Cardinal Dew had earlier cited increasing insurance cost and declining number of priests as reasons for the need to reorganise the archdiocese.

Parishes were asked to review how many churches are needed — and where they should best be located — to cater for Mass counts, taking into account availability of priests and lay pastoral leaders.

Over the next few months, all the documents submitted from the parishes of the archdiocese will be reviewed.

Cardinal Dew advised that, when he considers proposals, he will not be making a decisions to “approve” them.

“My response to a proposal will be expressed as ‘no objection’, ‘further
work needed’ or ‘opposed’. It is the parish’s decision to actually proceed with a proposal if I have no objection. Once the parish decides to proceed, its decisions are subject to the archdiocesan norms and approval processes.”

Some parishes presented clear cut proposals, while others gave the cardinal
options from which to choose. Neighbouring parishes consulted with each other on the possibility of amalgamation.

The Lower Hutt parishes of Holy Spirit — Te Wairua Tapu (Eastbourne, Petone, Wainuiomata and Waiwhetu) and Te Awakairangi (Lower Hutt, Avalon, Naenae, Taita) put in separate proposals (with eight and seven suggestions, respectively) that had some commonalities.

Both suggested an option of a major Catholic community and church hub in Taita, where St Michael’s church is currently situated. This would include either new accommodation units for priests or a central presbytery.

They also agreed that properties in Avalon should be sold.

The two parishes suggested the property in Naenae be retained, at least in part in one case. Te Wairua Tapu parish suggested it be developed as an outreach centre. Te Awakairangi suggested subdividing the presbytery and its land in Naenae, and using sale proceeds to renovate St Bernadette’s church.

For St Peter and Paul church and buildings in Lower Hutt, Te Awakairangi
proposed demolishing the existing presbytery and using the space for more parking.

Te Wairua Tapu suggested that the St Peter and Paul church and buildings be a central location for youth and community with a chapel.

There were further suggestions about some other church buildings in the two parishes.

The Holy Family parish in Nelson is leaning towards either a status quo or
amalgamating with Richmond (Our Lady of Perpetual Help).

St Theresa’s in Plimmerton is likewise planning for staying on its existing site as growth trends in the area project a steady, if not increasing, number of Mass-goers in the parish. They offered three other options in their submission, including a possible merger with Our Lady of Hope parish in Tawa.

The Tawa/Titahi Bay parish acknowledged that a merger of Porirua parishes had been discussed previously, but they do not see it as feasible at this time. They submitted two proposals, which included the closure of St Pius X, which they acknowledge would be very divisive for parishioners in Titahi Bay.

“A number of Titahi Bay-based parishioners have indicated through the parish consultation process that, if this church is closed, they would likely go to Mass at another church such as Holy Family or St Theresa’s, or not attend at all,” the submission noted.

Our Lady of the Valleys (Heretaunga/ Stokes Valley) parishioners suggested
keeping the two sites as a short-term measure, but for the long-term, they proposed moving to one site. They have not decided on the location of the site.

In the Wairarapa, parish priest Fr Bruce England said they were granted a two-month extension to produce a combined decision on one proposal.

The parish finance committee had proposed retaining only St Patrick’s in Masterton and Sacred Heart in Greytown and selling other assets. The parish pastoral council is opposed to the closure of any of the five churches in the parish area.

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My early morning walk is a time of prayer, and I am grateful that it gives me a brief perspective into lives that might not always be visible. By the time the sun has risen, the rough sleepers have packed up their belongings, and will have moved on to the Compassion Soup Kitchen or other social services in the city. However, some glimpses of the overnight city remain — people on the footpath asking for food or cash, and people collecting cans, cigarette butts or even discarded food from rubbish bins.

Most poverty in New Zealand is invisible. Unlike many parts of the world, the lives of most people living in financial hardship cannot be seen from the main streets. The poverty of the suburbs, where beneficiaries and workers worry about how to pay bills and put food on the table, happens behind closed doors.

But there are still glimpses of our unequal society on the streets of central Wellington during the daytime, and equally there are always some voices raised seeking to ban buskers and beggars and to block access to bins where food is discarded.

