Diocese of Polynesia
{{More citations needed|date=May 2010}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction = Diocese
| name = Polynesia
| image = Guard Suva MatthiasSuessen-8368.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption = Holy Trinity Cathedral in Suva
| coat = File:Diocese_of_Polynesia_Coat_of_Arms.jpg
| coat_size =
| coat_alt =
| coat_caption = Coat of arms of the Diocese of Polynesia
| country = Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa
| cathedral = Holy Trinity Cathedral, Suva
| parent_church = Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
| bishop = Sione Uluʻilakepa
| bishop_title = Bishop and co-primate
| assistant_bishops = Gabriel Sharma (Viti Levu West)
Henry Bull (Vanua Levu and Taveuni)
| dean = Orisi Vuki
| archdeacons = Famausili Chris Solomona
Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa-Leota
Kensington Fifita
Henry Rogo
Orisi Vuki
Henry Manulevu
| website = {{URL|https://www.anglican.org.nz/Directory/Diocese-of-Polynesia/Diocese-of-Polynesia}}
}}The Diocese of Polynesia, or the Tikanga Pasefika serves Anglicans in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands, within the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The diocese's first bishop was consecrated in 1908. The diocese's cathedral is Holy Trinity Cathedral in Suva, Fiji.
Polynesia is a diocese, and its Bishop is automatically accorded the style archbishop and the formal prefix Most Reverend. Under the new model of leadership now adopted by the Anglican Church in New Zealand, the Bishop of Polynesia is automatically one of the three co-presiding bishops and archbishops. Each of these three is metropolitan archbishop to his respective tikanga, and informally they also share the primacy, although in practice they are required to elect one of their number to be the formal Primate, and serve on the international Anglican Communion Primates' Meeting.
Bishops
=Bishops of Polynesia=
- 1908–1921: Clayton Twitchell
- 1922–1962: Stanley Kempthorne
- 1962–1968: John Vockler
- 1969–1975: John Holland
- 1975–2010: Jabez Bryce (also: Acting Primate of New Zealand, 1997–1998; Co-Presiding Bishop / Pīhopa Aporei (Pasefika), 1998 2008; Primate / Pīhopa Mātāmua and Archbishop, 2008 onwards)
- 2010–2018: Winston Halapua (also Primate / Pīhopa Mātāmua and Archbishop)
- 2019–2021 (d.): Fereimi Cama{{Cite web|title=Anglican Taonga : New Zealand's Anglican News Leader|url=https://www.anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_pasifika/cama_ordained|access-date=2021-10-20|website=www.anglicantaonga.org.nz}}{{Cite web|title=Anglican Taonga : New Zealand's Anglican News Leader|url=https://www.anglicantaonga.org.nz/features/extra/fereimicama_dp|access-date=2021-10-20|website=www.anglicantaonga.org.nz}} (also Primate / Pīhopa Mātāmua and Archbishop)
- 2023–present: Sione Uluʻilakepa (also Primate / Pīhopa Mātāmua and Archbishop; nominated November 2022;{{cite web |website=Anglican Taonga |title=Nine go forward for +Polynesia |date=13 March 2023 |url=https://anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_pasifika/dop_ec |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123211713/https://anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_pasifika/dop_ec |archive-date=23 January 2023 |access-date=17 May 2023 }} sanctioned December;{{cite web |website=Anglican Taonga |title=Polynesia elects new Archbishop |date=13 March 2023 |url=https://anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_pasifika/polynesia_elect |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205050229/https://anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_pasifika/polynesia_elect |archive-date=5 February 2023 |access-date=17 May 2023 }} and consecrated 11 March 2023){{cite web |website=Anglican Taonga |title=+Sione Polynesia takes the lead |date=13 March 2023 |url=https://anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_pasifika/sionedop |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322052126/https://anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_pasifika/sionedop |archive-date=22 March 2023 |access-date=16 May 2023 }}
=Suffragan bishops=
Anglicanism first came to Samoa around 1890; in 1897, Alfred Willis, Bishop of Honolulu, visited Apia to baptise eight and confirm eleven people; he retired to Tonga in 1902 and was licensed assistant bishop in Tonga by Twitchell in 1913.Honoré, Christopher. "The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia" in The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to the Anglican Communion (2013) (p. 381.)
