Lau afioga Katinale Paini mai Toga, ta’ita’i o le Sauniga,

Lau afioga le Sui o le Tupu Sa, lau afioga le Nuncio,

Bishop O’Connell mai Cook Islands, Peresetene o le CEPAC,

Bishop Kolio Etuale Tumanuvao o Amelika Samoa,

Lau afioga le alii Kovana, Lemanu Mauga ma le Masiofo o Amelika Samoa; o le pa’ia lava lea ia Sua ma le Vaifanua, Fofō ma Aitulagi,  Sa’ole ma Saleaumua ma le Launiu na Saelua; Afio alii faatui o le motu, mamalu mai Tootoo o le Fale’ula ma Upu ia te oe le Manu’a Tele;

Lau afioga Amata Coleman, le Sui o le Malo o Tutuila ma Manu’a i le Palemene o Amelika,

Lau afioga i le Ulu o Tokelau,

Le mamalu o Samoa ua potopoto; i mamalu faalemalo, i le afio o lau afioga le Sui Tofia ma lau afioga Maiava, i le afio o le Palemia ma le Kapeneta, Le Fofoga Fetalai ma Sui o le Palemene, le Faamasino Sili ma le mamalu o le Faamasinoga; i mamalu faale-Tala Lelei, i faauluuluga ma sui o Ekalesia, i mamalu faale-atunuu, Tumua ma Pule, Ituau ma Alataua, Aiga i le Tai ma le Vaa o Fonoti, Aiga ma a latou Tama, Tama fo’i ma o latou Aiga.

O le a amata mai la’u molimau i le aso 2 Mati, tausaga 1994. O le mataupu, o le tetee o tagata i le lafoga (GST) ua tuuina i luga o le tau o mea’ai opomoa.  Na ‘apo e Tumua ma Pule ma ua latou ta’ita’i le tetee. Ona taupule ai lea o le savali filemu e faaali ai le tetee i le lafoga lea.  Sa ‘ese’ese ma fesoua’ina finagalo o tagata, fā’i o le ‘au tetee i le lafoga, a o le ‘au lagolago i le Malo o loo faatuina le Tulafono.

Na taofi e le Malo le faia o ni solo tetee.  Fai mai latou, o le fouvale i le Malo ma e faatupu vevesi.  Peita’i e le’i taofia ai Tumua ma Pule ma i latou e lagolagoina le tetee i le lafoga, ona o loo avanoa tagata lautele i le Tulafono Faavae e solo filemu e faaali ai se latou tetee i se mataupu.

Ona a’e lea o le tofa ma le faautaga o le a faamaopoopo le solo tetee i Vaimoso ona aga’i atu ai lea i le fale o le Malo i Matagi-ala-lua.  A o le’i amata le solo, ae na afio atu Katinale Pio Taofinuu ma ta’ita’i le sauniga lotu.   Na amata savali ai le alii Katinale i le solo, ae na toe solomuli ona e gasegase.

Ona alu lea o le solo e ui atu i Taufusi aga’i i le Uati Tele i Apia.  I se mea o Taufusi, na taunuu atu ai Patele Alapati Mataeliga ma auai i le solo.  Ua aga’i i luma ma ua ta’imua i le solo.  Ona ua oo atu i le mea lea o tu ai nei le fale’aiga o Macdonalds ma ua latalata i le Uati, ae lagona loa le tuu’alaga mai loudspeakers: “Leoleo!‘Ave’ese tagata ia ma le auala!  Taofi ma faataape le solo!”

I le taimi lea, na matou vaaia loa Patele Alapati, ua ‘u’u i luga le Tusi Paia i ona luma ma ua savali atu i luma o le solo ma ua va po o se 10 gafa e va ai ma le laina muamua o le solo.  A ua faateteleina ma topetope le ‘alaga mai o loudspeakers:  “Leoleo!   ‘Ave’ese tagata ia ma le auala! Taofi ma faataape le solo!”

E le’i i ai ma se leoleo na gaioi e usita’i i faatonuga mai loudspeakers.

A o Patele Alapati, e le’i i ai ma se foliga e faatafa pe fo’i, pe fefe.  Na ‘u’umau le Tusi Paia i ona luga se’ia taunuu i luma o le Uati ma ua liliu i le itu taumatau aga’i i le fale o le Malo i Matagi-ala-lua.  Ua taunuu le faamoemoe, ua sao le savali i le auala i le fale o le Malo.

O le ā le a’oga mai lenei mea?  Ia lototele, lotomau, ma ia faataunuu le sini o le faamoemoe.

O lea la ua i tatou i luga nei o le gaga.  O le fesili o loo feagai ma i tatou, pe faapefea ona tulituliloa le fe’au ma le a’oga mai le mea na tupu?

Iā te a’u, tatou te maua le tali mai le Tusi Paia, i tatalo a Tavita i le tusi o le Salamo. O le ‘autū, o le Atua e mana ma mata’utia, e tele lona to’asa, a o le Atua fo’i e tumu i le alofa ma le faamagalo.

Ou te manatua ai le pese mai Hawaii, I remember You.  Ou te manatua oe Akiepikopo Alapati i lou lototele, lou sailimalo ma lou alofa i tagata lautele.

Ia agalelei le Atua i lau faigamalaga ma ia e maua le mapusaga filemu i lalo ifo o aao alofa o le tatou Matai i le lagi.  

ARCHBISHOP ALAPATI MATAELIGA

I begin from the date 2^nd March 1994.

The issue was the opposition of people against the VAGST or the tax that was imposed by the Government on staple food items. The issue was taken up by Tumua and Pule who became the leaders of the opposition.  

It was decided to organize a peaceful march to protest against the GST.  The issue polarized the community between the supporters and opponents of the new tax.

The government tried to ban opposition by claiming that the protest was treason and it would cause unnecessary violence.   Tumua and Pule and their supporters responded by saying that it was within their rights in the Constitution to express opposition to the legislation.

It was decided that the march would begin from Vaimoso and through the town streets to the government building in Matagi-ala-lua.   Cardinal Pio Taofinuu arrived at Vaimoso before the march to lead the prayers.  He joined the march in the beginning but later withdrew due to ill health.

Along Taufusi Road, Father Alapati Mataeliga joined the front row of the march.  When the march reached where McDonalds is now, suddenly loudspeakers blared: “Police!   Get these people off the road! Disperse the march!”

At that moment, Father Alapati advanced forward on his own, raised a huge Bible ahead of him, and marched.

The loudspeaker's message became louder and persistent: “Police!  Get these people off the road!  Disperse the march!”

Not one policeman obeyed.

But for Father Alapati’s courageous intervention, there could have been real violence between the Police and the marchers.

Father Alapati reached the Town Clock, which was the goal, turned right and the marchers were able to follow and reached the government building.

What lessons do we learn from Father Alapati’s actions?

He intervened at a very critical moment and avoided unnecessary violence because of the courage of his convictions.

At this juncture, how do we read the lesson from this event?  How do we find perspective and insight from what happened?

I would like to draw on the Bible, to the prayers of David in the Book of Psalms; where he talks of a God of power and might, a God of wrath and justice, but also of a God full of love, mercy, and compassion.

Rest in Peace, Archbishop Alapati!

• This eulogy was given by Samoa's former Head of State, Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi at the funeral service of the Catholic Church's late Archbishop Alapati Lui Mataeliga on Saturday 6 May 2023.