“CHURCH OF RATANA.”

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1925, Page 9

“CHURCH OF RATANA.”

A SCHISMATIC MOVE. ANGLICAN BISHOPS ACT. PASTORAL TO CLERGY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A good deal of anxiety is being caused to the Anglican Church authorities by the development of the Ratana movement as a schismatic organisation. “The Church of Ratana” is being formed. At a conference of representatives of the three North Island dioceses of the Church of England, held at Rotorua recently, it was stated that Ratana people had called upon ministers of all denominations to baptise “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and the true Angels.” They further demanded that whenever the Trinity was mentioned in the service, there should be added the "true Angels,” although they asserted they did not worship the Angels. Should clergymen refuse to comply with these demands, Ratana had instructed his followers that they were to leave that minister and start a branch of the “Church of Ratana.” As a result of that conference the three North Island bishops have issued a pastoral letter to the Maori clergy and laity. The letter states that the facts seem to be that it has been decided, apparently with Ratana’s approval, that his followers should withdraw from their respective churches, while emissaries were going about endeavouring to induce the Maoris to sign an undertaking to do this, and to declare their adherence to what was being styled the “Church of Ratana.” INSTRUCTIONS TO CLERGY. A fundamental formula of this so-called church was one in which “True Angels” were associated with the persons of the Holy Trinity. It was now being insisted that this formula should be used in the administration of the rite of baptism, contrary io the command of our Lord himself and the invariable practice of every branch of the Holy Catholic Church. In many places the acceptance of the ministration of the clergy was being made conditional upon their use of the objectionable formula in baptismal and other services.

The three North Island bishops (Archbishop Averill, Bishop Sprott, of Wellington, and Bishop Sedgwick, of Waiapu) have therefore issued to the clergy and people of the Maori race instructions to state that any person who signs the covenant now put forth by Katana’s emissaries is taking the very serious step of excommunicating himself from the Church of Christ. It is not lawful for the clergy to give to such a person the ministrations of the church such as Holy Communion, marriage or burial. The performance of baptism by „a minister or agent set up by Ratana- cannot be that it is performed otherwise than is ordained by our Lord when he said: “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” WINNING BACK MISGUIDED. The instructions go on to state that, while it is to be desired that persons who have acted in this misguided way should be won back to the fellowship of church, the clergy must not take for themselves the reception of those who wish to return, but- refer to their bishop for definite instructions. In the case of any person who has previously not received Christian baptism the instruction of the bishop must be sought before baptism is administered by any lay reader who joins Ratana’s organisation and thereby forfeits his license, and must return his badge of office. Such lay reader is not permitted to officiate in any way. Finally, the letter states that all faithful members of the church should at once sign the declaration provided by General Synod for church members. Moreover, definite should be given by the clergy upon the doctrine and sacraments of the church for the purpose of strengthening the faithful and rendering them immune from danger of being led astray by false and plausible teaching, which contradicts the teachings of the New Testament.

In issuing these instructions the bishops state they are confident that the clergy and people will carry them out loyally, and so remain true to the faith once delivered to the saints which had done so much for the uplift of the Maori race.