In his message for the World Day of the Poor, which the Catholic Church marked on Sunday, November 17, Pope Francis speaks of seeing people rummaging through garbage bins in search of something to live on or to wear, and themselves becoming seen as part of a human garbage bin, of being treated like refuse.

Pope Francis says: “Frequently judged parasites on society, the poor are not even forgiven their poverty.

Judgement is always around the corner. They are not allowed to be timid or discouraged; they are seen as a threat or simply useless, simply because they are poor.”

Pope Francis’ origins in Buenos Aires, and his current situation in Rome, are different to ours in Wellington.

Poverty can be more in your face in the streets of South America and Europe than here in New Zealand. But, sadly, the attitudes towards people experiencing poverty can be very similar. New Zealand has an enduring thread of judgemental attitudes towards homeless people, rough sleepers and beneficiaries, as seen in regular outbreaks of vitriol towards those of
our neighbours who have it rough.

Pope Francis asks us to overcome these gaps between rich and poor — not just through welfare programmes and inclusive public policies, as important as these are — but, more significantly, by reaching out ourselves to welcome a stranger, or to listen to a neighbour.

He reminds us that the poor are not statistics to be cited, but persons to be encountered.

The parishes, communities and agencies of our Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington have together restated our commitment to reach out as a community to people living on the margins and peripheries. That requires a change of direction, a change of heart, and a different approach to everything we do. We are still finding our way, but we invite all our neighbours to join us.

During the week leading up to the World Day of the Poor, I invited people to join me in this examination of conscience: when we see a homeless person sleeping on the streets, or someone looking through gutters or rubbish bins, or asking for spare change, before rushing to any judgement, let’s take a moment to look into our own hearts and to check the expression on
our faces.

If there isn’t a smile there, before offering a judgement or anything else, let’s think about offering first a smile.

An article by Cardinal John Dew, Archbishop of Wellington, to mark World Day of the Poor, Sunday, November 17.

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Human Rights Day December 10 is always an opportunity to consider how we as a community are doing to look after our most vulnerable members.  Saint Pope John Paul II described international agreements around human rights as “the universal law written on the human heart”, an international moral logic which finds expression in different forms but can unite all social groups.

One significant area of human rights law and practice which has been urgently overdue for reconsideration is how we treat temporary migrant workers, who come here to fill labour shortages and gaps not able to be covered by New Zealand citizens. We ought to be grateful for their contribution and ensure they are protected, but that’s not always the case.

Workers being asked to pay exorbitant rents for accommodation organised by their employer. Workers being asked to work beyond their rostered hours, or asked to work as volunteers without pay. Workers unable speak up about about physical and psychological abuse experienced at work. And workers unable to talk about exploitation because if they do, they fear they will lose not just their jobs, but also their homes and their right to remain in the country.

Those are examples of mistreatment happening to workers within the Archdiocese of Wellington, told by members of the Filipino chaplaincy.  We’d like to think that New Zealand is a place where these things don’t happen. But unfortunately they do. 

In 2014 I attended the Santa Marta Conference on human trafficking, held in London. It opened my eyes to the reality of people who experience labour exploitation, human trafficking and other modern forms of slavery. It also opened my eyes to the fact that for many people experiencing bad working conditions or restrained movement, sometimes church is one of the few places they are able to go. Pope Francis made an appeal to us for all people to be aware in churches, temples and mosques of people working very long hours, or who don’t seem to have freedom of movement, or may have their passports withheld.

In New Zealand, it is good that we have a growing awareness of the reality of these concerns.  The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has just completed consultation on their proposals to address temporary migrant worker exploitation, and the Archdiocese of Wellington has made a written submission expressing support for the direction of their “Prevent, Protect and Enforce” approach.

We strongly support suggestions such as those for an MBIE dedicated migrant exploitation 0800 number and specialist migrant worker focused teams. However, something that is missing from  the document is the recognition of churches and other parts of the community as places that migrant workers bring concerns about employment.

In our situation, it was some parishioners noticing a number of new arrivals at Mass, which led to friendships, to meeting basic needs such as those for warm clothing, to hearing about workplace difficulties and resulting visa problems and concerns.

