Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, the first cardinal in Tonga’s history, has been a vocal campaigner against climate change and the negative impact of globalization on his country’s traditional culture.

Born on December 19, 1961, in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, he comes from a devout Catholic family, with both his father and grandfather serving as catechists. Raised in a fale (thatched) house, Mafi’s early life was rooted in traditional Tongan culture.

Mafi pursued his religious education at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji, where he earned a degree in divinity. He was ordained as a priest on June 29, 1991, at the age of 29. Following his ordination, he spent four years in parish work on the Tongan island of Ha’apai.

In 1995, at the young age of 34, Mafi was appointed vicar general of the diocese, just five years after his ordination. He furthered his education in the United States, studying religious education at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduating in 2000. He also earned a degree in pastoral counseling from Ignatius Loyola College in Maryland in 1998.

Mafi’s ascent through the Church hierarchy was swift. He was appointed coadjutor bishop of Tonga in June 2007 and consecrated as bishop that same year. In April, 2008, he succeeded Bishop Soane Lilo Foliaki as the Bishop of Tonga, becoming the first diocesan priest to hold this position.

Tonga has a small Catholic population estimated in 2021 to be 12,000 to 15,000 faithful, approximately 12-15% of the country’s population.

In February, 2015, Pope Francis appointed Mafi as a cardinal, making him the first ever cardinal from Tonga. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest member of the College of Cardinals at 53 years old.

Mafi has held several significant positions within the Church. He has been the president of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific since 2010. The bishops’ conference covers a large area comprising 14 Dioceses, 1 Prefecture Apostolic and 1 Missio Sui Iuris.

He also participated in both the 2014 and 2015 Synods on the Family.

As a cardinal from the South Pacific, Mafi has been vocal about the challenges facing his region. He has expressed concern about the impact of climate change on the low-lying areas in the Pacific. He has endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, stating that there was a need for a larger “collective voice on behalf of [our] Mother Earth and its vulnerable people.” This, he said, “is undoubtedly very urgent now.”

Mafi has also highlighted the negative effects of globalization on traditional social structures and communal living in Tonga. He worries about the tendency towards materialism and individualism that can result from these global influences.

In his role as a Church leader, Mafi has emphasized the need for deepening faith among his community, as reflected in his Episcopal motto, “Deepen the Faith.” He has also stressed the importance of the Church offering hope and mercy to the world.

Cardinal Mafi has emphasized the importance of the Church being humble yet filled with the “fire of the Spirit.” He hopes for a Church that is passionate about sharing the “good news” and restoring hope in the world. He believes the Church should offer a message of “Hope and Mercy of God” to today’s world.

In 2018, Cardinal Mafi caused controversy by expressing sympathy for a famous Tongan transgender activist, Joey Jolene Mataele, who campaigns for the “rights of transgender women” and is the co-founder of the Pacific Sexual Diversity Network and founder of the “Miss Galaxy Queen Pageant.”

Mateale, whose initiatives have been supported by Tongan royal family’s Princess Salote Lupepau’u Tuita,¹The princess has said that “when Joey was a toddler, he had very feminine features and really really curly hair. My mother [the queen] had a life-sized doll as well and she said, ‘oh, you’re pretty than by doll’, so she put the dress of her life-sized doll on Joey, put his hair in ringlets, and then would take him around. It wasn’t to mock him or anything; she just loved it” is also the Pacific Island Representative on the International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA) Executive Board and Chairperson of the South Pacific MSM (Men Who Have Sex with Men) Network Group. Mateale attended the 2015 consistory at which Cardinal Mafi was created a cardinal.

A 2018 documentary film called “Leitis in Waiting – LGBT+ and Cultural Diversity,” featured Cardinal Mafi’s 2016 address at “Tongo Laeti’s National Consultation ‘Together for Positive Change’” Conference. He is quoted as saying: “In Tonga, we are still finding our way in this modern world, with lots of challenges as well as things to learn. We must stand strong against discrimination and violence, abuse – all kinds of abuse. The good thing about Joey and co. is that they have the courage by persecution, perhaps people saying things against them. I hope there will be a time when people become more loving and tender-hearted.”

Cardinal Mafi does not appear to have weighed in on such issues as abortion or same-sex blessings, but under his leadership, the Catholic Church in Tonga opposed the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), citing concerns about its potential impact on traditional beliefs, including issues like abortion and same-sex “marriage.”

Cardinal Mafi speaks Tongan, his native language, and English.