Religion News Selection
July 24 – 31, 2022
A selection of religion news stories from Australia
(Research: Greg Spearritt)
ABUSE
Former Nudgee College principal attended school celebration despite allegations of child abuse (ABC News)
July 26 – A Christian Brother who was suspected by police of being a paedophile was able to attend a birthday party at exclusive Brisbane private school St Joseph’s Nudgee College, despite his order being in negotiations to pay a settlement to one of his alleged victims.
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Law firm dumps Catholic Church after 60 years, but won’t say why (Sydney Morning Herald)
July 31 – For almost 60 years, the Catholic Church delivered millions of dollars in fees to Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
EDUCATION
Tasmanian teacher’s Catholic school job offer withdrawn to ‘avoid religious injury’ (ABC News)
July 26 – A Tasmanian teacher has had his offer of employment rescinded by a Catholic school in Hobart after the school claimed it was advised the Archbishop could not support his employment due to the teacher’s “relationship arrangement”.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES
Catholic Church
‘I ask forgiveness’: Pope apologises for ‘deplorable evil’ of Canadian indigenous schools (Sydney Morning Herald)
July 26 – Maskwacis, Alberta: Pope Francis has apologised to Canada’s native people on their land for the Catholic Church’s role in schools where indigenous children were abused, branding forced cultural assimilation a “deplorable evil” and “disastrous error.”
Pope Francis says ‘door is open’ to his retirement amid 85-year-old’s worsening health (Sydney Morning Herald)
July 31 – London: Pope Francis has acknowledged that his ailing health may force him to retire early as head of the Catholic church after he struggled with a week-long Canadian pilgrimage because of strained knee ligaments.
Judaism
An ancient Israeli law leaves thousands of women ‘chained’ to their wayward husbands (ABC News)
July 30 – Orly Vital spent more than a decade of her adult life trapped in a marriage she wanted to leave.
Other
Calls for inquiry into Fiji government’s ties to Grace Road Church amid stalled abuse investigations (ABC News)
July 28 – Fiji’s opposition parties have called for an immediate inquiry into a South Korean religious sect accused of abuse and ritual beatings after a report from investigative journalists alleged it had received millions in Fijian government-backed loans.
Elvis was a devout Christian who prayed before shows, reveals stepbrother (The Guardian, Australia)
July 31 – While his fans worshipped him as a rock’n’roll deity, Elvis Presley would say a prayer before going on stage, reading the Bible and looking to God for guidance in everything he did, his stepbrother has recalled.
Spiritual union: why Gulf migrants are turning to evangelical Christianity (The Guardian, Australia)
July 31 – Evangelical Christianity is quietly flourishing among migrant groups in the Gulf as churches provide low-paid workers facing horrific abuse with aid in times of crisis, according to pastors and parishioners across the region.
ISLAM
Islamic students occupy Monash University lawn in protest over prayer spaces (The Age, Melbourne)
July 26 – Islamic students at Monash University have vowed to pray outdoors on campus every day in protest against the university’s failure to provide a new dedicated prayer space.
JUDAISM
Brighton Secondary College students drawing swastikas trying to be ‘edgy’, says former teacher (The Age, Melbourne)
July 26 – A former Brighton Secondary College teacher said if students were drawing swastikas at the school, it was because they were “trying to be edgy 15-year-olds” and “not making a connection” or “thinking” about the impact on Jewish students.
POLITICS
‘No more Christian prayers in politics’ (The Australian)
July 29 – The head of the Australian Senate doesn’t want the Lord’s Prayer recited in her chamber any more.
Also: Labor denies Senate is losing its religion (The Australian)
July 29 – Labor’s Senate leaders say the reading of the Lord’s Prayer should continue, contradicting atheist president Sue Lines’ push to end the tradition.
Conservative Christian groups lobby federal MPs against territories’ assisted dying rights legislation (The Guardian, Australia)
July 29 – Conservative action groups are mobilising supporters against a government push to allow territories to make their own laws on euthanasia, raising concerns around potential impacts on Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory.
RELIGION & SOCIETY
Churches back boycott players amid frustration, anger among pride community (Sydney Morning Herald)
July 26 – Reverend Dr Ma’afu Palu has never met the seven Manly players who chose to boycott Thursday’s game rather than wear a rainbow jersey that challenged their personal beliefs about sexuality.
Also: Don’t blame Pacific Island cultures for queer fear. Blame colonisation (Sydney Morning Herald)
July 26 – (Opinion: Jioji Ravulo) Six of the seven players refusing to wear the Manly Sea Eagles rainbow jersey in their match on Thursday night are from a Pasifika heritage.