We understand that some people know their working or living conditions are unfair, and are afraid to speak up about it, because their immigration status depends on their employment. We also know that some people know that their working conditions in New Zealand are below our legal minimums, but they are prepared to put up with it because the alternative in their home countries is worse. And some people new to this country don’t even know what our labour laws say.

We need good legislation, policies and resources so government agencies can ensure fair and decent standards for everyone working in New Zealand. However, for many of us, the way to overcome these issues is first to get to know one another. So let’s listen, let’s watch out, let’s respond with kindness and welcome. Migrant workers are not a problem to be solved, but are our brothers and sisters, who we welcome with respect and love.

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“For anyone of faith there must be a future, despite the current scandals, the sex abuse crisis which has rocked and continues to rock the Church worldwide. Despite all of that and the pain and agony it has caused, there is a future because we are the Church of Jesus Christ,” he said at the Cardinal’s Lunch held on August 28 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Wellington.

Cardinal Dew said it would be “a bit presumptuous” to speak on the future of the Church. He spoke instead on what he thought the Church needed to be in the future.

His first suggestion was “Just be friendly”.

“When the Church today and in the future enables all people to belong, then we are the Church. It is not about what theological persuasion we are, what spirituality attracts us, what ethnicity we are, what age we are. . . we are members of the one body. ‘Just be friendly!’ Being friendly is the human thing to do,” he said.

Quoting from Pope St John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, he said the priests, as well as lay people, should be “affable, hospitable, sincere in words and heart, prudent and discreet, generous and ready to serve, capable of opening ourselves to relationships and of encouraging the same in others, and quick to understand, forgive and console . . . .”

“They are challenging words and very much needed Pope is ‘honoured’ by criticism from the United States for the future of the Church,” he said.

Cardinal Dew also said the lay people will need to be theologically formed
in the future.

“The Church of the future needs lay people who are formed theologically,
because we will be relying more and more on lay leadership in the future.
Not just because of a severe reduction in the number of priests, but because baptism calls us to leadership,” he pointed out.

Young in spirit

Cardinal Dew said the Church of the future will be young, not in the sense
that it will be made up of young people, but “young in spirit”.

“This is seen in Francis, 82 years of age, but full of energy, full of wit, vital
and alive, interested and ready to greet anyone. It is the Spirit of God who keeps us young, open to new ideas and fresh ways of operating,” he said.

The future Church will be prayerful and reflective,he said.

“It is our daily dialogue with the Spirit that allows us to go forward and which keeps us young and interested. Prayer is not just what we do on a Sunday, if prayer and reflection on Scripture is not part of our life as individuals and as communities, there will be no future, it is communion with God that energises and fortifies us,” Cardinal Dew explained.

Unlike the current American president, Cardinal Dew said the future Church will go beyond walls, not build them.

“The Church of the future must build bridges. The current incumbent of the White House began his term in office by speaking about closing the United States in and building walls that keep people out. Francis began his ministry by speaking about going out to the peripheries, reaching out to all. The Church of the future can never close in and protect itself, it is about going out and offering life to all,” he said.

Lastly, he said, the Church of the future should have “intentional disciples”.

He referred to a quote from former US President Theodore Roosevelt who said “the credit belongs to the man/woman who is actually in the arena
. . . whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again”.

Cardinal Dew said, “it is hard, it is difficult, it is challenging, there are things we don’t like, human mistakes and shortcomings, but — there is no one else to turn to, we are called to stay in the arena. It is still a place of hope and inspiration, it is still a place where an enormous amount of good is done and people helped, given hope and encouragement.

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Wellington Cardinal John Dew, who attended the meeting on behalf of New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference president Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn, gave a briefing to Auckland priests about what was discussed in Rome and how what came out of that meeting could help them deal with victims of clerical sexual abuse.

Cardinal Dew’s briefing also raised points that may be taken up by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions. Public hearings are set to begin late this year.

The cardinal said there were three themes in the Rome meeting: responsibility, accountability and transparency.
The first day dealt with the topic of responsibility.

Cardinal Dew spoke on Manila Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle’s presentation, particularly, the point of “continual accompaniment in solidarity”.

