Fiji’s Constitution Commission chairman, Professor Yash Gha, has made it clear that the separation of Church and State will be enshrined in Fiji’s new constitution. “This doesn’t mean that the State is anti-religion but just a feeling that the function and responsibility of religion of beliefs within societies should be separated from the functions and policies Read more
The Catholic Church in Fiji on Monday expressed its support to the government’s non-negotiable principle of secular state, stressing that everyone in the island nation should have the freedom of choice with their religion. Vicar General, Fr Beni Kaloudau, said the Catholic Church in Fiji welcomes the principle of equal rights to worship. Kaloudau said that Read more
In an atmosphere of regional sectarian tensions, the headquarters of the Apostolic Vicar for Northern Arabia is being transferred from Kuwait to Bahrain, where the royal family has given land for the vicariate and a new church. The apostolic vicar, Bishop Camillo Ballin, said the move is being made because Bahrain is more central and Read more
How should bishops conduct themselves in the public square? The question is especially urgent today when so many divisive issues, including contraception mandates and same-sex marriage, complicate the nation’s politics. Economic concerns still dominate the public’s interest, but it is these hot-button issues that get people’s blood pressure rising. The question is urgent for another Read more
The United States Government has issued its annual report deploring attacks on religious freedom around the world, but a former US diplomat says it is doing little to promote religious freedom. The latest report, from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, says the “escalating attack” on religious freedom constitutes an ongoing crisis equal to that of Read more
A move to ban an anti-abortion club from the Auckland University Students’ Association has been defeated overwhelmingly after an emotional debate about free speech. A special general meeting attended by a large and noisy crowd in the university quad voted 227-125 yesterday against a motion to disaffiliate the ProLife Auckland club “for propagating harmful misinformation” Read more
We can take pride in the fact that New Zealand is a democratic society and our freedom is guaranteed. So what was Sky City thinking of when it threatened to dismiss an employee for having a small pocket sized Bible on her at work? “If the reading of her bible took place in those times Read more
A law and Religion conference was held in Samoa at the beginning of May. The main purpose of the conference was to look for ways to ensure the establishment of robust relationships that would promote religious freedom and tolerance and mutual respect for different churches and faiths, including, a sensitivity to and respect for, local practices. In his Read more
The Prime Minister of Nepal today announced plans to dissolve his Cabinet and form a new coalition government that includes members of the main opposition parties. Nepal’s Supreme Court has told the Constituent Assembly elected in 2008 it must complete the task of writing the constitution by May 27th. The new constitution was a key Read more
This weekend would be an ideal time for the leaders of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to reconsider the political strategy they have adopted in their fight against the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate. In their bid to undo that offensive mandate, the bishops could theoretically look for help from each branch of the Read more