The Samoan government has begun to seize money from the accounts of church ministers who have failed to submit a monthly tax return as required by recently enacted legislation. The Minister for Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, said his ministry estimated more than 250 ministers of the church owed $US2500 each in unpaid tax for the first Read more
Ethnic-minority Wa and Lahu Christians near Myanmar’s border with China have been detained and ordered by a China-backed militia group to pledge that they would pray only in their homes and not in churches. Rev. Lazarus, general secretary of the Lahu Baptist Convention in Kyaing Tong, eastern Shan State, said that about 100 Wa Christians were Read more
The Philippines’ Immigration Bureau says Sister Patricia Fox failed to raise new arguments to support her appeal for an extension to extend her missionary visa. Continue reading
Through the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Pope Francis has, in a first emergency phase, sent a contribution of $100,000 to disaster relief in Indonesia. The Vatican press reported that this sum is intended to be “an immediate expression of the feeling of spiritual closeness and fatherly encouragement from the Holy Father towards the Read more
A general election is taking place in Fiji on 14 November. The archbishop of Suva says he does not intend to inform Catholics who they should vote for or vote against. In a posting on the Archdiocese of Suva’s Facebook page, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong said the Church’s role is to help Catholics form their Read more
Australia has been competing with China to fund the Republic of Fiji Military Force’s (RFMF) Black Rock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp situated in Nadi. RFMF’s chief of staff for coordination, Captain Eronia Duaibe, said that Australia’s bid was successful because they took a holistic approach to Black Rock’s construction, rather than Read more
Father Joy Derry Clement, chairman of the Socio-Economic Commission of Manado Diocese in North Sulawesi, has told ucanews.com that some parishes in Central Sulawesi province have been heavily hit by the 7.4 earthquake and tsunami that hit Sulawesi Island in Indonesia on the afternoon of 28 September. Clement said he had been informed by Father Johanis Salaki from the Read more
The Indonesia country manager for Catholic Relief Services says getting access to the two Sulawesi island cities most affected by Saturday’s earthquake and tsunami is proving very difficult. Yenni Suryani said with the airport damaged, getting access to Palu and Donggala is a huge problem. Responders and local aid groups have drive overland 10-12 hours. That means Read more
In Timor Leste, where the population is 90% Catholic, the government makes a significant financial contribution to the Catholic church. The way in which the funding is carried out is now under review. The government will not comment on how the funding is to be allocated this year and it could be facing a fight with Read more
Catholic humanitarian agencies from around the world have committed themselves to support for Philippine relief and rehabilitation efforts in the wake of Typhoon Mangkhut which devastated several northern provinces. Caritas Internationalis in Rome has launched an appeal to help finance relief operations for thousands of families affected by the typhoon. The US bishops’ Catholic Relief Services is on the Read more