Indonesian police and army units have conducted heavily armed security sweeps across Jayapura ahead of planned mass demonstrations by civil society organizations, including the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Indonesia’s annexation of West Papua. The raids began at 3am local time on April 30, after the new Papuan Governor Lukas Read more
The Editor of the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Report, Doctor Terry M. Brown, a former bishop of the Anglican Church of Melanesia, has unofficially released a digital copy of the report online. The Report contains the testimony of many of those affected by the five years of violence, the killings and the human rights abuses, Read more
The Catholic Church is opposed to an initiative by the health authorities in Samoa to distribute free condoms on the campus of the National University of Samoa (NUS). 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 Read more
Now that a bill to legalise same gender marriage passed its final reading in New Zealand’s Parliament, a Tongan MP, Dr Sitiveni Halapua, says it’s difficult to say whether it will happen in Tonga. Halapua says there needs to be a conversation about marriage equality in the region. David Panuelo – a senator from Pohnpei Read more
Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Moana Carcasses Kalosil, has promised the Vanuatu Christian Council that his Government is going to start paying 10 percent of the national budget to the churches. Based on the present budget, 10 percent would amount to 21 million US dollars. Kalosil became Vanuatu’s and the region’s first Greens prime minister when he Read more
In Samoa the Mormon Church has become the latest member of the National Council of Churches with those involved indicating the matter to be a sensitive one. “I do not want to make any comment regarding the LDS membership until the Council meets again on Friday,” NCC Secretary Rev. Ma’auga Motu said on Tuesday. The Read more
Fiji’s largest Christian denomination, the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma, has set up a special committee to work on the church’s submission for the draft constitution. This was confirmed by church general secretary Reverend Tevita Nawadra on Monday. Nawadra said the special committee was headed by church senior officials. “We will make sure the Read more
A member of the Samoa Fa’afafine (Transvestite) Association (SFA) says they do not support gay marriage. “People always assume us to be that and this and I’m sure they (people) already thought we are celebrating together with the New Zealand gay community, when we are not,” said Tania Pulotu. So’oalo Roger Stanley, Samoa Fa’afafine Association Read more
The Pacific Conference of Churches, which represents 38 Protestant and Catholic Churches in the Pacific region, says it’s unmoved by the passage, in New Zealand, of the same gender marriage bill General secretary Francois Pihaartae has told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat in his view, same sex marriage remains against God’s will. “Pacific churches are very much conservative. And Read more
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands at their Annual General Meeting in Madang have prepared a draft Statement on Marriage. If it is also accepted by the Lutheran bishops at their meeting in Lae on 10-14 June 2013, plans may be made to formally launch it in March 2014. Bishop Read more