The Church's media spokesperson, Father Ioane Ono, confirmed this when contacted by the Samoa Observer.

Ono said while he knew prisoners had assisted with the demolition of the old Cathedral, he was unaware they were being used to help with its construction of its replacement until Father Ricky Bernard told about it after he, Ono, had been leading a service at Mulivai a while ago.

Bernard, according to Ono, is the leading carpenter at the project.

"I am not sure what has been worked out between Father Bernard and the prison," he said. "All I knew was they were helping."

He said the prisoners were only on the Church grounds on Saturday - and they assist Fr. Bernard from morning until afternoon.

He dismissed questions about the safety of members of the public and the risk of prisoners running away.

He said when the prisoners are at the Cathedral they are accompanied by Police officers.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Image: Facebook

He believes NCC wasn't asked about the matter because those involved feared what the answer would be.

News about the condoms reached him via a reporter who telephoned from Australia.

Ono has asked NCC chairman Kasiano Leaupepe for the issue to be discussed so that a joint statement can be issued on the matter.

NCC membership consists of the mainstream churches.

Source

• Talamuaonline
• Image: Talamuaonline

In response to recently reported high rate of STDs in Samoa, the NUS School of Nursing, Samoa Family Health Association and Samoa Red Cross have joined forces in an attempt to ensure safer sex among young people. The project will see free condom dispensers put in to bathrooms across the NUS campus.

Those promoting the initiative say access to free condoms has been proven internationally to help reduce the risk of STI transmission and unplanned pregnancy, specifically among youth.

Catholic Church spokesman Father Ioane Ono has told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat the Church intends to launch a formal objection to the plan.

He says contraception encourages promiscuity and is immoral.

"There's no guarantee that these condoms protect our children from passing on diseases," he said.

"And on the other side of the coin, it is promoting promiscuity and promoting fornication."

According to local reports, 35% of the population in Samoa has tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Radio Australia
• Pacific Beat
• Image: 4.BP.Blogspot

On 6 February the local Seventh Day Adventist church administration instructed the law office of Schuster-Betham-Annandale to write to the Leauva'a-uta SDA members who are worshipping on Saturday telling them to refrain from using the church facility there.

This situation arose because the Samoan Government decided to align its time zone with key trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region by shifting west of the international date line.

When the clock struck midnight Thursday 29 December 2011, the country skipped over Friday and moved 24 hours ahead — straight into Saturday, Dec. 31.

SDA Pastor Uili Solofa says, "You have to know that all the other Christian religions in Samoa have publicly testified that they have moved to keep the seventh-day Sabbath of the Bible."

Catholic Chancellor Ioane Ono does not appear to share that view.

"For Catholics or any Christian for that matter, Sunday is a day of rest, a day of giving thanks and praise to the Lord. It is also a day of joy and celebration because for the Catholic Church, Sunday is the day of resurrection of Jesus." (Samoa Observer, March 12, 2013)

Such statement by SDA leaders in Samoa and the Pacific that Sunday is the ‘seventh-day' in Samoa today contradicts why Christian churches worship on Sunday being the first day of the week to commemorate the day of Jesus' resurrection.

Last month, leaders of the SDA church in the South Pacific Division (SPD) met again in Australia with pastors from Samoa and Samoan pastors representing Samoan churches in New Zealand and Australia.

The Bible conference discussed the impasse in Samoa, which is detrimental to a fundamental doctrine of the SDA church.

The matter has been referred to the Biblical Research Committee of the South Pacific Division for further research.

Source

• NBCNews.com
• Talamua
• Image: Samoa Observer

"Gambling is optional. It is a matter of a person's choice," he said.

"There is no specific teachings of the [Catholic] church with regards to gambling," says Father Ioane. "There are other forms of gambling which members of the church use for fundraising purposes like bingo for instance.

"As far as we're concerned, there are no teachings of the Catholic Church against gambling. There is no specific teaching that the Catholic Church is against gambling."

Last year, senior Catholic Deacon Kasiano Le'aupepe, speaking in his role of head of the the National Council of Churches (NCC), said "The love of money and the casinos will only drive people further into poverty," he warned. "People will start to save money to play in the casinos instead of feeding their families.

"The addiction will become too much; it will result in crime as people start stealing to fuel their addiction. Gambling opens the door to the influx of outsiders who have no fear for God."

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Image: pokies-casinos.com