The new pastoral guidelines concerning gender and sexuality are “groundbreaking”, says New Ways Ministry’s Robert Shine. Primarily targeting Catholic educators, “Aroha and Diversity in Catholic Schools” is the opposite of so many policies which have harmed students and upset school communities in recent years, Shine comments. The document clearly shows the bishops’ core concern is Read more
New diversity guidelines for the country’s 235 Catholic schools offer support for rangatahi with regard to sexual diversity. New Zealand’s Catholic bishops, who released the guidelines, say all young people in Catholic schools are to be welcomed, supported and encouraged. This is important as they navigate their journey from childhood to adult and discover more Read more
Catholics are being urged to support New Zealand’s under-funded hospices and palliative care services. Donating, volunteering in hospice shops and asking members of Parliament and the Government to make palliative care a priority are some options. NZ Catholic Bishops Conference Secretary, Bishop Stephen Lowe, says hospices provide a free service to 20,000 palliative care patients Read more
New Zealand’s National Synod Synthesis has been compiled and released to the public. The diocesan documents were synthesised at a national meeting held in Wellington in June. The introduction to the national document says participants throughout the country “spoke positively and with love about the place the Church has in their lives. “They want the Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference’s Council for Young People is making plans to send delegates to World Youth Day (WYD) 2023. They have received the go-ahead from the bishops and are now on a countdown to the big event. Although the Covid epidemic delayed the international get-together for a year, Pope Francis has confirmed Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops are inviting all Catholics in New Zealand to join with them and others across the globe to pray with Pope Francis as he consecrates Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. New Zealand’s bishops are asking Catholics to offer special prayers for everyone caught in the Ukraine war by Read more
“Pope Francis wants to hear from you” – all of us. This is the message the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand is using to invite people – Catholic or not – to take part in a survey for an international synod on the future direction of the Church. The Catholic Church world-wide is conducting Read more
The New Zealand Catholic bishops are prepared to tolerate the State’s sweeping public health measures, however, they want the mandates and vaccine pass requirements to be continually reviewed. Their support of the government’s Covid measures is contingent on and only justified by, “the emergency situation as it exists at this point in time.” While all Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have written a pastoral statement and a set of guidelines for those working with people choosing assisted dying. Chaplains, priests and other Catholic professionals are being given guidelines and pastoral help to work with people who decide to die under the End of Life Choice Act which takes effect on 7 Read more
The Vatican is describing Pope Francis recovery from colon surgery as “regular and satisfactory.” Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the 84-year-old pope was eating regularly and that he was no longer receiving medication intravenously. The final results of a biopsy on the removed part of the colon confirmed that the pontiff had Read more