The New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Agency Caritas has made a submission to the Social Services Select Committee on the Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill.

“The Catholic Church has very real concerns about the proposal for case managers to offer any woman on any kind of benefit, including married women, as well as the daughters of those on benefits between the ages of 16-19, free long term reversible contraception. The Church’s well known and long held view on artificial contraception remains, however this is just one of the many changes that the Church opposes,” says Julianne Hickey, CEO of Caritas Aotearoa.

“The Catholic Church teaches a respect for human dignity and many of the proposals will damage that dignity. The key purpose of welfare changes should be to reduce poverty not to make the vulnerable more vulnerable.

“If contraceptive options and incomes become linked, a beneficiary facing a case manager may feel they have little option at all,” MrsHickey says

“While the Government says that they won’t be coerced, we know that coercion can be subtle and when punitive measures are proposed for those who have subsequent children while on welfare it seems there is little option but to take it.

“A further example of this erosion of dignity is the form of money management to be imposed on beneficiaries particularly vulnerable young people such as the compulsory introduction of a payment card for food and groceries.

“We also have concerns about the vulnerable children and young people who are targeted in reforms proposed. Three groups of vulnerable children are targeted by the Bill: 16-17 year old beneficiaries, the children of 16-18 year old parents on benefits, and subsequent children born to parents receiving a benefit.

“We believe that the family is the critical foundation of our society and families should be supported and nurtured. Therefore we are concerned about the inflexible requirements about work expectations for parents. While parents (whether on a benefit or not) choose to return to work when their children are very young they are able to do so because childcare that matches their work commitments is available and affordable or there are relatives able to support them in this way.

“At the same time we should continue to uphold the choice of parents to stay at home and raise their children if they believe that is best for the child. This should not be a privilege of the few.

“However the changing nature of work itself makes it increasingly difficult to match employment opportunities with childcare options. For example in the growth of part-time casualised shift work where parents don’t know from week to week when they will be working.

“We will continue to oppose these kinds of changes to welfare policy that we believe erodes respect for human dignity and will make vulnerable people more vulnerable. ”

View the Caritas Submission on Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill.

http://www.caritas.org.nz/resources/submissions/2012/submission-social-services-select-committee-social-security-youth-support

Easter, celebrating the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, is Christianity’s oldest and most important feast.

Easter is the great event that lies at the very heart of and gives meaning to our Christian faith, and if there is one word that encompasses this meaning and significance, that word is “hope”.

Hope has been hard-wired into the human psyche in all of human history.  It is what has made it possible to overcome the tragedy of loss and death, to struggle on against the odds, to overcome adversity, to achieve heroic deeds.

An unknown author once wrote, Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible, and as Alexander Pope put it,   Hope springs eternal in the human breast. 

Hope is the opposite of despair and cynicism.  It is an instinctive knowing that good can overcome evil and that what seems unattainable can be a possibility. It gives unexpected strength in those bleak and seemingly hopeless times when we experience loss and the letting go of security and health, and ultimately of our own lives.

Here in Aotearoa NewZealandwe have seen for ourselves in recent months how hope rebuilds broken lives and broken cities.  We think of the amazing and heart-warming accounts of the hope that brought people inChristchurchthrough those terrible times in the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes; the hope that supported the victims who were trapped, and hope on the part of the rescue teams as they fought on in desperate situations to rescue them.

From time immemorial hope has been understood and expressed in many forms.  Long before the advent of Christianity, many civilisations had stories or images to express the concept of hope.  Back as far as the fifth century BC, that mythical bird thePhoenixwas presented as a symbol of rebirth, immortality, and renewal. It is found in many cultures –  a bird that perished in a fire and burned it to ashes, from which a new, youngPhoenixarose reborn, to live again. This story is found in ancient Greek, Persian and Egyptian cultures and there are variations of it in Chinese, Japanese Korean and Russian history as well.

For two thousand years the world’s Christians have opened their hearts to a different kind of hope built, not on a legend or fable, but on the real and tangible life and death and resurrection of the person of Jesus Christ.

It is an assured hope that addresses the longings of the human heart for meaning and purpose and answers the seemingly insuperable questions about who we are, why we exist and what are our origins and destiny.

Today’s world, more than at any other time, is overwhelmed by anxiety.  We fear nuclear destruction, we experience wars, diseases and famines as well as the reality of economic insecurity and the breakdown of long-held values.  Here inAucklandwe are just as exposed to this anxiety. It confronts us every time we go online, tune into radio or television or open our newspapers. It is not surprising that a sense of hopelessness is pervasive, especially among young people.

The secularised world does not offer answers.  Neither does science. With all the growing understandings that science gives us about the origins and development of life in its many forms, it does not and cannot answer our deep, personal search for meaning, or meet the yearning to love and be loved that is at the very essence of our humanity.

