Religion News Australia
February 13 – 20, 2022
Religion news stories from Australia
(Research: Greg Spearritt)
ABUSE
Ex-Catholic priest Richard Doyle on trial for allegedly molesting young girl in ’70s and ’80s (ABC News)
Feb 15 – A retired Catholic priest is on trial in Perth accused of repeatedly molesting a young girl decades ago, after requesting that she give him “back scratches”.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Benedetta tells the forbidden love story of two nuns while confronting gender bias in 17th century Italy (ABC News)
Feb 14 – Paul Verhoeven has long loved viciously ambitious blondes – from Renée Soutendijk’s saucy hot dog vendor in 1980’s Spetters, the final film he made in his native Netherlands, to the masterfully manipulative author played by Sharon Stone in 1992’s Basic Instinct, the last in his run of Hollywood-made hits before the almighty stumbling block of Showgirls, in 1995.
The rap star of Karachi: ‘My veil cannot take away the talent I have’ (The Guardian, Australia)
Feb 14 – Eva B, who was brought up in a notorious slum, has become Pakistan’s latest music sensation
EDUCATION
Few Christian schools want to discriminate – there’s a better way forward (Sydney Morning Herald)
Feb 14 – (Opinion: Philip Freier) There were no winners from the accelerating train wreck of the federal government’s attempt to pass a religious discrimination bill last week, except perhaps gay and transgender children who won support from the House of Representatives for extra protection in an amendment to sexual discrimination legislation.
Is there a place for trans students in religious schools? These schools say yes (ABC News)
Feb 16 – Theo Boltman’s coming of age has coincided with an often divisive political debate in Canberra.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES
Catholic Church
US Catholic priest resigns after performing thousands of invalid baptisms over 20 years (ABC News)
Feb 15 – One changed word may not seem like much.
Religious Violence
Mob stones mentally ill man to death for ‘desecrating Qur’an’ (The Guardian, Australia)
Feb 14 – An angry mob stoned to death a mentally ill man in Pakistan, authorities have said, in the country’s latest case of blasphemy-related violence.
Army and jihadist clashes in northern Mali leave 65 people dead (The Guardian, Australia)
Feb 20 – Eight soldiers and 57 “terrorists” were killed in clashes at a rebel base in northern Mali where rival jihadist groups, including the Islamic State, are active, the Malian army said on Saturday.
POLITICS
Labor would ‘deal with’ religious discrimination in government: Albanese (Sydney Morning Herald)
Feb 14 – Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Labor would “deal with” the issue of religious discrimination in government, but stopped short of promising new laws as a matter of priority should it win the upcoming federal election.
Almighty religious protection wrangle has national import (The Australian)
Feb 14 – (Opinion: Nick Cater ) The government’s religious protection bill languishes in limbo but the crusade for the votes of the faithful is raging, says Dennis Shanahan.
RELIGION & SOCIETY
Monastic land at New Norcia bought by Andrew Forrest has a Stolen Generations history (ABC News)
Feb 15 – From ten pounds an acre in 1950 to a multi-million-dollar land deal in 2022.
