Catholic Church in Tonga (original) (raw)

Also known as: Tonga (Deutsch, español, Italiano, polski, Português, latine), les Tonga (français), 湯加 (正體中文), トンガ (日本語)

Geography

Cultural Summary

Religions: Protestant 64.1% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 35%, Free Church of Tonga 11.9%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Assembly of God 2.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 1.6%, other 4.3%), Mormon 18.6%, Roman Catholic 14.2%, other 2.4%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.1%

Languages: Tongan and English 76.8%, Tongan, English, and other language 10.6%, Tongan only (official) 8.7%, English only (official) 0.7%, other 1.7%, none 2.2%

Ethnic Groups: Tongan 97%, part-Tongan 0.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified <0.1%

Motto: Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku tofiʻa (Tongan) (God and Tonga are my Inheritance)

Statistics (2021.12.31)

Area: 650 km²

Catholic Population: 12,000 Catholics (12.0% of 100,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 14 parishes

Clergy: 1 bishop (diocesan), 52 priests (41 diocesan, 11 religious), 3 permanent deacons (diocesan)

Non-Clergy: 44 religious (2 brothers, 42 sisters), 15 major seminarians, 199 catechists