Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi sits in the sanctuary of the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa during Mass Jan. 16. (HCH photos | Darlene Dela Cruz)
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Hawaii welcomed the world’s youngest cardinal and the first from the small South Pacific nation of Tonga, selected by Pope Francis in one of his nods to the church’s “peripheries,” at a Mass of thanksgiving Jan. 16 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu.
Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, on the second day of an official four-day visit to Hawaii, celebrated the mid-morning liturgy with Bishop Larry Silva, who had invited him to the islands on the occasion of his elevation to the college of cardinals.
The church was filled, mostly with Tongan men and women and children, many wrapped in the ta’ovala, a mat of intricately woven lauhala worn on special occasions like a skirt over their western clothes, tied at the waist with cords made of coconut fiber.
It was a festive, family atmosphere. Leis, mostly thick maile twisted with white blossoms, were everywhere. Babies babbled freely throughout the ceremony. Smart phones and iPads captured images to share on social media.
In welcoming the cardinal, Bishop Silva recognized the Polynesian link between Tonga and Hawaii.
“We are very proud that the Holy Father has chosen someone from the Pacific islands to be one of his cardinals, his advisors,” he said.
Also in the sanctuary, joining in the liturgy, were 16 mostly local priests and seven deacons.
The Tongan choir, a combination of various singing groups from Hawaii’s Tongan community led by director Sosefo Lefai, saturated the church with strong, silken harmonies.
“I stand here honored to be invited to this Honolulu celebration,” Cardinal Mafi said in his opening remarks.
The cardinal’s red “zucchetto” hat.
The honor was Hawaii’s. Cardinal Mafi, 54, was the youngest of 20 new cardinals Pope Francis named last Feb. 14. Born on Dec. 19, 1961, in Nukualofa, Tonga, in 2008 he became the first diocesan priest to be named bishop of Tonga, an archipelago with about 17,000 Catholics about 3,000 miles southwest of Hawaii.
He is the second cardinal of Polynesian descent, the first being Cardinal Pio Taofinu’u of Samoa who died in 2006.
In his homily, the cardinal recalled the themes of faith and evangelization emphasized by the papacy of Benedict XVI and the themes of love and mercy highlighted by Pope Francis.
“The church is so privileged that Pope Francis has come and declared a special holy year, the Year of Mercy,” he said. “Pope Francis has called the church again to relook at the core of who we are.”
Speaking in a strong, assertive voice for 20 minutes without notes, Cardinal Mafi pointed to the example of the pope.
Sosefo Lefai leads the Tongan choir.
“Pope Francis is leading the way,” he said. “He is reaching out to people, reaching out to the fringes to show the love that is missing in the world.”
He is “a shepherd, a pastor, a father who reveals the love of God,” the cardinal said.
In his homily, the cardinal spoke fondly of his visit to Kalaupapa during an earlier trip to Hawaii.
“I’ll never forget flying to that little island — Molokai,” he said. “I was longing for it. I felt that I was going to a holy place to taste and see where a person was touched with love, Father Damien. That was the highlight of my trip.”
“We need to be touched again!” he said. “The world is going through many challenges, violence, bloodshed, but the dark side is not the only side. We need to renew our lives; we need to deepen again our faith.”
“Let us continue to be open to the love of God,” he said, “especially in this year of Mercy.”
This was the cardinal’s third trip to Hawaii. His first was 10 years ago as a priest to attend the ordination of his nephew, Sacred Hearts Father Johnathan Hurrell. His second was five years ago as bishop.
