Pope Francis has appointed Fr Mosese Vitolio Tui SDB – the parish priest of St Paul’s Parish in Massey in West Auckland – as the new Archbishop of Samoa-Apia.

The announcement was made in Rome at 10pm New Zealand time 12 June 2024, Noon in Rome.

Archbishop-elect Tui replaces Archbishop Alapati Lui Mata’eliga. who died in Auckland in April last year.

Born in Samoa in 1961, Archbishop-elect Tui is a priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco. He was ordained in 1994 at the St John Bosco Church, Sinamoga, Apia.

Following his ordination, Archbishop-elect Tui was a school principal and parish priest in Samoa from 1995 to 2017. He was appointed parish priest at St Paul’s Massey and Ranui Parish. West Auckland in March 2018.

Bishop of Auckland Stephen Lowe said Archbishop-elect Tui was a popular parish priest with the spirit of Don Bosco who was much loved by the people of the parish. He had served on the Auckland Diocese Council of Priests and been a popular priest among the local clergy.

“While it is a sad day for the people of St Paul’s Parish and for us in the Diocese of Auckland, I am delighted with the Holy Father’s appointment for him as the new Archbishop of Samoa-Apia,” said Bishop Lowe. “Fr Mosese will bring the joy of the Gospel to his new diocese as well as his gift of unifying people in their love and service of our God.”

Following Archbishop Mata’eliga’s death, Pope appointed New Zealand-born Bishop Emeritus Peter Brown – the Bishop of Samoa-Pago Pago in American Samoa from 2013 until 2023 – as apostolic administrator in Apia, pending tonight’s appointment of Archbishop-elect Tui. Bishop Brown will now return to Auckland.

According to the 2021 Samoan census, there are 36,096 Catholics in Samoa, making Catholicism the second-largest Christian denomination behind the Congregational Christian Church Samoa, with 55,411 adherents. Samoa’s total population is 205,557.

© Scoop Media