Bishop visited Vatican to clarify cathedral challenge

Tuesday, 31 October 2023

Releasing the handbrake on the project to build a new Catholic cathedral for Christchurch was made possible only after the Bishop went seeking answers at the Vatican.

Bishop Michael Gielen earlier this year paused plans for a new central city precinct, to be built in partnership with developers The Carter Group, after a small group of parishioners lodged a legal challenge with the Vatican.

New suburban churches are also planned as part of what could be a $100 million rebuilding project.

On Sunday, Gielen told congregations in a letter that planning for a new cathedral and Catholic precinct with a school and church offices, plus new suburban churches, could now continue despite the challenge.

The diocese has not confirmed whether the cathedral will be built to replace the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament lost to the earthquakes, but will announce more details by December.

Diocesan general manager Simon Thompson said on Monday the diocese decided to restart planning after Gielen “knocked on a few doors” during a recent visit to the Vatican in Rome, the headquarters of the Catholic Church.

The diocese was keen to clarify the “muddy waters” after receiving the original legal letter from Rome, which had been written in Latin, he said.

The visit was attached to Gielen’s trip to the Church’s World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal in August.

Thompson said after Gielen had spoken to some senior clerics at the Vatican, the diocese received advice clarifying the legal situation.

“Rome is a massive place and things can get lost.

“It has been confirmed the challenge relates to the south parish only. Now we can release the handbrake.”

Thompson said funding for the central city precinct was not dependent on plans for the suburbs, which include merging parishes and selling excess sites.

Suburban parishes would have to do their own fundraising, he said.

The church has bought up an entire riverside block opposite Victoria Square on Armagh and Colombo streets and Oxford Terrace for the central city development.

Meanwhile, a recent submission on city zoning reveals the diocese is keeping its options open on the possible location of any new cathedral and other buildings.

In its submission to the independent hearings panel on proposed changes to Christchurch City Council’s district plan, the diocese sought to have the special cathedral designation on the former cathedral land on Barbadoes St site extended.

As well as the Barbadoes St land and the Armagh St block, the diocese also owns the St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral and school site on Manchester St.

The diocese asked in its spoken submission to the panel last week that the special cathedral designation in the district plan apply to all three sites.

It also wants the existing heritage restrictions lifted on the Armagh St block, as all buildings on the land have been demolished.

Thompson said the submission did not signal any specific development plans.

“We don’t want to close any options,” he said.

“Part of the feedback that people have given us has been that there are other options that should be looked at.”

A decision on the cathedral’s future sits with Gielen. In his Sunday letter to congregations he said he was “currently investigating a number of options”.

Gielen said the project had been delayed by matters beyond the church’s control, but it was now “pushing forward with some final assessments”.

“I appreciate the importance of a Catholic Cathedral to this city and will ensure the wider community gets a chance to share their perspectives before any final decision is made.”