WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Churches dot the heavily Christian island of Tonga, and choirs can be heard singing on any day of the week.
Now, the Catholic Church is making a resident of the Pacific island a cardinal for the first time even though a majority of Tongans are Protestant. The island’s king, a Methodist, is hoping to attend the ceremony Saturday at the Vatican and later has a private meeting scheduled with the pope.
Bishop Soane Patita Paini Mafi is one of 20 cardinals being elevated by the pope. At the age of 53, he will be the youngest member of the College of Cardinals.
Mafi represents a church and region grappling with climate change, which is one of the major concerns of Pope Francis. In a recent interview with the Jesuit magazine America, Mafi spoke about the “permanent vulnerability” low-lying Pacific islands such as Tonga face from global warming.
Sound: Upcoming
