13 Jun 2017

Catholic missionary forced out of PNG

From , 3:03 pm on 13 June 2017

A New Zealand Catholic missionary, providing legal advice to landowners, has been forced out of Papua New Guinea.

Douglas Tennent left PNG at the weekend after being told by immigration officials on Friday he was abusing the conditions of his religious worker visa.

But the Archbishop of Rabaul, Francesco Panfilo, says Mr Tennent was working for him on disposing of church and other lands, a housing project for low-income earners and helping those negatively affected by a huge palm oil project, run by multi national Rimbunan Hijau.

Archbishop Panfilo told Don Wiseman that Mr Tennent, who had previously taught law at the University of PNG, was brought into the Rabaul diocese as a lay missionary.

Catholic church steeple with cross on top, sky as background.

Photo: RNZ / Brad White