A NEW DIOCESE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19546, 7 April 1926, Page 7

A NEW DIOCESE

MAORI BISHOP WANTED APPEAL TO THE SYNOD (Per Press Association.) ROTORUA, April 6. A representative meeting of Church of England members of the Artiwa tribe was held at Ohincmutu on April 4 and 5. The following resolutions wore adopted:— (1) This meeting of tho Arawa tribe adhere to the memorandum placed before the Bishops’ conference held at Rotorua on Juno 24, 1925, the last clause of which reads as follows: “The committee feels it is its duty to inform the conference that amongst Maori Church people there is a generally expressed desire that the Bishop at the head of tho Mission be a member of the Maori race, but at the same time, in view of the difficulties which would of necessity surround the office of Bishop in the first appointment, the committee does not wish to stress the point and would welcome the appointment were the Bishop a pakeba or a Maori. (2'i While wo recognise the many difficulties standing in the way of Bishops agreeing to the appointment of a Maori as the first Bishop of the new diocese, wo would respectfully point out that there are also strong reasons on the Maori side why they prefer a Maori las Bishop. While therefore prepared to give loyal support to a European as tho first Bishop, at the same time, in the interests of the Church as a whole, we earnestly hope means will bo found for the appointment at as early a date as possible of an assistant-Bishop who shall be a member of the Mfiori race, and further trust that, the Bishop will be able to give this proposal his wholehearted support at the General Synod.