No Plaster Sainthoods To Go With Cardboard Cathedral

After giving the thumbs down to saving Christchurch Cathedral, Anglican Bishop Victoria Matthews has fast-tracked architect Shigeru Ban's "temporary" cardboard replacement, expected to last for 20 years. Although the Church failed to consult with the Council when it made the decision to demolish, it now expects the generous public subsidy of running costs to continue. Former Mayor Gary Moore, who originally negotiated the deal, is not impressed.

While Mayor Parker's canonization looked a dead cert not so long ago, fate hasn't been kind. Now Bishop Vicky's beatification appears to have been derailed by what seems to be the pesky curse of secular Christchurch.