First female Maori bishop elected
A MAORI woman has been ordained bishop in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, & Polynesia for the first time. She is the Rt Revd Waitohiariki Quayle, who was installed as diocesan Bishop of Te Upoko o Te Ika, on the North Island in Aotearoa, on Saturday. Six marquees were erected to welcome more than 1000 well-wishers. The Bishop of Polynesia, Archbishop Fereimi Cama, said: “We are overjoyed at this opportunity to celebrate the first Maori woman ordained bishop. This is a great achievement for Tikanga Maori, and a breakthrough for the whole church.” Bishop Quayle was ordained deacon in 2013 and priest in 2014. Since 2015, she has served as Archdeacon of the Maori Pastorate of Wairarapa.
Precentor of Wells withdraws from Perth
THE Precentor of Wells Cathedral, Canon Nicholas Jepson-Biddle, has withdrawn his acceptance of the post of Dean of St George’s Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia, the Chapter confirmed on Sunday. His appointment — announced last month — was put on hold last week while enquiries were made concerning historical Facebook posts (News, 13 September). Canon Jepson-Biddle said in a statement to the congregation at Wells: “I am hugely grateful to many of you who have been in touch in recent weeks. It has not been an easy decision for us. I am enormously grateful also for the wholehearted support of the Perth Chapter as the appointing body, and blessed by the support of my Chapter colleagues here in Wells.”
Migrant growth outpaces world population growth
THE number of international migrants has reached 272 million, outpacing the growth-rate of the world’s population, new data released by the United Nations on Tuesday state. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) reports that this figure has grown from 221 million in 2010. International migrants — those who change their “country of usual residence” — now make up 3.5 per cent of the global population, compared with 2.8 per cent in the year 2000. Europe hosts the largest number of international migrants (82 million), followed by North America (59 million). There are 51 million migrants in the United States alone — the largest number in a single nation. The estimates are based on population censuses.
Pell’s legal team applies to overturn conviction
CARDINAL GEORGE PELL’s legal team has lodged a special-leave application with the High Court of Australia to overturn the Victorian Court of Appeal’s decision last month to uphold his conviction for child sexual abuse, writes Muriel Porter, Australia correspondent. Cardinal Pell is serving a minimum sentence of three years and eight months for the abuse of two choirboys at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, in the 1990s, when he was RC Archbishop. If leave is given for the appeal by the High Court, it could take four to six months before the case is heard, with a final judgment to be handed down late next year.
Malaysia ban on interfaith prayers ‘ridiculous’
THE Archbishop of South-East Asia, the Most Revd Ng Moon Hing, has criticised the recent directive (Jakim) issued by Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development last week suggesting that Muslims and non-Muslims should not pray together, the Anglican News Service reports. The directive states that prayers of different faiths should not be said together at organised events. Prayers should be “replaced with an activity where a message of unity is shared”, it says. The Archbishop dismissed the directive, which he said would lead to further polarisation of faiths. “The Malaysian government has contradicted themselves,” he said. “On one hand, the Malaysian King (Yang di Pertuan Agung) and the Prime Minister [have] recently . . . emphasised interfaith and cultural relationships. . . On the other hand, such a directive. . . is ridiculous and confusing.”