CATHOLIC PLENARY SYNOD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5461, 13 January 1896, Page 2

CATHOLIC PLENARY SYNOD.

At the recent Plenary : Synod of the Catholic Church in Australia, held in Sydney, it was noted that the four Bishops of Now Zealand did not attend, and a statement has been published attributing their absence to the action of the Bishops of Australia. It is said that the Bishops of New Zealand expressed a desire to be included in the gathering, as in the previous synod held in 1885, and that Cardinal Moran urged that* the distance of New Zealand from the mainland was a valid reason for their exclusion, and thajt in this he was supported by the other Australian Bishops. Lest there should be any misapprehension on the point, Archbishop Carr .wishes to point out that, the exact opposite was the case, the- Australian and New Zealand Bishops being in complete accord. The letter appointing Cardinal Moran apostolic delegate and president of the Synod, named the Australian and Tasmanian Bishops as: those to take part in the council. The Cardinal, after consulting the other Australian and the New Zealand Bishops and learning that the Bishops of both centres "were unanimous in their desire that the New Zealand Bishops should participate in the proceedings, communicated this desire to the Propaganda at Home. Notwithstanding this strong representation, the Propaganda adhered to its original decision, and the New Zealand Bishops took no part in the proceedings. The reason for this Btep, though not fully disclosed, is probably that the Propaganda desires to form in New Zealand an ecclesiastical .centre, about which the Vicariates Apostolic of the Pacific can be grouped for the purposes of Synods and Church government generally. So far from the Australian Bishops urging the distance .of New Zealand as a reason for the separation of the two centres, this point was specially referred to by the Propaganda and dissented from by Cardinal Moran, who drew particular attention to the short sea voyage between the two countries. .