“That whole theme of walking with people, it’s very much the theme of Pope Francis. Accompanying people, pastorally journeying with them in whatever is going on in their lives. Cardinal Tagle was saying this is the best thing we can do for people. Walk with them, don’t abandon them. Support them in whatever ways we can,” Cardinal Dew stressed.

Cardinal Dew also highlighted Cardinal Tagle’s point about being tempted to choose between the victim and the perpetrator.

Cardinal Dew said the Manila cardinal offered several questions for reflection, among which was how could we keep an accurate view of forgiveness, while striving for justice?

Cardinal Dew also talked on key points raised by Malta Archbishop Charles Scicluna. Archbishop Scicluna said it is essential that the community is advised that they have the duty and the right to report on sexual misconduct to a contact person in the diocese or religious order and that contact details should be available.

Cardinal Dew said Pope Francis’ motu proprio, Vos Estis Lux Mundi (You are the Light of the World) “made it mandatory
for all clerics and members of religious orders to report cases of sexual abuse to Church authorities”. The motu proprio was published on May 7 and took effect on June 1.

“It’s essential that everybody knows that they have a responsibility to make sure that people are safe,” Cardinal Dew said.

Abuse and Clericalism

During his talk to the Auckland priests, Cardinal Dew acknowledged clerical sexual abuse is a difficult topic
to face.

“Our first reaction may be, as it was mine many years ago, ‘I didn’t cause this. Why should I have to face it?’,” he said.

But as a woman speaker pointed out in Rome, neither did Pope Francis, but the Pope had the courage to face it head on, the Wellington cardinal said.

“This issue needs to be spoken about by everyone. If we don’t, the clerical attitude in the Church will continue and abuse will continue. That means we also need to think about ‘clericalism’,” he said.

Cardinal Dew said Bombay Cardinal Oswald Gracias raised an important point about cultivating a culture of “correctio fraterna”, which is engaging in an open conversation with brother bishops or priests when there is problematic behaviour.

“Do we actually have our eye out for each other? Do we step out and see if we can help in some way? Because it’s all connected to the way we behave as priests,” Cardinal Dew said.

Turning point for women

Cardinal Dew observed that the meeting in Rome seemed to be a turning point for the Church in the way women are included in the dialogue.

Professor Linda Ghisoni, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Life and Family stressed talking about abuse and understanding one’s responsibility “is not a fixation, but a necessity”.

Sr Veronica Openibo, SHCJ, talked about having courageous conversations on the topic as well as her worries about young seminarians being treated as though they were special, “encouraging them to assume from the beginning of
their training, exalted ideas about their status”.

Valentina Alazraki, a journalist in Rome for 45 years, spoke on how transparency is indispensable in the fight against sexual abuse of minors by men of the Church.

Cardinal Dew recalled one bishop asked a question in the question-and-answer portion to one of the women, but that bishop was patronising. Pope Francis immediately shut that bishop down.

“I thought this guy was going to be crawling under the table by this time because he was really being put on the spot. [Pope Francis] said you don’t speak to the women in the Church like this. This is why we’ve got women protesting
against the Church,” Cardinal Dew recounted.

Cardinal Dew said German Cardinal Reinhard Marx made a strong pitch for good administration, which essentially means good record-keeping.

“We are going to be asked [by the royal commission] about all sorts of records, about how priests were appointed, when they were appointed, when they went here, when they went
there. His (Cardinal Marx) point about having clear records, traceable records or transparent records is going to be very important to us,” Cardinal Dew said.

“Keep your own diaries. Don’t throw them away. If you keep an electronic diary, print it off as well. It can be very important to prove where you were at a certain date. And certainly, if there are false allegations, it is much easier to prove whether you were there or not,” he added.

Cardinal Dew also shared practical tips given by Ms Alazraki, who said the press can either be allies or enemies of the Church, depending on whether the Church is of the abusers or the victims.

In the New Zealand setting, Cardinal Dew advised Auckland priests that, when approached by the media, they “should refer to Bishop Dunn or the appropriate people”.

“If it is a question about the royal commission, we have set up a group of people, Te Ropu Tautauko, to assist us with all matters to do with the commission,” he said.