That great 4^th century bishop, St Augustine of Hippo put it like this.  “Our hearts were made for Thee O Lord, and are ever restless until they rest in Thee.”  There seems to be this deep chasm within every human heart.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, in becoming human, revealed to us the generosity and altruism of God his Father, and by the example of his own life and teaching he taught us how we, too, can follow in his footsteps.  The loving God revealed to us by Jesus, is not a God who determines our value or destiny simply by tallying up our good deeds as the measure of a reward in eternal life.  Instead, he loves us unconditionally and invites us to love him in return. The cross upon which Jesus gave his life speaks more eloquently than any words of this unconditional love.

Here inAuckland, as in churches around the world, Easter celebrations recall Jesus’ resurrection from death to life.  In conquering death, Jesus shows us that extinction is not our evolutionary fate, because death is not the end of the road.  It is another step on the journey to perfection which is humanity’s ultimate goal, that is,  to eternal life in the love and presence of God.

Through his empty tomb and physical resurrection, Jesus continues to show us that love is stronger than death. We need no longer be held prisoners in our own private darknesses of illness, futility, addiction and the many other forces that crush our spirits.  Jesus has opened the doors in these dark places to the gentle healing and peace of our loving God.

A contemporary Christian writer, Rev Ronald Rolheiser, puts it like this.

God never overpowers, never twists arms, never pushes your face into something so as to take away your freedom. God respects our freedom and is never a coercive force.  Christ is risen, though we might not see him!  We don’t always notice spring.  The miraculous doesn’t force itself on us.  It’s there, there to be seen, but whether we see or not, and what precisely we do see, depends mainly upon what’s going on inside our own hearts.  

Website: www.eucharistic-convention.com

Referring to St Paul’s second letter to Timothy, His Holiness wrote:

“We hear this invitation directed to each of us, that none of us grow lazy in the faith. It is the lifelong companion that makes it possible to perceive, ever anew, the marvels that God works for us. Intent on gathering the signs of the times in the present of history, faith commits every one of us to become a living sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the world. What the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end.”

At a meeting over the weekend of 25 – 26 March, Bishop Pat Dunn and the Auckland Diocesan Pastoral CounciI continued planning the diocesan response to Pope Benedict’s call for a renewal of faith – a re-evangelisation – to rediscover the beauty and privilege of the gift of faith, and to enliven and strengthen our commitment to it.

A number of suggestions are already being considered, and parishes are being asked for their input and ideas to contribute to the Year of Faith.

A “Word of God Symposium” will be held on 12-14 October when twenty different workshops will be offered. Topics will be relevant to parents, catechists, young people and anyone who wants to know more about the Bible and its impact on our lives and faith. A group of “experts” from around New Zealand will conduct these workshops, and all Catholics in the diocese are welcome. Details will be sent to parishes and extensively advertised. (Enquiries can be made by email to patl@cda.org.nz or by phoning 360 3004.)

During the Diocesan Pastoral Council weekend discussions, a number of factors were identified as the realities of evangelization (and re-evangelisation) today. Catholics need to gain confidence in giving witness to their Catholic faith and sharing it with others. Social changes mean that what worked in earlier times doesn’t work today. Changed lifestyles include technologies that have revolutionised communication and information, working parents, the business of people’s lives, wide cultural and ethnic diversity, the fact that many families now live overseas. The Mass and the parish was once at the hub of Catholic social life, but with the choices available this is no longer the case.

Other suggestions being considered are one large diocesan celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation and pilgrimages to places of significance in the city and around the diocese.

Ongoing information about diocesan Year of Faith initiatives and events will be given on our diocesan websites and in communication to parishes.

A parishioner of Orakei, Clare, who has now taken up her appointment, brings to this role a wide background in accounting, business management and human resources.

A former American Field Scholar, Clare received her early education at Holy Cross primary school in Henderson and St Dominic’s College. She gained her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Auckland.

After first working in finance and banking, Clare spent twenty years in the recruitment industry, the last nine years of which she set up her own company. Clare’s interest in the human side of recruitment led her to begin doing pro bono work for various charities. This led naturally to a desire to consider working full time in the caring profession.

She believes that the foundation for caring begins at home. “From there caring families and caring communities grow, which in turn flows into the voluntary and generous giving of time and effort that is fundamental to building a caring community,” she says.

Clare is inspired by the holistic approach to caring by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, whose following words are written on her business cards:

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”

Clare feels that not everyone realises that the Foundation helps fund over 40 different entities in our region e.g. St Vincent de Paul, Monte Cecilia, De La Salle College, McAuley High school and many food banks, to name but a few.   “Foundation supporters know of our good work and the  integrity of our checks and balances,” she said. ” These days, people are constantly asked to support many of the 25,000 plus NZ charities. One of the Foundation’s  greatest benefits is being a single entity to which donors can give confidently, knowing their support is well looked after.”

It follows an offer made earlier to both parties in the Ports dispute by Bishop Dunn and Bishops Ross Bay and Kito Pikaahu of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland, in which they offered to help, by sitting down with the Maritime Union and the Ports Company. Both parties expressed gratitude for their offer, but once the Mayor of Auckland offered to help, they all agreed that if anyone could bring the two groups together it would be him. Sadly his efforts were not successful

The aim of the Commission in presenting this document to the Catholic community is to contribute light rather than heat to a very difficult situation. It seems a great waste that highly skilled people on both sides have not been able to reach a settlement that respects the right of the company to trade profitably and the right of workers to wages and working conditions to enable them to support their families in dignity. The dispute highlights the situation that New Zealand no longer has an industrial legislative framework for settling such disputes without protracted and costly litigation.

