Tonga’s Catholic leader, His Eminence Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, will travel today to the Vatican to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, following the Pope’s passing on Monday.
The exact date of the funeral hasn’t been announced, but according to Vatican protocol, papal funerals typically occur between the fourth and sixth day after death. At the moment the funeral is expected to be on Saturday.
The Papal Flag was lowered to half-staff yesterday at Kāingafoʻou, Cardinal Mafi’s residence in Vaolōloa, signalling the immense loss felt by the Catholic Church.
The flag is customarily raised only during formal visits from the Vatican’s ambassador to Tonga. Its lowering speaks of the gravity of the Pope’s death for both the Church and the Holy See, a sovereign entity headquartered in Rome.
Vicar General Monsignor Lutoviko Fīnau said Cardinal Mafi will represent Tonga at the Pope’s funeral in Rome, though the date and time of the service are yet to be confirmed by the Vatican.
An emergency meeting was held yesterday at the Toutaimana Centre, chaired by Monsignor Fīnau, to coordinate Tonga’s diocesan response.
Plans include a national Requiem Mass at the Cathedral, scheduled to align with the Vatican’s funeral proceedings. Churches and chapels across Tonga are also being prepared to honour the late pontiff.
“Once finalised, the announcement will be delivered to the Palace and broadcast nationally,” said Monsignor Fīnau.
Cardinal Mafi was later briefed on the program giving his approval.
The late Pope Francis, the first pontiff from the Americas, served as global head of the Catholic Church since 2013, leaving a profound legacy on issues of social justice, ecology, and reform.
