Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga

The Diocese of Tonga (Latin: Dioecesis Tongana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Tonga. It was erected as part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania in 1842, had subsequent name changes in 1937 and 1957 before being elevated to the Diocese of Tonga on June 21, 1966.^[1] Its cathedra is found in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Tongan: Malia Tupu 'Imākulata) in the capital Nuku'alofa. It is immediately exempt to the Holy See and not part of an ecclesiastical province.

Diocese of Tonga Dioecesis Tongana
Coat of arms of the diocese
Location
Country	Tonga
Territory	Tonga and Niue
Ecclesiastical province	Immediately exempt to the Holy See
Statistics
Area	947 km2 (366 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2011) 104,660 17,000 (7.6%)
Parishes	14
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	12 June 1966
Cathedral	St. Mary's Cathedral (Tongan: Malia Tupu Imakulata)
Patron saint	The Immaculate Conception
Secular priests	38
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Soane Patita Paini Mafi, Bishop of Tonga, Cardinal-Priest of Santa Paola Romana
Bishops emeritus	Soane Lilo Foliaki, S.M.
Map

On 4 January 2015, Pope Francis announced that he would make Tonga's bishop, Soane Patita Paini Mafi, a cardinal on 14 February of that year.^[2][3]

History

Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in Nuku'alofa

Along with the rest of the country, in the early Twenty-First Century the tiny Catholic community of some 15,000 has been considered threatened with the loss of its home due to climate change.^[4]

Bishops

Ordinaries

• Pierre Bataillon, S. M. (1842–1863)
• Aloys Elloy, S. M. (1872–1878)
• Jean-Amand Lamaze, S. M. (1879–1906)
• Armand Olier, S. M. (1906–1911)
• Joseph-Félix Blanc, S. M. (1912–1952)
• John Hubert Macey Rodgers, S.M. (1953–1972), appointed Titular Bishop of Caput Cilla
• Patelisio Punou-Ki-Hihifo Finau, S. M. (1972–1993)
• Soane Lilo Foliaki, S. M. (1994–2008)
• Soane Patita Paini Mafi (2008– ), elevated to Cardinal in 2015

Coadjutor bishops

• Guillaume Douarre [fr], S.M. (1842-1847), as Coadjutor vicar apostolic; did not succeed to see; appointed Vicar Apostolic of Melanesia (in fact Nouvelle-Calédonie, New Caledonia), Pacific (Oceania)
• Aloys Elloy, S.M. (1863-1877), as Coadjutor vicar apostolic
• Armand Olier, S.M. (1903-1906), as Coadjutor vicar apostolic
• Patelisio Punou-Ki-Hihifo Finau, S.M. (1971-1972)
• Soane Patita Paini Mafi (2007-2008); future Cardinal