Sheridan was referring to a speech by Joe de Bruyn, who used three examples to reflect on how to live a Catholic life. Joe de Bruyn is a retired trade unionist, Labour figure and Campion College board member.

Sheridan says that "at the first mention of the word 'abortion' a walkout began, which included a majority of graduands and a majority of university staff present".

"A serious vice-chancellor would have attended the speech himself" wrote Sheridan.

He is calling on the vice-chancellor to apologise to de Bruyn for the rudeness shown him and reiterate ACU's commitment as a Catholic institution to Catholic teaching.

University offers counselling

However, the university later offered counselling to those affected by the speech.

It said it was "deeply disappointed the speech was not more befitting of a graduation ceremony" and that it would refund ticket fees for graduates.

de Bruyn was being presented with an honorary degree by the Australian Catholic University.

In the speech, de Bruyn claimed abortion was the "single biggest killer of human beings in the world" and referred to is as a "tragedy that must be ended".

Living a Catholic faith in the public square

However Monica Doumit, writing in the Catholic Weekly, says that media reports were wrong to characterise de Bruyn's address as an inappropriate, self-indulgent rant about issues of life and human sexuality that had little relevance to a graduation ceremony.

Contrary to how it was portrayed, Doumit says de Bruyn's speech was not just a rehashing of the Catholic position on contentious issues, but a reflection on how to live one's Catholic faith in the public sphere.

De Bruyn told the graduands that for more than 40 years he had worked in a union that covered warehousing, retail and fast-food companies, fighting for the rights and wages of some of the lowest-paid workers in the country.

He explained that bringing these aspects of his Catholic faith to his work and advocacy was not controversial, but that bringing other aspects of his Catholic faith was contentious.

To illustrate his point, de Bruyn offered three examples: abortion, IVF and marriage. His point was summed up in his concluding remarks:

"As happened to me, you will be faced with issues in your professional and personal lives where the general opinion of the majority of the population is at odds with the teaching of the Church.

"My experience is that many Catholics cave in to peer pressure. They think their professional lives will be harmed if they promote the teaching of the Church. My experience is that this is not so.

"Despite my view on some issues being at odds with the views of my contemporaries over the past 50 years, it never affected my career at all."

Listening Church

Australia's new cardinal-designate, Mykola Bychok, has backed de Bruyn's anti-abortion speech.

"Freedom of speech is an important pillar of our society, so is freedom of religion'' he said.

"We must be free to say that which we believe to be the truth as passed to us by Our Lord. Jesus says to us ‘Be not afraid'.

"I grew up at a time when my church was banned and persecuted in Ukraine. A church of martyrs and confessors.

"We survived this persecution because people loved God and their church. They were courageous and passed on the faith to their children and grandchildren.''

Cardinal-designate Bychok said he did not believe there was any division within the Church on the sanctity of life.

While Pope Francis told the Church to be a "listening Church'', that did not mean others did not have to listen to Christ.

Sources

• The Australian
• ABC
• The Catholic Weekly
• The Australian

The move puts the Welsh church at odds with the Church of England, which forbids clergy to bless same-sex marriages. It falls short of allowing same-sex marriages in church, and includes a "conscience clause", allowing individual clergy to decide whether or not to offer blessings.

But one bishop said he hoped the decision would lead the Welsh church to be "bold enough" to embrace sex-same marriage within five years. After a debate that was at times emotional, Gregory Cameron, bishop of St Asaph, said the decision was a "huge step forward for the church and for us all in Wales".

Read More

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, recently admitted that he is "open" to the idea of ordaining women to the Catholic priesthood.

"I am not saying that women have to become priests; I just don't know. But I'm open to it," he said in an interview published by the German Catholic news agency.

Hollerich, who is Luxembourg's archbishop, is one of the world's most influential cardinals due to his position as president of the Commission of the Episcopal Conferences of the European Union.

Several German bishops - including German episcopal conference president Bishop Georg Bätzing - have also called for open discussion on ordaining women to the priesthood.

So far, none of them has been treated like Tony Flannery (pictured), a priest suspended from publicly practising their priesthood.

Flannery - an Irish Redemptorist priest - was suspended in 2012, for supporting women's ordination and his views on same-sex marriage and homosexuality.

In February the Redemptorists' Superior General in Rome wrote to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) about Flannery's return to public ministry.

