First public interview of Cardinal Dew since return from conclave

By CathNews New Zealand

July 25th, 2025

Cardinal John Dew, right, meets Pope Leo XIV shortly after his election (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch)

Cardinal John Dew, who took part in the election of Pope Leo XIV, will share his experiences of that time in a special event in Christchurch on August 1.

In May, Cardinal John Dew became the third New Zealander to participate in a papal conclave. Cardinal Dew will join The Breeze’s breakfast host Hilary Muir for a conversation about the death of Pope Francis, the cardinals’ time together before the conclave and offer his personal reflections on the conclave itself.

“While there are important and necessary protocols around this ritual, I know there is significant interest in this process and in the man the cardinals chose as the latest successor of St Peter,” Cardinal Dew said.

“Yes, I have seen the movie. Yes, it was an interesting piece of fiction. But how similar was it to an actual conclave? I’ll share my perspective on that question, and many others, with Hilary next week,” the cardinal said.

The event at the James Hay Theatre on August 1 will be the first such interview Cardinal Dew has undertaken since returning from Rome. Tickets for the event can be purchased via the link below.

Ms Muir said she looks forward to playing the role of interested onlooker, asking Cardinal Dew the questions that Catholics – and the wider community – want answered.

“I know we won’t find out who Cardinal John voted for, nor how many people chose Pope Leo, but to hear the emotions and feelings, the sense of responsibility, that come with electing a new Pope will be fascinating,” she said.

“In my own circles, professional and personal, Pope Francis’ passing and the anticipation of who would succeed him was a hot topic of conversation in the staff room and across the dinner table.

“With Cardinal John, we’ll explore some of the critical moments in those three weeks and peek into the future of what we can expect from Pope Leo’s papacy.”

Cardinal Dew will also speak about the conclave at an event at St Mary’s Church in Mosgiel, Dunedin, at 2pm on September 7. Tickets are $25 and are available by emailing nanonagletrust@gmail.com.

FULL STORY

Christchurch will host conversation with Cardinal John Dew (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch)

A Night at the Conclave (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch/Ticketing information)

Facebook (Catholic Diocese of Dunedin)