The leader of the Catholic Church in Samoa, His Grace Archbishop Alapati Lui Mata’eliga, passed away in Auckland, New Zealand, early this morning.
He was 70.
Bishop Peter Brown of the local Diocese said, “It is with great sadness the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia announced the news of the passing of their beloved Archbishop Alapati at 3 this morning in Auckland.
“Let us join in prayer and love with our brothers and sisters in Samoa as they mourn the loss of their spiritual leader. We the Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Catechists and people of the Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago offer our heartfelt prayers and sympathy to Samoa.”
Archbishop Alapati is believed to the youngest Samoan seminarian ever to be ordained a priest. He was 24 when he was ordained in 1977.
Upon the retirement of Cardinal Pio Taofinuu, he was appointed by the Vatican as Archbishop on November 16, 2022 and was consecrated in January of 2003.
As a priest served in American Samoa at Fagatogo, Laulii, and Holy Family Parish, Fatuoaiga. Archbishop Alapati was last in the territory, last October, for the ordination of the new Bishop of the local Diocese, Kolio Etuale Tumanuvao.
He was a vocal church leader and led a protest march against the increase of the Value Added Goods & Services Sales Tax (VASGST) and was a constant critic of the former Human Rights Protection Party government and its leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.
Photo: Samoa Observer
