Dominican Church defends immigrants

A RULING that removed citizenship from Dominicans whose forebears came originally from Haiti has been criticised by the Anglican bishop. The Bishop of the Dominican Republic, the Rt Revd Julio Holguin, said that the decision violated the rights of up to 200,000 descendants of Haitian immigrants. "The constitutional court has decided to establish an 'apartheid' in the Dominican Republic," he said. 

'Messiah' name-change judge accused of bias

A MAGISTRATE in Tennessee who ordered a child be renamed Martin rather than "Messiah" has been cited by a disciplinary panel for religious bias. Lu Ann Ballew, a Child Support Magistrate, had said that the word "Messiah" was a title that had "only been earned by one person, and that person is Jesus Christ". But the boy's parents appealed, and the ruling was deemed unconstitutional. The magistrate now faces disciplinary action.

Former Bishop of San Joaquin dies

A RETIRED bishop who led his diocese out of the Episcopal Church in the United States has died. The Rt Revd John-David Schofield, aged 75, formerly Bishop of San Joaquin, realigned his diocese with the province of the Southern Cone in 2007.