Catholic Church in Tonga

[3] Responsibility for Oceania was given by the Catholic Church to the Society of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1825; but the territory was judged to be too large, and the western portion was formed into a vicariate Apostolic and given to the Society of Mary in 1836, with Mgr Jean Baptiste Pompallier (1807–1871) appointed vicar Apostolic of Western Oceania.

[1] The conversion to Christianity of King George Tupou I, who was the political architect of modern Tonga, had a great influence on the religious life of the Polynesian nation.

This is cited as being the reason that Lapaha in Mu'a, the former capital of the Tu'i Tongan Empire, is Catholic in contrast to neighbouring Tatakamotonga, which is predominantly Methodist.

Tonga sent a delegation of young people for the first time to World Youth Day 2008 when it was held in Sydney, Australia.

[8] On 4 January 2015, Pope Francis announced his intention to appoint the present Bishop of Tonga Soane Patita Paini Mafi as a cardinal at a Papal consistory to be held on 14 February 2015.