In response, the CDF said:

"After reflecting carefully upon your request, the Congregation has decided that Fr Flannery should not return to public ministry prior to submitting a signed statement regarding his positions on homosexuality, civil unions between persons of the same sex, and the admission of women to the priesthood."

Flannery says the CDF sent him a series of doctrinal proposals in July via his superior general, to which he would have to "submit" as a first step towards "a gradual readmission" to public ministry.

He must submit to the statement that "a baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly", as the price for "a gradual readmission" to the public ministry.

He must also submit to three other doctrinal formulae, affirming:

• homosexual practices are contrary to the natural law
• unions other than marriage between a man and a woman do not correspond to God's plan for marriage and family
• gender theory is not accepted by Catholic teaching.

Flannery says he's never expressed any views on so-called "gender theory" and is confused as to why that issue is in his CDF file.

He has refused to sign the CDF documents, saying:

"For me to sign a document that I submit that women can never be ordained priests in the Catholic church would be a total lie.

"I just could not live with myself if I signed that document. There are bishops - the German bishops for instance - many of whom have come out in favour of the ordination of women. It is very much an open question in the church now."

The CDF have not so far pressed Pope Francis to have Hollerich or other German prelates to recant and sign a fidelity oath as they have with Flannery.

Source

• La Croix
• Irish Times
• The Tablet
• Image: The Irish Times

The resolution affirms that marriage is a union between one man and one woman, but it allows for individual bishops to offer a "non-formulary service" to bless same-sex couples.

The General Synod had previously passed a resolution noting that Tikanga Pasifika would not be voting for the blessing of same-sex relationships.

In the preamble to the resolution, the synod said it was "deeply mindful of the deep interweaving of cultural and religious values at the core of our Pacific societies that place a profound respect and reverence for the belief in God and the belief in the traditional understanding of marriage."

It also notes that the constitutions of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji "do not recognize any union between the same gender."

The Diocese of Polynesia released a statement saying the "constitutions and cultures" of its nations were reflected in its position on the issue.

The statement said the diocese honoured the church's work and understood the decision to allow same-sex marriages was "located in the Maori and Pakeha context, within the laws and cultures of New Zealand."

But it said, as far as the church was concerned, Pacific custom and protocol was against same-sex relationships.

The Diocese of Polynesia stressed the church was still united and "the beauty of this decision is that no-one imposes on anyone... an authentic representation of our voyage together."

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• christianheadlines.com
• anglicantaonga.org.nz

Bishop Victoria Matthews wished to assured gay people their voices had been heard.

However, Auckland's Rainbow Church is calling a move to bless same-sex marriage by Christchurch's Anglican church a "pathetic, half-step forward".

Matthews said the decision was step one in a two-part process and the motion would be discussed on a national level at the General Synod in May. Continue reading

The non-binding referendum drew 7.8 million for same-sex marriage and 4.9 million against.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Denis Hart says parliament must work to unify Australians by respecting different views on marriage.

"The Catholic Church, and many others who sought to retain the definition of marriage ... continues to view marriage as a special union between a woman and a man ..." he says.

"A change in civil law does not change the Catholic understanding of the nature of marriage."

Chief executive of Catholic Social Services, Frank Brennan SJ, doesn't think the clear "yes" vote will make Parliament's job easier.

Last Thursday, while the votes were still coming in, he said: "The present mess of Australian politics will not help as our politicians work out how and when to legislate the change.

"Already, there are different proponents for different private members' bills which could be presented first in either House of Parliament."

Brennan wrote about the issue on the Jesuit-operated Eureka Street website.

"Those who have campaigned loudest and longest for a 'no' vote have emphasised threats to other human rights, most especially the right to freedom of conscience, religion and belief. But they are not the only ones ...

"The Senate Select Committee ... [noted]: 'There was common ground between many groups on the need for positive protection for religious freedom.

"'The Human Rights Law Centre and other organisations in support of same-sex marriage recognised the need for Australian law to positively protect religious freedom.'The issue of religious freedom must be addressed'."

Brennan went on to quote Anna Brown, who is Director of the Human Rights Law Centre and former Spokeswoman for the Equality Campaign:

"Religious freedom should be protected in law. Indeed, we are on record in a number of inquiries supporting the addition of religious belief to protections under federal anti-discrimination law."

The UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva is also concerned, Brennan says. In a recent report, the Committee was bothered by "the lack of direct protection against discrimination on the basis of religion at the federal level ...".

