Faith was central to former PM’s leadership, legacy

Fr Michael McCabe gave the homily at the Mass at a packed Our Lady of Kāpiti Church on October 23. Fr McCabe noted the flowers placed on the seat where Jim and Joan Bolger regularly sat for Sunday Mass at the church.

“To see them here every Sunday at Eucharist was to witness the wellspring of their faith and love,” Fr McCabe said. “Faith has been and is central to their lives, central to their love and central to his leadership and legacy.”

Fr McCabe noted that when St John Paul II visited Aotearoa New Zealand in 1986, the Polish Pontiff said that culture is the first voice of the sacred.

“It is how we learn about the transcendent, it is how we are introduced to beauty. It is how we learn to recognise the very footprints of God in creation,” Fr McCabe said.

Jim Bolger “wanted people’s culture respected, as the first voice of the sacred. That was a central strand in how he lived out this Gospel passage”, said Fr McCabe, referring to the Beatitudes.

“When we get a particular beatitude in great depth, for example a passion for justice, we also get all the other virtues as well, like the beautiful korowai that has been spoken about, the virtues are interwoven, and they form a unique witness of grace and blessing. And Jim’s life was a unique woven witness of love.”

Fr McCabe referred to St John Paul II’s teaching on faith and reason, and added that Jim Bolger lived “a visible and public life of leadership and faith, together combined with reason”.

“Jim was able to do that with the support of another eminent New Zealand leader, his wife Joan, his equal in faith, his equal in love and his equal in wisdom. She was the love of his life.”

Cardinal John Dew incensed the casket and sprinkled it with holy water at the end of the Mass and led prayers. Wellington Archbishop Paul Martin SM was also present.

Among the dignitaries to speak at the Mass were Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Speaking earlier on Radio New Zealand, former Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson was asked about the reasons for Mr Bolger’s commitment to the Treaty settlement process.

Mr Finlayson attributed this to Mr Bolger’s “utter commitment to Catholic Social Justice. . .  It is not about liberalism or conservatism or big business against the individual, it is about doing the right thing by your neighbour because they deserve help and there is a very real obligation on you to do your bit.”

Noting that he used to see Mr Bolger at 7 o’clock Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Wellington, Mr Finlayson said the late Prime Minister was “utterly committed to following the Gospels but not in some flag-waving manner”.

“I was very fond of him – he was a good guy.”

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20251023 – Requiem MASS – James Brendan BOLGER – ONZ PC (Our Lady of Kāpiti parish)

Chris Finlayson remembers former PM Jim Bolger (Radio New Zealand)