Ro Teimumu objects to public demonising of the Archbishop

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Ro Teimumu Kepa. Picture: JOVESA NAISUA/FILE

SHADOW Minister for Education and Heritage Ro Teimumu Kepa has strongly objected to the public demonising Archbishop Peter Loy Chong.

In a statement issued last night, Ro Teimumu also expressed her support for the recent education statements made by Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka, adding she issued this statement not only as Shadow Minister for Education but as a devout Catholic.

“I could not function without my faith; it is everything to me,” Ro Teimumu said.

She said Mr Rabuka spoke of the poor state of the Government’s education system, criticised its policy on appointments and recommended a National Education Commission which SODELPA had been advocating for from 2014.

The former Corpus Christi College principal said the many allegations against the church and the Archbishop were empty-headed and misconceived.

“There is nothing extremist, racist, or discriminatory about the Archbishop’s articulation of the church’s preference for principals who are of the faith.

“That is a fair and reasonable position. The Archbishop has explained in detail why it is reasonable and an indispensable part of Church tradition,” she said.

She said she was particularly incensed by the recent diatribe in the media aimed at the Archbishop and the church by the director of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission, Ashwin Raj.

“Mr Raj accused the church of many things including, for goodness sake, racial profiling and seemingly oppressing multi-culturalism, tolerance and diversity! Mr Raj should have praised our church as a continuing model of tolerance and diversity and multi-cultural education,” Ro Teimumu said.

She said the Catholic Church had a very large investment in education – not just in financial terms, but also spiritually and socially.

The Opposition MP intends to propose that the Minister and herself as the Shadow Minister for Education sponsor a bi-partisan gathering of all education partners to study the questions that concern each of them.

“For the Catholic Church, of course, I have touched here on the pressing differences over crucial appointments, we look for a more liberal and accommodating policy.

“I recollect that not long after the last election, the Prime Minister spoke of adopting a kinder touch. There is a perfect opportunity here for that to be demonstrated, along with a willingness to listen directly to concerns of the community.”

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