The Committee also noted "a parliamentary inquiry on the status of the human right to freedom of religion or belief is underway."

"No" voters are also concerned about religious freedom.

They argue protections for freedom of religion should be inserted in the amended Marriage Act, especially to ensure:

• the right to refuse to conduct same-sex marriages
• protection for employees
• protection for churches as employers and property holders
• protection for churches as educators
• protection for parents' and guardians' right to teach their children according to their religious faith
• protection for parents' and guardians' right to spare their children teachings inconsistent with their religious faith.

Source

• Catholic Leader
• The Tablet
• Eureka Street
• Vicky Beeching.com

Speakers talked about ways of accepting members of the LGBITQ community.

Reverend Anil Reuben of the Methodist Church said many people in same gender marriage had slowly dropped out of the church.

"You can be a member of a church and your name could be removed from the membership roll, but you can never send anyone out of the church.

"Somewhere along the line, somebody picks them up and with repentance and confession, these people come up to the Lord again. Remember we worship a forgiving God," Reuben said.

One person who said children should be stopped from dressing like the opposite sex because it could lead to homosexuality was stopped and publicly rebuked.

Interfaith Search Fiji is made up of members from members of from Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at-e-Islam (Lahore); Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Fiji; Anglican Diocese of Polynesia; Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji; Baha'i Faith; Brahma Kumaris; Community of Christ Church; Fiji Hindu Society; Fiji Muslim League; Methodist Church in Fiji; Catholic Church; Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church; Sathya Sai Organisation; Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji; Sikh Association of Fiji; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and the Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam.

Interfaith Search Fiji is an organisation that came into existence as a direct result of the political upheavals after a military led Coup d'etat in 1987.

There were ethnic and religious under currents in the coup.

The Columban Inter-religious Dialogue website says , Interfaith Search Fiji, meets on every 10th day of the month.

Groups take turns hosting the meeting. At each meeting, they agree upon a theme to be discussed in the next meeting.

Using their respective sacred scriptures, they try to briefly explain their understanding of the theme.

This is then shared in the next meeting.

A summary is sent out after the meeting to every participant.

Source

• columbanird.org
• fijitimes.com
• Image: interfaithsearchfiji.wordpress.com

Archbishop Denis Hart intervened to cancel a planned keynote speech by MP Cathy McGowan at a Catholic Social Services Victoria conference this month.

The reason given was that her views are contrary to Church teachings.

Ms McGowan, who describes herself as a practising Catholic, co-sponsored a "marriage equality" bill in Australia's Parliament last year.

Her planned speech was not on marriage, but on the importance of giving the underprivileged and marginalised a voice and access to those in power.

The speech at the conference is called "The Mary MacKillop Oration".

Ms McGowan said the decision to revoke her invitation was "very sad" and seemed at odds with Pope Francis's view the Church's doors should be open to discussing issues.

"Mary MacKillop was known for her support of regional and rural communities, she's a woman, she got in trouble with the bishops, they called her insubordinate and stopped her speaking, so this decision now with me is really ironic, I reckon," Ms McGowan said.

A spokesman for Melbourne archdiocese said there is no malice in Archbishop Hart's decision and he did not want to embarrass Ms McGowan.

"But he would see with a conference such as this that the keynote speaker should be in line with Catholic teaching on that very important topic," the spokesman said.

Ms McGowan has been replaced as the conference keynote speaker by barrister Julian McMahon, the 2016 Victorian of the year.

Catholic Social Services Victoria executive director Denis Fitzgerald said Ms McGowan had been invited to give the oration due to her work supporting marginalised groups, including refugees and asylum seekers.

Asked why the invitation was revoked so close to the event, he said Archbishop Hart "probably hadn't turned his attention to it" until recently.​

"It would have been better had Catholic Social Services factored in all relevant issues before we invited Cathy," he said.

Sources

• Sydney Morning Herald
• Image: News.com.au

Singh claims that the prime minister has violated section 26 of the Fiji constitution, and he should be charged under the criminal code.

Bainimarama made an off the cuff response after watching a FBC TV programme, broadcast in early in January, 'Have Your Say'.

The programme which made references to the Constitution, equality and same sex marriage, featured Shamima Ali, the Women's Crisis Centre co-ordinator.

Ali said after the programme was aired that she last spoke to FBC TV last November and she did not say anything on same sex marriage.

