Gabriel Sharma

{{Short description|Fijian bishop}} {{multiple issues| {{cleanup press release|1=article|date=June 2017}} {{notability|Bio|date=June 2017}} {{original research|date=June 2017}} {{BLP sources|date=January 2010}} }} {{EngvarB|date=October 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} '''Gabriel Sharma''' is an Anglican Bishop in Fiji. On 1 May 2005, he became the first Indo-Fijian to be consecrated as an Anglican Bishop, the first ethnic Indian Bishop in the Province of Aotearoa, of which Fiji forms a part, and the first Bishop specifically assigned to Fiji's Western Division, when he was installed as Bishop of Viti Levu West.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} On 10 April 2005,<ref name="lec19">[http://anglican.org.nz/content/download/50400/254201/file/2019%20Lectionary%20.pdf ACANZP Lectionary, 2019] (p. 145)</ref> in a service at Suva's Holy Trinity Cathedral, he was consecrated together with Apimeleki Qiliho, who became Bishop of Vanua Levu, and Dr Winston Halapua, who was installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Polynesia, which covers New Zealand.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} He resigned his See in 2013, but returned in 2017.<ref name="lec19" />

== Family background == Sharma, who hails from a farming family in the village of Korokoro in Nadroga-Navosa Province, was raised as a Hindu but converted to Christianity after meeting Ana, whom he married in 1985.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

== View on the 2006 coup == After the 2006 coup, Sharma told Anglicans in Sydney that Fijian Christians were praying especially that no one would be harmed. He said that the majority of Fijians believed that the coup was illegal, but that a silent minority thought that the coup was "the only thing that could have happened." He called on the outside world to try to understand the situation. "We have heard a number of negative remarks [about the situation in Fiji], but this will not help the people," he said.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

Sharma said that many churchgoers in his region had been laid off as hotel visits had slumped. He said that many people were still hopeful for a democratic resolution, but requested that Sydney Anglicans continued to pray.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://your.sydneyanglicans.net/sydneystories/fijian_fears_drive_bishops_to_prayer/ |title=Fijian fears drive Bishops to prayer |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070111234259/http://your.sydneyanglicans.net/sydneystories/fijian_fears_drive_bishops_to_prayer/ |archivedate=11 January 2007 }}</ref>

== References == <references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Gabriel}} Category:Living people Category:People from Nadroga-Navosa Province Category:Converts to Anglicanism from Hinduism Category:Converts to Protestantism from Hinduism Category:Fijian Anglican bishops Category:Year of birth missing (living people)