austraLasia 1403
Death of Cardinal Pio Taufinu'u, Archbishop emeritus of Samoa-Tokelau, who invited the Salesians into his archdiocese
APIA: 23rd January 2006 -- Cardinal Pio Taofinu'u SM, first ever Polynesian-born bishop and Cardinal, died on 19th January in the Samoan capital, Apia, and was laid to rest on 21st in the Cathedral there. Cardinal Pio invited the Salesians to Polynesia, and specifically to Samoa, just 26 years ago. As a bishop he believed strongly in the value of consecrated life and sought to encourage and nurture its many different forms in his archdiocese, which extended beyond the islands of Samoa itself to take in the tiny nation of Tokelau, and other scattered islands of the Pacific at various times. He strongly supported Catholic education, especially for the poorest of his flock and it was in this context that he sought the direct intervention of the Rector Major of the time, Fr Viganò, to have the Salesians in his Archdiocese. The Rector Major approached the Australian provincial, and the 'Salesian map' in Oceania began to be re-drawn, since at precisely the same time there were requests to begin Salesian work in Papua New Guinea. Political reasons made it impossible for Australia to move in that direction (Australia was relinquishing its semi-colonial role there at the time), so Samoa was taken up. Cardianl Pio also encouraged missionary activity and was amongst the first of the Pacific Island dioceses to encourage his priests in particular to consider preaching the Good News well beyond their own confines. Samoan priests today serve in a number of missionary situations.
As a young priest, Pio Taofinu'u joined the Marists. He soon came to the notice of his own Religious and ecclesiastical superiors, and found himself in Rome helping his Bishop at the time of the Vatican Council. This obviously also brought him to the attention of Pope Paul VI who appointed him bishop in 1968 for the Apia diocese, which then became an Archdiocese with Tokelau attached in 1975. Soon after his appointment as Bishop he had the joy of welcoming Pope Paul VI to his diocese. He always spoke fondly of Paul VI as a father to him. Three years after that visit, Paul VI created him a cardinal, the first ever indigenous Pacifican to receive that honour and until today, the only one.
The Salesians owe a great debt of gratitude to Cardinal Pio, but it is one they have also paid with diligence, effort and by giving the Samoan Church many fine young priests and religious in the first instance, and an educational institution second to none in the South Pacific, the Don Bosco Technical Centre in Apia, not to mention two flourishing parishes, the preparation of the nation's lay catechists over a twenty year period and the management of the minor seminary (both now handed back to the archdiocese).
Cardinal Pio was an imaginative 'dreamer' for his people. It is fitting that he be buried at the foot of Mount Vaea which directly overlooks the Cathedral, for on that mountain's summit lies the last resting place of a man the Samoans call 'Tusitala', the teller of tales, Robert Louis Stevenson (of Treasure Island fame, amongst many other literary works). Always arguing against realism, Stevenson would underline what he called 'the nameless longings' of the reader. He and the Cardinal shared something there. But Stevenson died at 44, Pio at 82. He could, and did add the realism of a long life's experiences to his dreams.
One of Stevenson's prayers may be an appropriate prayer to conclude with, a prayer of Grace:
'Deliver us from fear and favour, from mean hopes and cheap pleasures. Have mercy on each in his deficiency; let him be not cast down; support the stumbling on the way, and give at last rest to the weary' Amen.
______________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
Death of Cardinal Pio Taufinu'u, Archbishop emeritus of Samoa-Tokelau, who invited the Salesians into his archdiocese
APIA: 23rd January 2006 -- Cardinal Pio Taofinu'u SM, first ever Polynesian-born bishop and Cardinal, died on 19th January in the Samoan capital, Apia, and was laid to rest on 21st in the Cathedral there. Cardinal Pio invited the Salesians to Polynesia, and specifically to Samoa, just 26 years ago. As a bishop he believed strongly in the value of consecrated life and sought to encourage and nurture its many different forms in his archdiocese, which extended beyond the islands of Samoa itself to take in the tiny nation of Tokelau, and other scattered islands of the Pacific at various times. He strongly supported Catholic education, especially for the poorest of his flock and it was in this context that he sought the direct intervention of the Rector Major of the time, Fr Viganò, to have the Salesians in his Archdiocese. The Rector Major approached the Australian provincial, and the 'Salesian map' in Oceania began to be re-drawn, since at precisely the same time there were requests to begin Salesian work in Papua New Guinea. Political reasons made it impossible for Australia to move in that direction (Australia was relinquishing its semi-colonial role there at the time), so Samoa was taken up. Cardianl Pio also encouraged missionary activity and was amongst the first of the Pacific Island dioceses to encourage his priests in particular to consider preaching the Good News well beyond their own confines. Samoan priests today serve in a number of missionary situations.
As a young priest, Pio Taofinu'u joined the Marists. He soon came to the notice of his own Religious and ecclesiastical superiors, and found himself in Rome helping his Bishop at the time of the Vatican Council. This obviously also brought him to the attention of Pope Paul VI who appointed him bishop in 1968 for the Apia diocese, which then became an Archdiocese with Tokelau attached in 1975. Soon after his appointment as Bishop he had the joy of welcoming Pope Paul VI to his diocese. He always spoke fondly of Paul VI as a father to him. Three years after that visit, Paul VI created him a cardinal, the first ever indigenous Pacifican to receive that honour and until today, the only one.
The Salesians owe a great debt of gratitude to Cardinal Pio, but it is one they have also paid with diligence, effort and by giving the Samoan Church many fine young priests and religious in the first instance, and an educational institution second to none in the South Pacific, the Don Bosco Technical Centre in Apia, not to mention two flourishing parishes, the preparation of the nation's lay catechists over a twenty year period and the management of the minor seminary (both now handed back to the archdiocese).
Cardinal Pio was an imaginative 'dreamer' for his people. It is fitting that he be buried at the foot of Mount Vaea which directly overlooks the Cathedral, for on that mountain's summit lies the last resting place of a man the Samoans call 'Tusitala', the teller of tales, Robert Louis Stevenson (of Treasure Island fame, amongst many other literary works). Always arguing against realism, Stevenson would underline what he called 'the nameless longings' of the reader. He and the Cardinal shared something there. But Stevenson died at 44, Pio at 82. He could, and did add the realism of a long life's experiences to his dreams.
One of Stevenson's prayers may be an appropriate prayer to conclude with, a prayer of Grace:
'Deliver us from fear and favour, from mean hopes and cheap pleasures. Have mercy on each in his deficiency; let him be not cast down; support the stumbling on the way, and give at last rest to the weary' Amen.
______________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
