NEW ZEALAND/ Bishop Jones: A year of earthquakes did not shake the faith of the people

The certainty of faith in a situation in which all other certainties, even the most trivial and everyday ones have failed. When the earth shakes for a year and a half, with thousands of shocks, of which one of magnitude 7.1 followed six months later by another of magnitude 6.3, everything is called into question. Barry Jones, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand, at the epicenter of this series of terrible earthquakes, tells the world about the testimony of his community. He gives a lot of examples, like the Catholic school that has been rebuilt four times in different places, the latest many kilometres away, but despite all that has not lost students, or the faithful who still come to Sunday Mass, showing no sign of giving it up despite the earthquakes.

How did the Christian community of Christchurch live the last year, which was one of the most difficult in its history?
The Catholic community in Christchurch makes up 15% of the total population and for all the people of Christchurch it has been a very difficult time. Catholic parishes and schools and the homes and workplaces of the people have been severely affected. One Catholic school has moved its premises four times, and is now many kilometres away from its community of parents and former site which has been completely destroyed. Amazingly, families are travelling long distances to keep their children at the school.
Some persons are traumatised by the long succession of earthquakes, which is still continuing. There have thousands of aftershocks and four major earthquakes in the last 12 months. No one knows when they will finish, and that is a constant anxiety. Most of the city Catholic churches in the city of Christchurch are out of use because of the dangers they would present in future earthquakes - the parish communities meet in other buildings for Mass and gatherings. The Cathedral is very badly damaged and unusable.

Are there some Christian people of your diocese who lost their relatives or their work as a result of the earthquake? How did they react?
Many of the earthquake victims were buried from Christian churches and some from Catholic churches, and there has been some loss of work because businesses have been forced to close. Most people have found the experience very difficult and unsettling because, in the face of continuing earthquakes, what can a person do?

In the last year, did you see some positive signs in the Christians community of your diocese?