FIRST MAORI BISHOP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20116, 29 November 1928, Page 10

FIRST MAORI BISHOP.

CEREMONY OF CONSECRATION.

ARRANGEMENTS AT NAPIER. [BX TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Half the accommodation in Napier Cathedral, where the Rev. F. A. Eennett will bo consecrated as Bishop of Aotearoa oy Sunday morning, has been reserved for Maoris. The sermon at the consecration service will be preached by the Eev. Archdeacon H. Williams, who will speak in both the Maori and the English languages.

In addition to all the bishops of tfce Church of the province of New Zealand, leading natives from all parts of the Dominion will be, present* From Rotorua alone 60 Maoris are travelling to Napier for the ceremony, including the famous Rotorua Maori choir, which will take part in tho service. The Railway Department is providing concession fares for those proceeding to Napier for the consecration.

At tho consecration of an English bishop the usual procedure is for the newly-consecrated bishop to preach in tfio evening in tho cathedral of his consecration. It is probable, however, that# Rev. Bennett will address his own kith and kin at Pakipaki, where tho natives are being accommodated, on the evening of his consecration.

SERVICE AT QISBORNE. EUROPEANS AND MAORIS. To mark tho great importance of the consecration of the first Maori bishop, a united service of Europeans and Maoris will bo held at Gisborne on tho evening of Sunday, December 23. This date is the first at which the new bishop could himself attend and preach. On the morning of that date he will preach at tho Maori Church at Manutukc. The church at Gisborno should in the future, possibly as a Cathedral Church, occupy a large placo in the development of the Anglican Church for die northern part of the diocese.

Canon Parke lias authorised invitations io be sent to tho Maori people to take part in the service, which later will be more fully announced. There will be many .'Maoris who will not be able to go to Napier for the consecration who will be glad of the opportunity which will be open to them at Gisborne. The dean hopes to bo able to accommodate 1500 people* in the Napier Cathedral next Sunday, but this will not suffice to receive all who may be present if the local residents at Napier make a largo attendance. Tho Poverty Bay Herald says: —"There is some risk that somo persons may gather an erroneous impression from the new departure in tho appointment of a suffragan bishop to the Bishop of Waiapu for the special spiritual care of the Maoris. It may be thought that the' movement is intended to make for severance. This would be altogether to misunderstand the intention of the Church as expressed by its synod. It is to prevent severance and to promote unity, while giving to the Maori people more freedom to express themselves more truly in accordance with native habits of thought. No one should wish to Angliciso tho character and habit of the best Maori tradition, while the race has now proved itself capable of assimilating the highest branches of general European education."