Indonesian security forces tore down three small Christian churches in Aceh on Monday. Hardline Muslims demanded their closure, citing a lack of building permits, and following religious violence. Local government security officers used sledgehammers to raze two small Protestant churches and a Catholic church – modest buildings of wood, concrete and tin – in the Read more
Indonesia must seriously address human rights abuses and extra-judicial killings in Papua, say the Pacific churches. The Pacific Conference of Churches General Secretary, Reverend Francois Pihaatae, says Papuans are being killed and tortured merely because they want self-determination, a right guaranteed by the United Nations of which Indonesia is a member. He said 500,000 Papuans Read more
Cardinal Soane Patita Mafi, the Bishop of Tonga, has thanked Pope Francis for being “a true spiritual Father and a sincere model of a Good Shepherd, for all of us in the Church.” He was one of the Synod Fathers who spoke on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Synod of Bishops. Cardinal Read more
In Papua New Guinea the Catholic Church has convened a special meeting to address the issue of crimes and murders against persons suspected of having practiced black magic. In Papua women accused of black magic or witchcraft are often victims of summary executions. The Bishop of Mendi, Donald Lippert, has organised the meeting. It will Read more
Police in West Papua arrested eight seminarians, six Franciscans and two Augustinians, who were participating in a peaceful rally in front of Abepura‘s Good Shepherd Catholic Church on 8 October. They were released after being held and interrogated for 90 minutes. The demonstrators were calling on Indonesian President Joko Widodo to investigate the unresolved December Read more
The offices of Save the Children workers helping asylum-seekers on the Pacific island of Nauru have been raided by police, the aid agency said Tuesday, as debate rages in Australia over new whistleblower laws. It is understood that police seized electronic items such as phones and laptops during the raid on Saturday, with the operation Read more
The recent arrest of two girls for allegedly being lesbians in Banda Aceh, capital of the predominantly Muslim province of Aceh, which has implemented Shariah law since 2001, violated human rights, church officials said. On Sept. 28, the local Shariah police known as Wilayatul Hisbah arrested the girls identified by age and initials as 18-year-old Read more
On Sunday 27th Sept Catholic bishops from the dioceses of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands launched the celebration of 50 years since the establishment of the dioceses of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. The launching of the jubilee attracted Catholic faithful in Port Moresby who packed the Mary Help of Christians’ shrine Read more
Last weekend the Pacific Climate Warriors, from several island nations in the Pacific, joined a Philippine led People’s Pilgrimage to highlight the impacts of climate change in the islands. Before setting out from Rome last week People’s Pilgrimage leader Yeb Sano had a short meeting with Pope Francis. ”He came up to me,” Yeb said, ”and took my Read more
The Archbishop of Suva Peter Loy Chong says it will be a long time before Pacific societies are ready to embrace the concept of same sex marriage. “With regards to same sex marriage over it is still, culturally not yet even accepting that.” “The culture and religion is strong here. It is going to, it Read more