at school the perception was that you were going to be trouble. After three years at Hato Petera I went from being the kid who got expelled from two schools to being dux, head boy and sports champion."

O'Sullivan put the change down to an environment that encouraged and recognised his skills. The experience had a profound effect on his beliefs as a doctor.

Source

• The New Zealand Herald
• NZDoctor.co.nz
• The Northern Advocate
• Image: The Northern Advocate

In a press release from Family First she says when she appeared before the committee on December 10 those who appeared before her were all in support of the bill, and were treated well, but when her name was called the mood changed.

"The heavy air was charged with emotion and I am still astounded that I managed to walk towards that table and chair despite apprehension and feeling sick at heart at my different treatment and the apparent hostility," she said.

Carroll said in the middle of her speech, acting chair Chris Auchinvole got up to get a drink, and when she finished her speech with the words of Martin Luther King Jr, Hague was "unsavoury and menacing" to her, calling her homophobic.

"The whole experience was very strange. There was a lack of common courtesy and respect," she said.

Auchinvole said it was common for committee members to get drinks and go to the toilet during submissions as long as a quorum was maintained and that Carroll had already made a written submission to which she was speaking.

He said appearing before a select committee "can be an intimidating experience if you were too sensitive" but members went to great lengths to make people feel relaxed.

He said Carroll was "very direct" and "passionate" in delivering her submission.

"Lots of people were emotional but it's an emotional topic," he said.

Hague said he felt all submitters - especially individuals - had been treated with respect. He said he would be concerned if an 18-year-old felt bullied, but he didn't think that was the case. However, he admitted he did express exasperation when she began talking about "virtue".

"That makes my hackles rise . . . I find it offensive," he said.

"Even more outrageous is her quoting Martin Luther King at the end. I am certain that my feelings would have been obvious at the time: co-opting words from the leader of the American civil rights movement, whose widow has been a vocal advocate of marriage equality, to deny civil rights to others is going to stir strong reactions."

Hague said he never used the word homophobic.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: New Zealand Listener

Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen questioned why equality would not extend to "nieces who genuinely, truly love their uncles" and why men could not have two wives.

Continue reading

They ranked the 20 countries competing in the international rugby competition based on various social indicators, pointing to social equality or inequality.They then compiled all the rankings for each indicator to arrive at an overall ranking for each team.

They say they are not knocking international sporting competitions. But they want to see the positive values on the sporting field - fairness, an equal chance of success, unbiased refereeing - reflected in the social world. So that everyone has a chance, on a level playing field, to fulfil their potential.

Lakan is a Year 8 student at Thorndon School in Wellington and a rugby fan. He attends Mass at Te Kainga Catholic Marae. Here is his blog.

For all of you who are still moaning at Wales vs France. Wales may seem to be a fairer team on the field but when we look at the stats of equality, Wales gets knocked out like Kevin Mealamu and Tana Umaga clearing Brain O'Driscoll out of the ruck.

France is ranked no.5 on equality, while Wales is ranked 9th. In most countries rugby union is only played by the richer classes and soccer is more working class. Even though rugby is the national sport in Wales, it still has an effect. What does that mean? It means the gap between the rugby players and the football players is much smaller. No wonder Wales kicked like the pass of a Japanese hooker.

France also ranked No. 2 on gender inequality and No. 3 on happy planet which means they had a whole penny to enjoy, not a Halfpenny. Neither team is very innocent when it comes to military spending, but yet again France salutes its hands and smashes the ball right out of the line-out and into their hands. Wales only managed to break the line and get some points on the board is because Wales is a more peaceful country, has a less corrupt government and something that deserves a try, they are great at working with aid.

Wales lost. Get over it. If Wales were the great team we've been raving about then they would have been able to play without Sam Warburton. Yes it damaged their scrum and line-out, but wasn't it Mike Phillips who was the magic man?

Wales had at least 3 scoring opportunities in the game to take the lead but they Sonny Billed them like they were Quade Cooper. So if you look at the facts again you'll see a much different score. Instead of France skimming up a close encounter with a 14 man squad, they get away with a comfortable victory and a well deserved spot in the final.

France won and I cheered.

Go All Blacks!

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Image: Fox Sport