Monsignor Hubert Coppenrath died

It was Father Landry Boyer, pastor who officiates in the parish of the Maria no te Hau church, of which Monsignor Hubert Coppenrath was still the administrator, who announced this Sunday, July 31 the death of the archbishop.

Mr. Coppenrath had been ordained a priest of Papeete on June 27, 1957. Since he had renounced the charge of the diocese of Papeete in 2011, the archbishop emeritus had also become administrator of Notre Dame de Papeete. He had also been entrusted with two parishes in the Tuamotu, and at Mataiva in the Marquesas, an archipelago which he knew well since he had officiated there for ten years.

On June 12, 2003, he was named Chevalier in the Order of the Legion of Honor on June 12, 2003, and named, exceptionally, to the rank of officer in the Order of Tahiti Nui on June 24, 2020. “Monsignor Hubert Coppenrath has been a true spiritual guide for our country. Faithful to the teachings of Christ, he was an example for all. Erudite, passionate about culture, he passionately loved his country and the Polynesian people of which he was for a long time one of the guides. (…) Our country is losing a great man, generous, sincere and discreet, a theologian of deep spirituality. Father Hubert, as everyone called him, cared about everyone and the young people in particular, for whom he had great concern in the face of changes in the world and the upheaval of Polynesian society” declared Edouard Fritch, President of the Country.

In 2017, the man of God confided to us that he is concerned about today’s youth: “I remain concerned about the future of Polynesian youth. The young people worry me, they have big difficulties, no work and the parents are overwhelmed. Some of these young people are undisciplined, violent, rebellious, and above all in lack of role models”. He further stated: “You shouldn’t believe that progress today is really progress. In a few years, we will already have forgotten all that. When I was young, almost everyone was Marxist or pseudo-Marxist. Now it is over, it is no longer a question of that. We must return to true values. The faith.”

“People liked him a lot for his commitment to the Polynesian population, in favor of reo Tahiti. They also helped people morally, spiritually, and sometimes materially as well. I think he was a man who was perceived as paternal, benevolent, and who also knew how to guide people when they had choices to make” says Armelle Merceron, niece of Hubert Coppenrath.

Monsignor Hubert Coppenrath would have celebrated his 92nd birthday on October 18.

The body of Monsignor Hubert Coppenrath will be exposed from 4 p.m. at the Maria no te Hau church in Papeete. A mass will be said at 6 p.m. followed by the vigil. The funeral will take place on Tuesday, August 2. Funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. followed by interment in the Priests’ Cemetery.