On 27 August 1967, Fine Halapua was consecrated a bishop, to serve as an assistant bishop of the diocese and called suffragan Bishop of Nukuʻalofa;{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MV3kAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA70|title = The Living Church|year = 1967}} he retired at the end of 1977.{{Cite web|url=https://kinderlibrary.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/44#idx15871|title = Proceedings of the General Synod: 43rd General Synod, 1978}} On Lady Day (25 March) 1994, Viliami Halaʻapiʻapi was consecrated Assistant Bishop of the diocese;{{Cite book|url=https://anglicat.kinderlibrary.ac.nz/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=408404|title=The episcopal ordination of the Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Polynesia the Venerable Viliami Lausi'i Maealiuaki Hala'api'api and the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of the Association of Anglican Women, Holy Trinity Cathedral Suva, Fiji on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 25th March, 1994 at 10.00 a.m|year=1994}} called Father Bill, he died in office in early 2003.{{Cite web|title=Proceedings of the General Synod: 56th General Synod, 2004|url=https://kinderlibrary.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/56|access-date=2021-10-20|website=John Kinder Theological Library}}
Between 2004 and 2006, the diocese created six "units": three Episcopal Units (i.e. led by bishops) and three Archdeaconry Units (i.e. led by archdeacons). By 2006 these were: Northern (the Bishop in Vanua Levu and Taveuni); Vitu Levu West; and the Archdeaconries of Suva & Ovalau, of Tonga, of Samoa, and of American Samoa;{{Cite web|title=Proceedings of the General Synod: 57th General Synod, 2006|url=https://kinderlibrary.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/57|access-date=2021-10-20|website=John Kinder Theological Library}}{{Cite web|date=2016-08-28|title=Mission Units - Anglican Diocese of Polynesia|url=http://www.dioceseofpolynesia.org/mission-units.html|access-date=2021-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828042109/http://www.dioceseofpolynesia.org/mission-units.html|archive-date=2016-08-28}} the diocese's Episcopal Units Act 2008 founded three units: in Vanua Levu and Taveuni, in Viti Levu West and in New Zealand.{{cite web |url=http://www.dioceseofpolynesia.org/uploads/2/3/8/5/23858056/_acts_of_the_diocese.pdf |title=THE DIOCESAN SYNOD ACT 1997 |publisher=Diocese of Polynesia |access-date=22 March 2022}}
On 10 April 2005, three assistant bishops were consecrated for the diocese: Halapua, who served Polynesians in mainland New Zealand until 2010; Apimeleki Qiliho, Bishop in Vanua Levu and Taveuni (until 2017), in Viti Levu West (2014–2017), and an Assistant Bishop (2017–18); and Gabriel Sharma, Bishop in Viti Levu West (until 2013 and again 2017–present).[http://anglican.org.nz/content/download/50400/254201/file/2019%20Lectionary%20.pdf ACANZP Lectionary, 2019] (p. 145)
On 17 September 2017, ʻAka Vaka was consecrated a bishop; he served as "Bishop in Tonga", overseeing the newly constituted episcopal area;{{Cite web|date=2017-09-19|title=First Bishop ordained for Anglican Church of Tonga|url=https://matangitonga.to/2017/09/19/first-bishop-appointed-anglican-church-tonga|access-date=2021-10-20|website=Matangitonga|language=en}} he retired effective 23 July 2019.{{cite web | url-access=limited |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/712235738912252/1488483707954114 |archive-date = 2022-04-27| url = https://www.facebook.com/Diopolynesia/posts/1488483707954114 |title = Anglican Diocese of Polynesia on Facebook |website=Facebook}}{{cbignore}}{{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}} Henry Bull was consecrated bishop on 3 December 2017 to serve as bishop in Vanua Levu and Taveuni.{{Cite web|date=2017-11-14|title=NEWS/EVENTS|url=http://www.dioceseofpolynesia.org/newsevents.html|access-date=2021-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114160354/http://www.dioceseofpolynesia.org/newsevents.html|archive-date=2017-11-14}}{{Cite web|title=Anglican Taonga : New Zealand's Anglican News Leader|url=https://anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_pasifika/stones|access-date=2021-10-20|website=anglicantaonga.org.nz}}
Other notable people
- Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa-Leota, also known as Archdeacon Tai
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Bishops of Polynesia}}
{{Province of New Zealand}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Diocese Of Polynesia}}
Category:Anglicanism in New Zealand
Category:Christianity in American Samoa