NZ CATHOLIC BISHOPS' WEBSITE http://www.catholic.org.nz

"The Catholic Church in New Zealand"/ "Te Haahi Katorika ki Aotearoa" is our Church's "flagship" Website. It is a mine of information about the Catholic Church in New Zealand and is regularly updated with links to other Websites of groups and organisations recognised by our bishops.

The Website now appears with a brand-new design, the work of Catholic Communications' technical assistant (and 'kiwicath' forum member) Julian Waters. It seems that the alphabetical Index to the whole site is not yet complete but there's plenty to see already, so please drop in and look round if you have not been in for a while.

THE CHURCH AND THE INTERNET

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications, headed by Archbishop John Foley, is the Vatican department responsible for research on the use of the mass media in the mission of the Church.

The Council has just published two documents about the Internet.

"Ethics and Internet" http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_\ doc_20020228_ethics-internet_en.html This document refers to a new form of discrimination - the "digital divide" - separating the rich from the poor on the basis of who can access the new information technology", and also to ethical questions raised by the violation of privacy, and copyright and the proliferation of pornographic and abusive Websites. However "we do not view the Internet only as a source of problems; we see it as a source of benefits to the human race. But the benefits can be fully realized only if the problems are solved." The benefits include broadening educational and cultural horizons, breaking down divisions between peoples, and promoting human development in a multitude of ways. The document concludes with some recommendations for the ethical use of the Internet.

"The Church and Internet" http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_\ doc_20020228_church-internet_en.html This document affirms that the Internet is relevant to many activities and programmes of the Church - evangelization, catechesis and other kinds of education, news and information, apologetics, governance and administration, and some forms of pastoral counselling and spiritual direction. The Internet also presents some special problems for the Church such as the presence of hate sites defaming and attacking ethnic and religious groups, among them the Catholic Church. Moreover "the proliferation of Web sites calling themselves Catholic creates a problem of a different sort. Church-related groups should be present on the Internet, and well-motivated, well-informed individuals and unofficial groups are entitled to be there as well." But Internet users who know little or nothing about Catholic doctrine are at risk of being misled by Web sites labelled "Catholic" which promote "eccentric doctrinal interpretations (and) idiosyncratic devotional practices".

The document recommends that Church leaders be told of the "need to understand the media, (and to) apply this understanding in formulating pastoral plans for social communications." Pastoral workers are encouraged to learn to use the Internet and to undergo appropriate doctrinal and spiritual formation "in order to witness to Christ." Educators and catechists are urged to offer, in schools and universities, courses and "more advanced training" to individuals preparing for professional media work. Parents are requested to guide and supervise their children in the use of the Internet. This includes making sure that filtering technology is used to protect from pornography, sexual predators and other threats." Finally, people of good will are cautioned to prudence in order to be able to see the Internet's capacity for good and evil, they are encouraged to be strong and brave in "standing up for truth in the face of religious and moral relativism," and to "temperance and self-discipline" in order to use this technology "wisely and only for good."

FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

"NZ's churches prepared for sexual abuse claims" NZ Herald 02.03.2002 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=1090509&thesection=news&thesu\ bsection=general As churches throughout the world continue to be rocked by child sex abuse scandals and allegations of cover-ups, churches in New Zealand have been reviewing how they deal with similar complaints. The three largest - Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian, with around half a million followers each - have procedures to deal with complaints internally....

"The Order of Marist return to Mission Estate" NZ Herald 02.03.2002 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyI\ D=1090154 Stamping his gnarled Irish blackthorn walking-stick on the ground, Brother Martin Williams remembers the day, well over a decade ago, that a fellow brother foretold the future of their seminary at the Mission Estate in Napier. "We will all be gone," he said. "You'll be here to see it, but I'll be gone." Reflecting on that prophecy, Brother Marty - as he is known - sighs nostalgically and waves his stick in a wide circle to emphasise the grandeur of the place. He is here but, as foreshadowed, the Order is gone from the Mission...

"Prominent local Catholic priest" The Christchurch Press Feb 23, 2002 http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020223006302&query=cat\ holic+and+zealand Prominent Christchurch Catholic priest Monsignor Thomas Liddy, who died at Nazareth House on January 20, aged 84, was a man of great spiritual depth. Born in South Canterbury, Thomas Liddy trained as a priest at Holy Cross College in Mosgiel. He was ordained in 1944 and served first as assistant priest at Ashburton...

"Changing face of New Zealand " NZ Herald 02.03.2002 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyI\ D=1090504 A snapshot of the 2001 census shows that more people in New Zealand are now overseas-born, the population is getting older, and non-Christian religions are becoming more prevalent. More than 2 million people said they were Christian, but there was a big increase in other religions. Islam disciples leaped 74 per cent in five years to 23,631, Hindu 56 per cent to 39,798, Buddhist 48 per cent to 41,634 and Spiritualism 64 per cent to 16,062...

Statistics New Zealand: Summary of Statistics from the 2001 Census http://www.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/pasfull/pasfull.nsf/web/Media+Release+2\ 001+Census+Snapshot+1+Cultural+Diversity?open

4. Increase in non-Christian religions Over two million people are Christian. The main Christian denominations are: Anglican (584,793 or 17 percent of people), Catholic (486,012 or 14 percent) and the Presbyterian group (417,453 or 11 percent).

Between 1996 and 2001 the number of Anglicans (-46,971) and Presbyterians (-38,895) decreased. Catholics increased by 12,900.**

The count of Anglicans exceeded that of the other denominations in all regions except Auckland (where Catholics were largest) and Otago and Southland (where the Presbyterian group was the largest).

At the 1901 Census only 1 in 30 people did not give a religious affiliation. Almost 4 out of 10 people did not specify a religious affiliation in the 2001 Census.

[** Between 1991 and 1996 the number of people identifying as Catholics fell by 5.1% - from memory, I think it was the first time the Catholic population decreased. The increase this time is about 2.7%. In due course no doubt the Church will purchase a detailed breakdown of the Catholic population figures from Statistics New Zealand which will reveal trends within age groups, e.g. whether the increase was among older people, or younger people or across the board. Mike L.]