Fifteen padres from across the globe have been asked by the Catholic Church in Vatican City to select a new archbishop for Samoa following the passing of Archbishop Alapati Lui Mataeliga a month ago.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, Father Spa Silver who is a member of the steering committee for the Catholic 5th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM5), said the selection of a new archbishop will be conducted in a new process this year.

"There is a process that the church has put in place. Before the archbishop passed away, he wasn't well and so he had asked Rome that he wanted an auxiliary bishop or someone to assist him because he was sick," he explained.

"The process was being made for a bishop that would assist him. Unfortunately he passed away but that process was in place so they are been looking for someone to help. We are going to use that same process to select someone, not just to help but who is going to be our next archbishop.

"So they've given us a list, they written to 15 padres and each were given a form to select their three choices. I've selected three from who I think are suitable and fitting for the role."

The votes from 15 selected padres who were given letters to select their best three choices will be compiled back in Rome and the one with the most votes will become the next Archbishop of Samoa.

According to Fr. Silver, the process will take some time but they are trying their best to elect someone who will continue on the role.

"Some have taken a year, some have taken six months, so hopefully it won't be that long for us," he added.

Meanwhile, Fr. Silver also added that Samoan padres who are overseas can also be selected for the job.

Asked if foreign padres who are not Samoans can apply for the position, Fr. Silver said it depends on their performance.

"We think about if they are fitting to become our archbishop and we've had foreigners but perfectly for us, it would be nice to have a Samoan archbishop who can understand the culture and our ways of living," he said.

The late Archbishop Alapati passed away on 25 April 2023 in New Zealand at the age of 70. His parents were Lauiliu Utu Vaoliko Mata'eliga (mother) and Vaoliko Sui Panitaleo Mata'eliga (father). 

He was ordained for the presbyterate of the Diocese of Samoa and Tokelau on 5 July 1977. Upon the retirement of Cardinal Pio Taofinu'u, Father Mataeliga was appointed by the Holy See as the second Archbishop of Samoa-Apia.