Accusations of sexual abuse have been made against another Bishop in the Mariana Islands. Complaints have been filed against Bishop Emeritus Tomas Camacho, of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa on Saipan in the Northern Marianas The present Bishop of Chalan Kanoa, Ryan Jimenez says that the church will give its full cooperation with civil authorities in Read more
THE news may come as a shock to many. Within a day and a half, every 36 hours a person in Fiji attempts suicide. The Fiji Times reported the Minister for Lands and Tourism, Faiyaz Koya, as saying: “Fiji’s suicide rate has topped the Pacific and was four times more than the road death toll.” Read more
The Vatican has sent conservative Cardinal Raymond Burke to the Pacific island of Guam to investigate an important case alleging sexual abuse. Burke, a Rome-based American, is due to interview a former altar boy in Guam on Thursday who says he was sexually abused by Apuron, the Pacific Daily News reported. Continue reading
In Samoa, a man accused of taking a statue of the Blessed Virgin from a Congregation Christian Church of Samoa (E.F.K.S) Church has been charged with burglary and wilful damage Tavita Sa’u from Si’ufaga, Falelatai, did not enter a plea when he appeared before Judge Talasa Lumepa Atoa Saaga. The statue has been at the Read more
The learning experience for students of St. Mary’s College at Vaimoso in Samoa has received a tremendous boost thanks to former students The Saint Mary’s Old Girls Association (S.M.O.G.A) has donated equipment worth of up to $80,000 tala to the school. It was one way of recognising the College that nurtured their academic lives. The Read more
The Catholic Church on Guam says a group of investigators will soon arrive as part of the canonical trial of the island’s archbishop. The Archbishop, Anthony Apuron, is facing a Vatican trial after several former altar boys accused him of sexual assault in the 1970s, when he was a parish priest. Continue reading
Samoa’s Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi says family planning is wrong. He believes Samoa needs a bigger population. So he is encouraging people to have more children to increase the population and among other things to provide “fast and strong boys for Manu Samoa.” He said he wonders who the idiot who came up with Read more
A Samoan governance expert says there is a danger a bill to make Samoa a Christian state could undermine freedom of religion in the country. The bill, which had its second reading last week, was widely supported by Parliament. The 2016 Explanatory Memorandum attached to Constitutional Amendment Bill (No. 2) says the government wants to Read more
A variety of opinions on the topic of same gender marriage were expressed at a meeting of InterFaith Search Fiji in Suva on Saturday. Speakers talked about ways of accepting members of the LGBITQ community. Reverend Anil Reuben of the Methodist Church said many people in same gender marriage had slowly dropped out of the Read more
Cardinal Sir John Ribat made his first public appearance, after being made a cardinal, on Sunday November 27 at the Jack Pidik Park, during the 50th anniversary ceremonies of the Port Moresby Catholic Archdiocese. The number attending the celebration was variously reported to be to 1000 and 20,000 and people from other mainline churches. Government Read more