1 Sep 2005

Pacific Conference of Churches gets mixed response to pro-gay Fiji court ruling

12:37 pm on 1 September 2005

The Pacific Conference of Churches says it has received mixed messages from its members in response to a high court judgment in Fiji which ruled in favour of gay sex in private.

Reverend Leva Kila Pat who is Acting General Secretary for the Conference says some of its members were supportive of the ruling saying it was a human rights issue, others wanted to keep a low profile whilst other members, particularly the Methodist Church, were opposed to it.

Reverend Leva says whilst the council understands the position of the Methodists given the strong anti homosexual culture in Fiji, it will not be supporting the Methodists planned protest march against the ruling.

Instead, he says they may raise the issue for discussion at the next regional forum meeting in 2007.

"I think we want to take a slow approach and observe it more carefully because some things are quite new in the region and maybe you can say that we are probably ten or twelve years behind the rest of the world."

Reverend Leva Kila Pat