Cardinal Dew said the media cannot be fobbed off. “Always be careful not to give the impression that you are hiding something. It is important to follow up on requests for information and to react quickly. If you don’t know, ask. But don’t become the expert yourself,” he said.

Hope

Cardinal Dew admitted the meeting had “all been a lot to take in”.

He said he was even more stunned when the news of Cardinal George Pell’s conviction for historical abuse came out. However, while celebrating a Mass for the Sisters of Mercy back in New Zealand, Cardinal Dew was struck by a line from a hymn they had sung that was titled“There is a time for everything”.

“That line is ‘There is never a time for hope to die’,” the cardinal said.

“While we may have some major challenges and while we are preparing for the royal commission, when we think about all these materials and the Church is going through these hard times, a time I think is necessary for us,” he said, “let’s remember: there is never a time for hope to die. Those words helped me to put these all in context.”

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Plaques that students carried noted there is no “planet B” and that it was useless for them to go to school if the planet isn’t going to be around by the time they graduate anyway.

Wellington Cardinal John Dew met with five student strikers who took part in the Wellington strike in front of the Parliament.

A few days before the strike, Cardinal Dew expressed support for the young people who he said, “don’t feel that they have a voice in the conversation”.

The cardinal said it was wrong for the youth to be ignored on this issue as “they [students] will have to live with the consequences if we over-consume the world’s resources now, and if we do not find ways to keep temperature increases in check”.

“Undoubtedly, we should have opened up opportunities to listen to young people without forcing them to take this action, which may have consequences for their studies,” Cardinal Dew said in an opinion published in secular media.

“However, in my opinion, engaging with one of the most pressing and urgent moral issues of our time is far more important than leaving school to cheer for a sports team or visiting celebrity.”

Wellington ecology, justice and peace advisor Lisa Beech arranged a meeting between the strikers and the cardinal.

“Cardinal John said he was impressed with their commitment, and their passion for doing something immediately,” Ms Beech said.

“The students talked to him about their commitment to the environment, which has included setting up an environmental group at St Mary’s College.

They are working towards taking part in projects like cleanups and tree-planting, as well as advocating for change.

They are deeply concerned about the future of the earth, especially for people in the Pacific who already have rising seas. They are inspired by Mercy values and also what they have learned in Religious Education
about being stewards of the earth,” she added.

Catholic schools generally supported the sentiment behind the strike. However, most were duty-bound to mark their students absent if they participated in the strike.

St Catherine’s College, Kilbirnie, principal Steve Bryan told NZ Catholic he met with the student environmental committee before the protest to explain the school administration’s position.

“There are two sides to it: one is, we understand and appreciate and recognise the call to action that this march makes to young people. It’s the sort of thing that is embedded in the New Zealand curriculum: to think critically and to respond appropriately,” Mr Bryan said.

“On the other side of it, we have an Education Act which says that schools must be open every day and students must be in attendance. I cannot condone an absence apart from obviously illness and bereavement,” he added.

Students were marked “explained absence but unjustified”.

Catholic Cathedral College (Christchurch) principal Tony Shaw had a similar stance. In a letter to parents, he said the school was not supporting the event.

“While the school feels the impact of climate change is a significant global issue, we believe there are other ways for students to express their support
for the cause that do not disrupt learning at school. For instance, a weekend rally could have been held, letters could be written to those with influence in this cause, social media could be used to gather support,” Mr Shaw said.

In Auckland, St Mary’s College principal Bernadette Stockman told students
the school did not support the strike and, instead, was looking at alternative actions to striking.

She noted that a Year 13 retreat was happening on that day and students and teachers have put “an incredible amount of work” into the retreat.

However, a student from the school, who asked not to be identified, said she
still went on the strike “personally because it’s my future and the future of my fellow students and peers around me . . . it’s important to stand up for my values even if my school may not completely support it”.

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The fifth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis on March 13, 2013 is a time for reflection on this remarkable papacy. Pope Francis’ humble and practical ways surprised us from the day of his election. He continues to surprise, challenge and delight with his wisdom and with his knowledge of people, gleaned from his many years of pastoral experience.echo $variable;

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