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Résumé En 1842, La London Missionary Society débarque à Lifou (îles Loyauté) un teacher polynésien qui apporte l’évangile. Jusqu’en 1864, seul le protestantisme a le droit de cité. En 1864, la France qui souhaite annexer les îles Loyauté s’appuie sur les missions catholiques et les troupes de marine pour évangéliser les derniers païens et imposer son drapeau. Le conflit sera long et violent. Les 5 000 habitants de l’île sommés de se ranger sous l’une des deux bannières religieuses s’opposeront puis s’éviteront, ce qui ne sera pas sans conséquence.

Catholics and Protestants in the Island of Lifu: a recurrent Conflict In 1842, the London Missionary Society landed a Polynesian teacher at Lifou in the Loyalty Islands to preach the Gospel. In 1864, France had plans to annex these islands, so she encouraged the catholic missions and the naval authorities to evangelise the remaining pagans and get them to accept her flag. The ensuing conflict was drawn out and violent. The 5,000 inhabitants of the island, who were pressurised into adopting one or other of the two religious persuasions, came into conflict and subsequently broke off contact with each other, a development which had lasting consequences.