Anthony Apuron, the Archbishop of Agana (Guam), has categorically denied an allegation of sexual abuse that has been made against him. Last Tuesday Roy Quintanilla publicly accused Apuron of molesting him about 40 years ago, when he was a 12-year-old altar boy. This allegation is the latest in a series of complaints about various things Read more
The king of Alo on the French Pacific island of Futuna says he abdicated because he had lost the backing of his clan. Petelo Sea gave the explanation to the public broadcaster after his surprise move to end his tenure just two years after being installed. Read more
Samoa’s ruling party is considering constitutional amendments so Christian principles, values, culture and traditions are legally recognised. This after the office of the prime minster has been advised that Islamic extremists could cause future instability. Muslims accounted for 0.03 percent of the population at the 2001 census. At present there is a small muslim population in Read more
Legendary Marist missionary priest, Fr Camille DesRosiers (Fr Kamilo) died on 16 May St Augustin Quebec Canada. He spent 25 years as the only priest in Tuvalu, which is about two hours, by air, north of Fiji. In 2010 Tuvalu’s population of 8,357. When Kamilo arrived in 1986 there were just 26 Catholics and when retired Read more
Last week the national ruby league teams of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga faced off in Sydney. Critics say commentators are not pronouncing Pasifika names correctly. “To me it qualifies as a racist act because racism is when one particular culture or race feels that they can dominate the other and through Te Read more
Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes recently taught a course entitled Theology of the Priesthood, at the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania in Yona. Originally from Germany, Cordes was appointed as Vice-President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in 1980 by St. Pope John Paul II. In 1995 he was appointed Read more
Ten students of Pacific Regional Seminary of St Peter Chanel were ordained deacon by Soane Cardinal Mafi of Tonga on Sunday 8th May in at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Suva, Fiji. The deacons come from six different Pacific Island nations. Three were ordained for the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia. Two are members of the Congregation of Read more
A shooting just above a crowded Kalihi church courtyard injured a man who had just been baptised. Taleni Asuega said he had just arrived at the church when he heard a loud bang and saw that his uncle had been shot near a second-floor classroom at the Samoa Tokelau Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Banyan Street Read more
Fe’esago Siaosi Fepulea’i was presented a Papal Award by Archbishop Alapati Lui Mateiliga during Mass at the Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral in Apia last Sunday. He was presented with the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice. An 80 year old nun, Sister Elisapeta, received the Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice. It was Read more
The Tongan government is searching for a compromise after churches demanded that there should be no bread for sale on Sundays. For the largely Christian population, Sunday is celebrated as a strict Sabbath, enshrined so in the constitution. There is a Sunday trading ban with only essential services exempt. The bakeries have been allowed to Read more