Pastor apologises for Pope jokes

A pastor says he has apologised for "flippant" comments he made to parishioners about Pope John Paul II's death.


In a recording of his sermon on Sunday, March 3, Brent Liebezeit - senior pastor at Annesbrook Church, Nelson - made light of the Catholic leader's failing health in the years leading up to his death.

"He looked pretty much dead when he was speaking, for years really," Mr Liebezeit said.

"Why do they keep them going like that. [Do] they have a wind-up thing behind them or something?"

The congregation laughed as Mr Liebezeit apparently repeated someone's suggestion that the same will happen to him in years to come.

The Nelson Mail bought the recording of Mr Liebezeit's sermon from the church.

Yesterday, Mr Liebezeit said he had apologised last weekend to congregation members who felt his comments were disrespectful.

Asked why he apologised, Mr Liebezeit said: "I personally felt it was good to apologise for the flippant comments. He [the Pope] was a good man and he did some good things."

Annesbrook Church attracts about 1000 parishioners to its services each weekend. Mr Liebezeit said some used to be Catholics. He would not be drawn on whether his sermon had attracted complaints and questioned what business it was of the media to take an interest in his sermons.

In the same service, Mr Liebezeit referred to former Christian Heritage Party leader Graham Capill, who just days earlier admitted sexually abusing a young girl.

He accused the media of "getting hold of certain Christians who haven't done the good deeds they should have done".

Mr Liebezeit said that he "totally agreed" with the need for Capill's offending to be exposed and was simply making the point that good deeds don't catch media attention.

- NZPA