{{short description|none}} {{Catholic Church by country}} [[File:First mass in Tonga.jpg|thumb|First mass in [[Tonga]], depicted on a glass-in-lead window of the Catholic Church of [[Lapaha]].]]
The '''Catholic Church in [[Tonga]]''' is part of the worldwide [[Catholic Church]] under the leadership of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga|its local bishop]] in communion with the [[Bishop of Rome]]. It is estimated that approximately 16% of the population of the Pacific island Kingdom are Catholic, being 15,767 in 2004.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Catholic-hierarchy|diocese|dtong|Diocese of Tonga|21 January 2015}}</ref><sup>[https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71360.htm 1]</sup> Bishop [[Soane Patita Paini Mafi]] succeeded as Bishop of Tonga in 2008.<ref>{{Catholic-hierarchy|bishop|bmafi|Bishop Soane Patita Paini Mafi|21 January 2015}}</ref>
==History==
Prior to the arrival of European sailors and missionaries, the islands of Tonga practised an [[animistic]] [[Polynesian culture|Polynesian]] religion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/468832/Polynesia/276584/Religion|title = Polynesian culture | History, People, Religion, Traditions, & Facts}}</ref> Responsibility for Oceania was given by the Catholic Church to the [[Society of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary]] in 1825; but the territory was judged to be too large, and the western portion was formed into a [[vicariate Apostolic]] and given to the [[Society of Mary (Marists)|Society of Mary]] in 1836, with Mgr [[Jean Baptiste Pompallier]] (1807–1871) appointed [[vicar Apostolic]] of Western Oceania. In 1842, the vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania was created comprising [[New Caledonia]], Tonga, [[Samoa]], and [[Fiji]]. A later subdivision, reduced the vicariate to include only Tonga, the [[Wallis Islands]], [[Futuna Island, Wallis and Futuna|Futuna]], and [[Niué]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11200b.htm|title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania}}</ref> In 1937 the Vicariate Apostolic of Tonga Islands was created and in 1957 it became the Vicariate Apostolic of Tonga Islands and Niue and in 1966 the region became the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga|Diocese of Tonga]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
The conversion to Christianity of King [[George Tupou I]], who was the political architect of modern Tonga, had a great influence on the religious life of the [[Polynesians|Polynesian]] nation. Of note, the last of the [[Tu'i Tonga]] line of Tongan Kings was Catholic. This is cited as being the reason that Lapaha in [[Mu'a (Tongatapu)|Mu'a]], the former capital of the [[Tongan Empire|Tu'i Tongan Empire]], is Catholic in contrast to neighbouring Tatakamotonga, which is predominantly [[Methodist]]. Tonga sent a delegation of young people for the first time to [[World Youth Day 2008]] when it was held in [[Sydney, Australia]].<ref>{{cite web |date= September 8, 2006 |title=Oceania Plans Bigger Turnout for Youth Day '08 |work=[[Zenit News Agency]] |url=http://www.archdioceseofagana.com/aoa_history.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=2012-07-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510134551/http://www.archdioceseofagana.com/aoa_history.htm |archive-date=2008-05-10}}</ref>
There is no official state religion in Tonga, but around 63% of Tongans are Christian, including around 48% Protestant and 15% Catholic. There is also 18% American Mormon sect. The constitution declared [[Sunday Sabbath|Sabbath]] a holy day and the law restricts activities on Sundays.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tongaholidays.co.uk/tongan-culture.cfm |title=Tongan Culture and Customs |access-date=2010-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720211842/http://www.tongaholidays.co.uk/tongan-culture.cfm |archive-date=2010-07-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/AcrossCurric/Paradise/koftonga.html |title=The Kingdom of Tonga |access-date=2010-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429032354/http://alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/AcrossCurric/Paradise/koftonga.html |archive-date=2010-04-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Catholic Church in Tonga has accepted and included [[Culture of Tonga|Tongan culture]].
As in other countries, the Catholic Church runs schooling and social services in Tonga.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tongacatholicschools.com/ |title=Apifoou.com is an internet community for all Catholic Schools in Tonga and its Ex-students! - Home |access-date=2010-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090910071357/http://www.tongacatholicschools.com/ |archive-date=2009-09-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 4 January 2015, [[Pope Francis]] announced his intention to appoint the present Bishop of Tonga [[Soane Patita Paini Mafi]] as a [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal]] at a [[Papal consistory]] to be held on 14 February 2015.<ref name="Tablet">[http://www.thetablet.co.uk/features/2/4330/red-hats-for-a-global-church Christopher Lamb, "Red hats for a global Church", ''The Tablet'', 8 January 2014] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825073825/http://www.thetablet.co.uk/features/2/4330/red-hats-for-a-global-church |date=25 August 2018 }} (Retrieved 15 January 2015)</ref>
==See also==
*[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga|Diocese of Tonga]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Oceania topic|Catholic Church in|groupstyle=background-color:gold|titlestyle=background-color:gold}}
[[Category:Catholic Church in Tonga| ]] [[Category:Catholic Church by country|Tonga]]