Tongan Catholics mourn loss of John Paul II [1]
Monday, April 4, 2005 - 17:15. Updated on Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 17:09.
The 16,000 Catholics throughout Tonga began nine days of mourning on the death of Pope John Paul II in Rome on April 3, and they have invited King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV to join them for the funeral mass later this week.
Tonga's Bishop Soane Lilo Foliaki said the Catholic Diocese is planning to gather at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Mary at Ma'ufanga on Friday April 8 for a mass to be for Pope John Paul II.
Bishop Foliaki said he will be having an audience with King Taufa...ahau Tupou IV this afternoon to inform him of the church's mourning plans and to humbly request his presence at the mass.
Bishop Foliaki has met the Pope three times, the last time was in 2004 at the Vatican in Rome. He said he greatly admired John Paul II for his tireless concern for the people, whom he saw as the future of the church.
" He was a person who very much saw the people and the people saw him."
Bishop Foliaki has served as the Bishop of Tonga and Niue for 11 years after being appointed by Pope John Paul II after he was recommended by the Tongan diocese to the role.
The Bishop said he will not be attending the Pope's funeral in Rome because it is too late to travel so far, but ongoing mass and prayer services are being held throughout the Catholic parishes in Tonga.