"My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Welcome to the website of the Catholic Diocese of Tonga. I am grateful that you have found your way here, whether you are a member of our faithful community across the islands, a visitor to our beautiful kingdom, or someone seeking to know more about the Catholic Church in the Pacific.
Our Diocese is small in numbers but rich in faith, culture, and love. From the cathedral in Nuku'alofa to our most remote parish in the Niuas, every community is precious in the eyes of God. We are a people called to deepen our faith β ke loloto e tui β and to share that faith with generous and open hearts.
As your bishop, I carry you always in my prayers. I invite you to join us in prayer, in service, and in the joyful proclamation of the Good News across these islands we love.
May God bless you and your families.
+ Soane Cardinal Mafi
Bishop of Tonga
Soane Patita Paini Mafi was born on 19 December 1961 in Nuku'alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. He comes from a deeply Catholic family β both his father and grandfather served the Church as catechists, a legacy of faith that has clearly shaped his vocation.
Growing up in the Kolofo'ou area of Nuku'alofa, the young Soane was active in his local parish youth group. He studied for the priesthood at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji, and was ordained a priest on 29 June 1991 by Bishop Patelisio Punou-Ki-Hihifo Finau, S.M., at the age of 29.
His early priestly ministry took him to the Ha'apai island group, where he served in parish work for four years β giving him a deep understanding of life in Tonga's outlying communities.
In 1995, Bishop Foliaki appointed the young Father Mafi as Vicar-General of the Diocese, a remarkable appointment for a priest of only five years' standing. He subsequently pursued postgraduate studies in religious education at Loyola University, Baltimore, Maryland, graduating in 2000, then spent six years in Suva training local priests for the Pacific region.
In June 2007 he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Tonga and consecrated on 4 October 2007. He succeeded to the See on 18 April 2008 β the first diocesan priest to serve as Bishop of Tonga; his three predecessors were all Marists.
On 4 January 2015, Pope Francis announced Bishop Mafi's elevation to the College of Cardinals. The historic ceremony took place on 14 February 2015, with Cardinal Mafi given the titular church of Santa Paola Romana in Rome. At the time he was the youngest member of the College of Cardinals.
Cardinal Mafi served as President of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) from 2010 to 2016. In April 2025, he participated as a cardinal elector in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Mafi has become one of the most prominent voices for Pacific peoples and climate justice. As a low-lying island nation, Tonga faces existential threat from rising sea levels. Cardinal Mafi uses his position in the College of Cardinals to advocate urgently for action, linking Catholic social teaching with the concrete suffering of Pacific communities.
He has also spoken out against the negative impacts of globalisation on Tongan traditional culture, calling for a development model that respects the dignity, identity, and way of life of Pacific peoples.