Fiji Sun, reported that Bainimarama said "Tell Shamima Ali, there will be no same sex marriage in Fiji, a topic pushed by NGOs such as hers under the issue of human rights."

He added: "Not in her lifetime and not in ours."

"They should not be confused with the wording of the Constitution about the equality and love for one another."

The Constitution, he stressed, did not refer to equality as the opportunity for same sex marriage or love for all as love by Sakaraia for Ropate ending at the altar.

For a woman who wants to get married to another woman he said: "Go and have it done in Iceland and stay and live there."

"Fiji does not need that rubbish."

Jasmine Kaur, founder of the gay activist group Oceania Pride, called the prime minister's comment hateful and intolerant, and she has called for him to apologize.

"He actually needs to apologize to the LGBTIQ community," she said. "We need to create a culture of acceptance not (in)tolerance, and that is what I would like him to teach the nation."

Sexual activity between people of the same sex has been legal in Fiji since 2010. Same-sex marriage, however, has been expressly banned in the country since 2002. (It has been legal in Iceland since 2010.)

Source

• lifesitenews.com
• www.radionz.co.nz
• fijisun.com.fj
• huffingtonpost.com
• Image: www.radionz.co.nz

"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 will happen but I do not think it is going to happen in a very fast pace in the way it is taking place overseas."

Following America's legalisation of same sex marriage in July Loy Chong said, "The union between a man and a woman and its definition predated the State and church but now the bond had been defined as marriage.

"Firstly, it's for their own good, because of the complementary nature of the two sexes they bring wholesome to the other."

"Secondly its open to procreation and because of that their love overflows into the wider society; according to the church this is what we understand by marriage, any relationship that falls short of this cannot be called marriage."

Loy Chong is one of two Pasifika bishops representing the region at the Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome next month.

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• fijitimes.com
• Image: fijione.tv

Mafi says all forms of discrimination against women are already clear enough in Tonga's laws and are forbidden in Christian churches.

He says the reason the church does not approve of the conventionis that some of the clauses in it are in conflict with the church's beliefs, like abortion and same sex marriage.

Mafi says the nation's motto "God and Tonga are my inheritance" highlight the fact that God is first.

And so everything has to go accordingly with God's plans and not what the United Nations wants, he says.

The Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva says the decision to ratify was arrived at only after thorough discussions and consultations with the community and church leaders as some of the provisions of CEDAW are clearly in conflict with Tonga's Constitution and laws.

He says the decision to ratify was made on the very clear understanding that the Government's ratification will be with reservations in respect of those provisions that are incompatible with local laws.

In effect, this means that Tonga is prepared to apply the provisions of the Convention nationally, on the condition that it does not conflict with the provisions of the Constitution and laws of Tonga regarding succession to the throne and nobility, abortion and same sex marriage.

Mr Pohiva says the duration of the reservations will be unlimited.

The UN has tentatively welcomed the move.

However the Officer in Charge of the Regional UN Human Rights Office for the Pacific, Satya Jennings, insisted that once Tonga has undergone the actual ratification process, it should bring national legislation in line with "international standards".

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• Radio New Zealand
• Radio New Zealand
• Image: image.slidesharecdn.com

These guidelines are contained in a new "pastoral guidances" statement from the Church of England's "House of Bishops".

The guidelines come into force just ahead of the Same-Sex Marriage Act which, next month, makes same-sex marriages possible in England.

The ban on same-sex clergy marriage comes despite rules allowing those in civil unions to become priests and even bishops, as long as they remain celibate.

According to The Telegraph, the prohibition opens up the prospect of a rebellion by gay and lesbian clergy who choose to get married.

"It would force local bishops to bring lengthy disciplinary measures to effectively have them defrocked for getting married", writes John Bingham.

The Religious Affairs Editor says he understands the church is already bracing itself for "martyrs" who are prepared to challenge the rules.

The guidelines also state that non-clergy who marry someone of the same sex will be free to continue to receive Holy Communion within the Church of England. They will however be barred from ordination.

The Telegraph reports a leading liberal campaigner is calling the new arrangements a "dog's breakfast" that enshrines "dishonest and hypocrisy" within the church.

In a joint letter accompanying the guidelines, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, acknowledged that there are deep divisions in the Church of England - including between bishops - over the issue.

The Archbishop of Canterbury however told the Church of England it may have to accept changes many members do not like for the sake of unity.

