Rebuilding of New Zealand cathedral endangered
THE rebuilding of Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch, in New Zealand, is at risk of being mothballed, after the country’s government declined to use further taxpayers’ money to bail out the project, New Zealand media report. The chair of Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd (CCRL), Mark Stewart, told The Press last Friday that he had been informed that the government would not help to plug the financial shortfall for the work, which began years after two earthquakes within six months caused extensive damage (News, 25 February 2011). “With the Government’s decision, the pathway to completion is much longer, and mothballing is now likely,” he said. CCRL was due to meet on 19 August to consider its options, and the diocesan synod meets early next month. The shortfall was reduced from $114 million to between $75 million and $85 million after the synod agreed last month to cut costs. This reduced the $248-million cost to between $209 million and $219 million. Besides the $25 million already contributed by taxpayers, the project has received $3 million from Christchurch City Council, $33 million of the Church’s $44-million insurance payout, and $24 million from a $50-million appeal.
Thousands flee homes amid Greek wildfires
THE general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Revd Professor Jerry Pillay, has pledged the group’s “continued best efforts in this existential test for all humanity” — referring to the impact of climate change after wildfires raged through suburbs of Athens this week. At least one person is reported to have died, and thousands homes were evacuated after a warning from firefighters. In a letter to Churches in the region, Professor Pillay writes: “I express sympathy and solidarity from all the churches in our worldwide fellowship. . . We stand with you in prayer and support, and we pledge our continued best efforts in this existential test for all humanity.”
Episcopalian chatbot ‘not a substitute priest’
A NEW AI chatbot, AskCathy, is to appear on US Episcopal Church websites “soon” to answer questions about spirituality and religion, the Religion News Service reports. The chatbot was launched in June by the Innovative Ministry Center, which develops digital resources for faith communities, and the TryTank Research Institute at Virginia Theological Seminary. Cathy is built on the latest version of ChatGPT and is equipped to “prioritize Episcopal resources”. The director of the Innovative Ministry Center, the Revd Tay Moss, said: “This is not a substitute for a priest. She comes alongside you in your search queries and helps you discover material. But she is not the end-all be-all of authority. She can’t tell you how to believe or what to believe.” The executive director of TryTank, the Revd Lorenzo Lebrija, said that the idea was to address young people’s spiritual needs. “The goal is not that they will end up at their nearby Episcopal church on Sunday. The goal is that it will spark in them this knowledge that God is always with us, that God never leaves us.” The assurances come after similar inventions fell foul of technical blunders. In May, the Roman Catholic evangelisation site Catholic Answers “defrocked” its AI avatar, Fr Justin, after complaints that the avatar was heretical and simulated the administration of some of the sacraments, including hearing confession online (News, 3 May; Comment, 17 May).