The leaflet gives an overview of Catholic social teaching as a guide in considering the rights of both employers and workers in industrial relations. It states that media reports have not done justice to either side of the dispute, and believes it is important to look beyond the headlines to understand what the impact of the proposed changes will mean.

Catholic social teaching considers the questions about how changed working conditions affect the worker as a human being and as a member of a family and community, along with the need for a company to trade profitably and employers’ responsibility to manage both for the short and long term future of the business. However, it puts the focus much more on the workers as people, and not simply as commodities or tools of production.

The full text of the Auckland Catholic Justice & Peace Commission leaflet can be viewed on their website, www.catholicjusticeauckland.org.nz

Anglican Bishops, Ross Bay and Kito Pikaahu, along with Roman Catholic
Bishop Patrick Dunn, believe that it is vital for the parties to
continue to maintain a dialogue in an effort to resolve the current
dispute.They are concerned equally for the welfare of workers and their
families affected by the stand-off, and for the future of the waterfront
industry in Auckland which is one of the keys to maintaining a vibrant
local economy.

As well as urging further talks, the bishops have indicated that they
are willing to sit with the Port Company and workers to try and explore
any options to prevent the situation becoming caught in prolonged
litigation.

‘We are indicating to both parties that if we can help in any way we are
offering to sit down with the Maritime Union and the Port Company. We
cannot promise anything but the offer of our leadership in a spirit of
reconciliation, as the escalation of this dispute threatens the
wellbeing of families and our city,’ says Bishop Ross Bay.

The bishops are offering themselves as it appears that middle ground or
win-win solutions have all but disappeared. The bishops are also willing
to work with city leaders to find a solution.

‘We believe any facilitated communication can and should be attempted.
There are the two issues, of the Port’s right to seek efficiencies as
well as the rights of the workers involved, but at the heart of all this
are people and their lives,’ says Bishop Patrick Dunn.

The bishops say that at the heart of the Christian gospel is a message
of reconciliation for all people and any option that can avoid a costly
and torturous path of litigation for both parties needs to be explored.

Music provided by A-M Classical

Representing the oldest Religious Order in the Catholic Church these sisters, led by Mother Mary of Carmel, came to begin a foundation in Auckland at the invitation of Bishop (later Archbishop) Liston. Their first-class passage on the Awatea was paid for by him and he remained a lifelong, devoted friend and adviser to the community.

They stayed at first with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd at Waikowhai while they searched for a suitable convent in which to begin their life of prayer and penance. Theirs was to the second Carmel in New Zealand as the Carmelite sisters in Christchurch had established a Foundation four years earlier.

One of the founding sisters, Sister Mary Francis of the Angels, was only 19 at the time and now aged 95 is living at the Varroville Carmel in New South Wales. She recalls that the Awatea had a rough crossing, and all of sisters were sick except for their prioress, Mother Mary of Carmel.

Sister Francis writes that they spent most of the day of arrival on the deck, watching the coast. At 3pm they steamed into the Waitemata Harbour. “People were calling ‘Welcome to Auckland’ and as we came off the gangway they made a passage way for us and we had to walk through single file and listen to comments like, ‘They must fast a lot, look how white they are!’. Yes, we had fasted two whole days from seasickness!”

A few weeks later, on April 20th, the sisters moved from Waikowhai into their new home at 636 Mt Albert Road, Epsom, and so began their Carmelite monastic life in Auckland under the patronage of the Holy Family. The following year the chapel was built and dedicated to St Thomas the Apostle.

Large crowds gathered on Saturday 18 February to join Bishops Patrick Dunn, Robin Leamy and Stuart O’Connell, along with a large number of clergy, to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving for the sisters’ 75 years in the city. Marquees were erected on the lawn in front of the chapel, and closed circuit television screens relayed the proceedings to the large numbers who could not fit into the chapel.

In his homily, Bishop Dunn paid tribute to all the sisters, both past and present, who have graced the Auckland Carmel. He described their Carmel as a place within the diocese where day and night prayers are offered to God. “Their lives are a great gift to the Church in Auckland and New Zealand. We want you to know how much we value and appreciate your presence, your prayers, your example and your faithfulness,” he said to the sisters.

The Administrator of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Monsignor Bernard Kiely, said that there is a special poignancy in tonight’s Ash Wednesday service. “Ashes remind us of the shortness of life’s journey. How poignant it is that this year’s Ash Wednesday falls on the first anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake in which so many lives were cut short,” he said.

The ceremony will begin with the lighting of a candle by the two bishops to commemorate those whose lives were lost in the Christchurch earthquake and its aftermath, while special prayers will be said for them and for all the people of Christchurch.