The Christ Church Cathedral is slowly "rocking herself to pieces", according to its project manager.

Last night, the cathedral's project manager, RCP's Marcus Read, told TV3's Campbell Live every aftershock was bringing the end of the building closer.

"She's actually done pretty well as a building. The engineer says she continues to rock back and forth with every event and she's slowly rocking herself to pieces," he said.

The state of the earthquake-battered cathedral will be detailed in a new announcement this week.

Christchurch Anglican diocese communications officer Philip Baldwin said a half-page advertisement in The Press was planned for this week.

"We are going to make an announcement on where the cathedral is at the moment. That will be made later this week.

"The building has been further damaged since December and so there is reassessment going on right now and all of the work that was expected to begin this month is on hold.

"We are just waiting to hear what can and cannot be done at the moment. We are still in limbo. It is damage on damage," he said.

Bishop Victoria Matthews, speaking on Campbell Live, said safety came first.

"Who said it's all over [the earthquakes]?

"I'm not a doom-predictor but let's be honest – we thought it was over after September except for some aftershocks, then there was February, then there was June. And now there's been December. I've heard people use the word 'decades'.

"The only thing I want said after I'm dead and gone is 'she made the place safe and she allowed people to worship'."

Plans for a temporary cardboard cathedral for Christchurch have been put on hold for about two weeks, Baldwin said.

The cardboard cathedral, designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, would cost $4 million, take three months to build, and could seat 700 people.

It would act as a temporary home while long-term decisions are made about the earthquake-damaged cathedral in the city centre.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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