Archbishop Welby acknowledged that many Anglicans would view it as guilty of "betrayal" and even "apostasy" if it implements a landmark Church report which includes a recommendation to hold special services honouring same-sex relationships.

But he warned that others would see the Church as increasingly "irrelevant" and promoting attitudes "akin to racism" if it did not respond to the situation.

Source

• The Telegraph
• The Telegraph
• Image: The Guardian

But one of those responsible for legalising civil unions in 2005, Labour Party general secretary Tim Barnett, believes they still have an important place in society.

According to provisional Statistics New Zealand figures released today, there were just eight civil unions in the December quarter last year and 23 the previous quarter - the lowest of any quarter since records began in 2005. Continue reading

The British report has recommended the Church lift its ban, but not force individual clergy to offer public services.

A commission set up by New Zealand's Anglican Church to consider offering same sex marriages is due to report to the general synod in May. Continue reading

The Pope is used as a symbol of "crusty utilities, many of whom remain resistant to the changes happening in our world."

On the other hand Powershop says it is an organisation that believes "If something's working for you and it's not hurting anyone else, then we support your right to do it."

The Power Utility also believes "it's the responsibility of anybody in a position of power to consider whether their exercise of that power is bringing a greater or lesser happiness to the world."

The billboards depict the Pope presiding over a marriage between two males.

The Bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn has written to Powershop saying he is outraged the company has grouped the Pope with people described by Powershop as rotten demagogues.

He also takes issue with the depiction of the Pope marrying two men.

Dunn has asked Powershop to remove the billboards, which he says are outrageous and highly offensive.

Although the company has in the past responded to complaints by removing images, Powershop has declined the Bishop's request, saying they will remain on display until the end of the month.

Previously formal complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority about bus shelter and website ads for Powershop, featuring pictures of Saddam Hussein, Richard Nixon, Che Guevara and Kim Jong-Il were partly settled, partly not upheld.

Powershop denies it has labeled the Pope as "rotten demagogue famous the world over for his abuse of power". The implication is merely that the Pope symbolises "crusty utilities, many of whom remain resistant to the changes happening in our world."

Powershop chief executive Ari Sargent says:

"Specifically, the Pope image has been chosen because the Marriage Equality debate/issue aligns well with values Powershop stands for - freedom of choice and equality."

Sargent says he is "a little" worried about backlash from Catholics, "but we are happy to stand up for our values."

The bilboards are the latest in a series based on the theme "Same Power, Different Attitude". Earlier ones have depicted dictators such as Kim Jong Il and Saddam Hussein.

Powershop then moved into fictional territory with ads featuring Jaws, Daleks, Darth Vader and Frankenstein. A cease and desist letter from LucasFilm moved the campaign back in the direction of well-known humans, such as Margaret Thatcher.

Previously in a blog on its website, Powershop said the "Same Power, Different Attitude" campaign took a "bunch of rotten demagogues, famous the world over for their abuse of power, and recasts them as people who do decent things in their community".

The most recent posting on its blog states:

"In the last few days we have launched the next chapter of our "Same Power, Different Attitude" campaign. We've embraced a current and relevant public debate to take the campaign in a completely different direction."

"Like previous editions, this latest version of Powershop's long-running campaign is intended to be both thought provoking and satirical. Kiwis have widely debated the issue of marriage equality over the last year, so we've used the issue to point out that large institutions can sometimes lose touch with their modern constituents. The power industry is dominated by crusty utilities, many of whom remain resistant to the changes happening in our world."

"We live in a world that has embraced freedom and equality. If something's working for you and it's not hurting anyone else, then we support your right to do it. We also believe it's the responsibility of anybody in a position of power to consider whether their exercise of that power is bringing a greater or lesser happiness to the world. And we know that applies to us as much as anyone."

"Some readers have raised concerns that we are describing the Pope as a "rotten demagogue" and that he has "violated human rights". This is incorrect. We are categorically not saying the Pope is a rotten demagogue or that he has violated human rights. These statements related to the characters featured in the first instalment of the Same Power, Different Attitude campaign (Kim Jong Il and Saddam Hussein). As stated at the start of this post, we are now taking the "Same power, different attitude" campaign in a different direction."

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• New Zealand Herald
• Stop Press
• GayNZ.com
• Blog.Powershop.co.nz
• Image: Blog.Powershop.co.nz