Late Archbishop Alapati Lui Mataeliga
By Staff Writer
The next Catholic Archbishop for the Samoa and Tokelau Archdiocese is anyone’s guess unlike the time of the late Cardinal Pio Taofinu’u and ArchBishop Alapati Lui Mataeliga.
This is the picture that has emerged since a week ago with the passing of ArchBishop Mataeliga as the Catholic leader for Samoa and Tokelau.
All decisions are made from the heart of the Catholic Church at the Vatican in Rome and for now every office appointment of the faith in Samoa are rescinded until a new ArchBishop is appointed.
For the time being all church matters for the archdiocese are handled by Father Pio Galumalemana, as temporary Apostolic Administrator picked from the Vatican.
“My appointment is only until a new archBishop is finalised and the decision of who it will be is made from Rome,” Father Galumalemana explained to Newsline Samoa.
Rewinding back in time before Rome confirmed Cardinal Taofinu’u and ArchBishop Mataeliga in their respective leadership roles, the pair were already seen at the time as front runners by the local faithful.
Winding back to the present the choice is left wide open and the successor may not necessarily be decided from the priesthood in Samoa or be a Samoan also.
“All the 50 plus priests we have in Samoa and others who are serving outside the country in New Zealand, Australia or elsewhere are eligible for Rome to decide on,” Father Galumalemana continued.
Father Galuemalemana clarified the new appointment to be at the ArchBishop ranking.
“Samoa and Fiji are the only archdioceses in our region unlike our other surrounding neighbours including American Samoa that are diocese and have their own Bishop.
“We are a archdiocese so whoever takes over the church leadership do so at the archBishop level.”
No clear indication has been made on when Rome will announce a new church leader for Samoa.
The 70 year old leader Archbishop Mataeliga, passed away while seeking medical treatment in New Zealand.
His body was brought back and laid to rest at his residential home at Malololelei, a week ago Saturday 6 May 2023.
The ArchBishop who was born 4 January 1953 and died 25 April 2023.