Samoa
Samoa church in standoff with PM as pastors refuse to pay income tax
RNZ

(Jamie Tahana) Samoa's prime minister has locked horns with the country's largest church after its pastors agreed to not pay income tax when a new law kicks in next month. Under the law, which was passed by parliament last year but doesn't come into effect until 1 July, church ministers and the country's Head of State will have to pay income tax for the first time. (...)

Samoa
Samoa Officially Becomes a Christian State
The Diplomat

(Grant Wyeth) In early June, the Samoan Parliament passed a bill amending the constitution to transform the country from a secular to a Christian state. The objective of the amendment was “to insert in the Constitution that Samoa is a Christian nation to declare the dominance of Christianity in Samoa.” Of the Parliament’s 49 representatives, 43 voted in favor of the bill. (...)

(fr) Océanie: les Samoa vont devenir un État chrétien  (Religioscope)

Samoa
Head Of Muslim League Critical Of Constitutional Move To Declare Samoa A Christian Nation
Pacific Island Reports

The head of the Muslim League in Samoa, Laulu Mohammed Daniel Stanley, has warned the government about the consequences of amending the Constitution to make Samoa a Christian state. While Laulu is mindful that “government will do whatever they want,” he maintains his objection to the change. (...)

Samoa
Catholic bishop in Samoa stays away from Islam debate
RNZ

The Catholic Archbishop of Samoa has distanced himself from a call by the Christian churches to ban Islam. The National Council of Churches made the call two weeks ago, and called for Christianity to be further entrenched in the constitution. But Archbishop Alapati Lui Mataeliga says his representative on the council did not ask him for his opinion on the matter. (...)

Vaticano
Comunicato della Sala Stampa: Udienza al Primo Ministro di Samoa

Sala stampa della Santa
[Text: Italiano, English, Español, Français]
Oggi, 3 dicembre 2015, il Santo Padre Francesco ha ricevuto il Primo Ministro dello Stato Indipendente di Samoa, Sua Eccellenza il Sig. Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi, il quale si è successivamente incontrato con Sua Eminenza il Cardinale Pietro Parolin, Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità, accompagnato da Mons. Antoine Camilleri, Sotto-Segretario per i Rapporti con gli Stati. (...)

Vaticano
Domani Papa Francesco riceve in Udienza Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi, Presidente di Samoa

(a cura Redazione "Il sismografo")
Lunedì 3 febbraio Papa Francesco riceve in Udienza Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi, Presidente di Samoa. Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi, nato nel 1938, è un ex allievo dei Fratelli Maristi delle Scuole Cristiane e cominciò la vita politica nel 1966, quando diventò deputato al Fono (Parlamento locale). Dal 1970 al 1972 è stato Ministro del Lavoro: Poi fu scelto come Primo Ministro dal 1976 al 1982. Nel 2007  tornò a ricoprire la carica per via del decesso del Premier Va'ai Kolone, fondatore del Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP).

Samoa
Catholic Church in Samoa "insolvent"

radioaustralia.net.au

The Catholic Church in Samoa has been audited and it's been found to be $23.4 million in debt. .Catholic Church in Samoa "insolvent" (Credit: ABC) .An auditor's report says the the Church is not only in debt, it is insolvent and can no longer meet its debt, while staff (...)

Samoa
Des richesses d'une église dans un pays en développement

radioaustralia.net.au

(Pierre Riant) Une nouvelle église construite pour 12 millions de dollars, d'où vient l'argent? -- Des millions de dollars ont aussi été dépensés à la création d'un service télévisé chrétien. Le tout dans un pays en développement qui a dû mal à se remettre du passage du cyclone (...)

Samoa
L'Église catholique samoane contre la distribution de préservatifs
Radio Australia

(Pierre Riant) Les services de santé envisagent de dispenser des préservatifs à travers le campus de l'Université nationale du pays. -- Une initiative proposée pour lutter contre le taux élevé de maladies sexuellement transmissibles (MST) et le nombre de grossesses (...)

Samoa
Caritas mobilises in Pacific for cyclone relief
Caritas.org

Caritas agencies in the Pacific are mobilising to provide cyclone relief and assistance to thousands of people in Samoa, Fiji and elsewhere affected by Cyclone Evan. The Cyclone hit Samoa late last week, killing four people, while eight people are missing. The category  (...)