Posts Tagged ‘Secular State’

Chris Finlayson, former Cabinet Minister, has words for Church

Monday, August 22nd, 2022

Former Cabinet minister Chris Finlayson, a practicing Catholic, is also unsparing in his critiques of the Catholic Church. Finlayson says he has vigorously chided church leaders who try to intervene in politics. On one occasion the Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew, invited him to a picnic on Parliament’s lawn. Finlayson says Dew wanted to Read more

New law bans religious symbols

Thursday, June 20th, 2019

Quebec’s bishops fear a new law banning religious symbols in the public sector will ‘nourish fear and intolerance’ rather than contribute to social peace. The new law (formerly known as Bill 21) prohibits some government employees, including public school teachers, state lawyers, judges and police officers from wearing religious symbols or clothing. However, the religious Read more

References to Tangaroa in Wellington’s climate change plan irks councillors

Monday, April 8th, 2019

Tangaroa – the Māori god of the sea – may be little more than a mythological figure, but the mere mention of the divine being’s name in Wellington’s climate change plan has some city councillors spooked. Read more

Vatican owes Rome €5 billion

Thursday, November 22nd, 2018

The Vatican owes Rome some 5 billion euros. The Court of Justice of the European €Union (CJEU) ordered Italy to recover the ICI property tax that the catholic Church never paid to the Italian government. The European judges have decided to rule out a 2012 decision of the European Commission and a 2016 judgment of Read more

Councils choosing karakia over prayers to open meetings

Monday, March 12th, 2018

Hawke’s Bay councils choosing karakia over prayers to open meetings. Across Hawke’s Bay/Tararua only half of the six councils have an official prayer which references religion. Of these three, two favour a karakia (a Maori formal greeting similar to a prayer). Continue reading

Is the secular state a good fit for Pacific Island nations?

Tuesday, May 10th, 2016

The general-secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea Victor Roche, says in the 1970s, the Catholic Education Services joined the Government to form an association of equals in a unified system of education in PNG. He said this partnership had lasted but now there was little respect shown to the church by Read more

Fiji a secular state – will not rebuild churches

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016

The Fiji Government will not spend its money  to rebuild churches that have been destroyed by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama told Parliament that Fiji was a secular state and the Government would not give priority to one faith over another. He was responding to a question asked by Opposition MP Mosese Read more

PM proud Fiji unique multi-faith nation

Friday, August 14th, 2015

The Prime Minster of Fiji, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, says he is proud of the fact that Fiji is one of very few countries in which a public holiday is set aside for Prophet Mohammed’s birthday as well as great commemorations for other major religions – Christianity and Hinduism. He says it underlines the unique nature Read more

Planning rule changes worry Churches in Christchurch

Friday, December 12th, 2014

Anglicans and Catholics are worried proposed changes to planning rules in Christchurch could make it hard for them to rebuild earthquake-damaged churches. They have both made submissions on proposed plan changes. They say under the new rules their special recognition disappears. Under the current District Plan spiritual activities involving churches are treated separately from other Read more

MPs’ new prayer rejected

Friday, December 12th, 2014

Parliament’s Speaker David Carter has announced that the traditional prayer he uses to open daily sittings of Parliament will remain as is, with its Christian references. He undertook a very low-key consultation process with MPs and offered an alternative that would remove religious references to “Almight God” and “Jesus Christ our Lord” from the English Read more