Micronesian Counselor, Issue 67

Hezel, Francis X. (2007-05-10). Micronesian Counselor, Issue 67. Micronesian Counselor (Report). Kolonia, Pohnpei: Micronesian Seminar. pp. 1–10.

• Has attachment: File:52BGKPTI.pdf

Abstract: The lead article, Island Politics, by Francis X. Hezel, S.J., explores the intersection of religion, governance, and public life in Micronesia. Opening with a Marshall Islands lawsuit against tobacco companies, it recalls how a local official objected to church commentary on the case, insisting that clergy should stay out of politics. The essay argues that moral questions about justice, accountability, and leadership are inseparable from political debates, and that religious voices inevitably enter the civic arena.

Additional discussion touches on health policy controversies in the Marshall Islands, electoral disputes in Chuuk and Pohnpei, and debates in Yap and Kosrae over the role of churches in civic reform. The issue also recalls earlier instances when missionaries or pastors influenced political change, suggesting that “island politics” has long been shaped by religious as well as secular authority.