The elected archbishop takes the oath of faith and allegiance

Our reporter/

Apia, Samoa – August 21, 2024 – The installation ceremony of Archbishop-elect of Apia, Samoa, Mosese Vitolio Tui SDB, took place this morning at St. Michel Church in Leowa with a Mass accompanied by a Profession of Faith and Oath of Allegiance.

The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Thorne Partita Pani Mafi, Cardinal of Tonga and President of CPAC for Pacific and Oceania, and Bishop Peter Brown, Secretary to the Pacific and Oceania Nuncio.

The ceremony was followed by gifts from representatives of various ministries of the Church and from the Massey Church in New Zealand where the new Archbishop served before taking office.

A Royal Ava ceremony will be held at 4pm today at the parish of St Theresa of Leova in the village of Safotu on the island of Savaii, where the new Archbishop resides.

Tonga’s Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi presided over Mass and the Profession of Faith and Oath of Allegiance for the new Archbishop of Apia, Samoa, in Leowa’a this morning.

For over thirty years the Samoan Catholic Church has incorporated important cultural rituals into its liturgy, e.g. Ifoga A cultural gift given as part of a penitential ceremony and prayer for forgiveness, and as part of the offering during mass.

The ordination ceremony for Archbishop Moses will take place at 10am on Thursday at the St. Therese of the Childe Pastoral Centre in Leauvaa, followed by a cultural performance.

Archbishop Moses will celebrate his first Mass at the St. Therese of the Childe Pastoral Centre in Leauvaa at 10am on Friday, followed by entertainment by young people from the church.

Parliament today postponed its remaining weeks of sitting to allow the prime minister, cabinet and MPs to attend the appointment ceremony.

Catholicism is the second largest religious sect in Samoa.

Moses was an educator and Salesian priest who was known for his humorous way of delivering messages and for his practical approach and hard work in providing vocational training to young people at the Don Bosco College in Upolu and Savaii.

He will succeed the late Archbishop Alapati Lui Mateiliga, who died in April 2023 in New Zealand.

Talamua will live stream the new Archbishop’s Ava ceremony, ordination and Mass via Talamua Media’s YouTube channel:

https://talamua.com/2024/08/21/faauuga-o-le-tama-o-le-puleaga-faa-akiepikopo-a-samoa-apia/