The Vanuatu Christian Council of Churches says it does not welcome the recent establishment of a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) association in Vanuatu. The chairman of Vanuatu Council of Churches Bishop James Ligo, says the constitution is based on Christian and Melanesian values. Ligo says he intends to discuss the issue Read more
The University of Notre Dame in the United States has launched a campaign highlighting how it practises inclusion for gay athletes. A video to kick-off the campaign is titled “At Notre Dame, if you can play, you can play”. About 50 other US universities have made similar videos. On the video, Notre Dame athletic director Read more
Bill Anderson, a Baptist Pastor in Pahia, a small town in the north of New Zealand, believes that Gay people people cannot be Christians. When asked why other churches accept Gay people, Mr Anderson said he did not know. Commenting on modern society, he said: “You can’t even go to a movie without getting slammed; Read more
A lone protester made her opposition known as she stood outside a Northland church seminar offering to help people overcome “same-sex attraction issues”. The talk, hosted by Paihia’s Baptist Church yesterday, was advertised in community newspapers last week, and sparked a furore on social media and in the gay community. The ad invited anyone who Read more
An American parish music director has been fired from his role in a parish in the Diocese of Arlington because he entered into a civil same-sex marriage. Mike McMahon was a former director of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. This is the national body for liturgical music leaders in the Catholic Church in the Read more
Differences over the blessing and ordination of gays could see the Anglican church in New Zealand could split or even disintegrate. These are two of the options being considered by a church commission dealing with differing views over same-sex relationships. The commission, established two years ago, and chaired by former governor-general, Sir Anand Satyanand, was Read more
A Vatican cardinal has criticised Uganda’s anti-gay law and called for the repeal of its severe penalties. Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said on March 4 that “homosexuals are not criminals” and shouldn’t be sentenced for up to life in prison. Continue reading
Former Ireland president Mary McAleese, says the Catholic Church has been in denial over homosexuality for decades. That so many priests are gay, “isn’t so much the elephant in the room but a herd of elephants. “I don’t like my church’s attitude to gay people. I don’t like ‘love the sinner, hate the sin’. If Read more
Pope Francis is asking the Catholic Church to re think the way it approaches a generation that does not fit the traditional family mould. Noting that the make-up of families is changing he in particular mentioned outreach to the children of gay couples, and divorced parents. “On an educational level, gay unions raise challenges for Read more
The Vatican on Sunday denied Italian media reports that recent comments by Pope Francis signalled his openness to the legal recognition of same-sex unions in Italy. Francis, in a conversation with leaders of religious orders published by a Jesuit journal on Friday, said the Catholic Church had to try not to scare away children who Read more