CHRISTCHURCH (NEW ZEALAND)
The Press [Christchurch, NZ]
August 2, 2024
By Sinead Gill
Leaders of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer have taken legal action to remain priests in Christchurch. (File photo)
John Bisset / The Timaru Herald
The ousted leaders of a Catholic order in Christchurch who were investigated by the Vatican following abuse allegations say they will fight the Bishop’s decision all the way to the Church’s equivalent of the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Palmerston North Bishop John Adams – a supporter of the conservative theology which the Sons’ is known for – hadn’t ruled out accepting the Sons of The Most Holy Redeemer’s priests into his diocese, should they ask.
The Sons of The Most Holy Redeemer’s leadership allegedly abused and performed unauthorised exorcisms on members of its community, but the group denied any wrongdoing.
Although details of the investigation’s findings were secret, the Vatican’s recommendation to ban the priests from performing mass in the diocese, and to leave the diocese physically, was a serious consequence.
The investigation itself – called an apostolic visitation – was a rare action to take, with some members of the Catholic Church saying they could not remember the last time there was one in New Zealand.
However, the Sons believed Bishop Michael Gielen’s actions broke canon law (laws internal to the Catholic Church) by ordering its professed members (the priests and brothers) to leave the diocese. The Press understands not all professed members were accused of abuse.
Through their canon lawyer, the Sons formally petitioned Gielen to revoke his decision. In failing that, they would escalate it to the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life – the same Vatican department which made the recommendations to Gielen in the first place.
A spokesperson for the Bishop said Gielen had the option to ignore the Vatican department’s recommendations, but chose to follow them. Gielen would respond to the Sons’ petition in the next few weeks.
If the Sons failed to convince the Vatican it was wrong, they would take the issue to the Sacred Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, which they described as the Supreme Court for the Catholic Church.
The Sons were given 90 days (until early October) to leave the Christchurch diocese, which covered Canterbury and the West Coast.
They could move to another diocese in New Zealand, but they would need permission of that diocese’s Bishop. The Sons’ spokesperson said they would not consider that option until the legal action had finished.
Leaving would also mean leaving a community of dedicated supporters and property in Canterbury with a collective rateable value of $4.5 million.
It was possible the group would refuse to follow orders, but that could trigger further action from the Church.
There were six Catholic diocese in New Zealand. Almost all Bishops ruled out welcoming the Sons’ to their diocese when asked by The Press, because of the Vatican investigation. Auckland Bishop Steve Lowe was overseas and unavailable to comment.
Palmerston North Bishop John Adams said if the Sons’ asked to move to his area he would seek advice, but he would also take the Vatican’s recommendations into consideration.
Adams offered latin mass (a style of mass associated with conservative Catholic theology, of which Adams is a supporter and publicly said he wanted to be more inclusive of) as a priest in Rangiora, where he was based before becoming Bishop in 2023.
When asked if he was sympathetic to the possibility of priests being effectively deported if no-one else takes them in – as was the concern of the Sons’ community – he said there may be issues uncovered by the investigation the public did not know about.
The group’s priests were no longer authorised to exercise sacred ministry (like mass) in the Christchurch diocese.
The Christchurch diocese had received reports of gatherings still occurring at the Sons’ Rutland St property (which includes their church and living quarters), and a source told The Press there was a mass last week, but it was unclear if the gatherings met the threshold of illicit mass.
The group’s spokesperson said the Sons were cooperating with the Bishop’s orders, but he could not rule out parishioners were attending mass there.
He said it was possible uninvited people were turning up to the property while priests were doing private mass, and weren’t being asked to leave. It was also possible for priests to be invited into parishoners’ homes for private mass, he said. He said neither scenario was technically breaking the rules.
“We’re living in a grey area right now,” he said.
Do you know more? Contact sinead.gill@stuff.co.nz in confidence.