THE APOSTOLIC DELEGATE

New Zealand Tablet, 24 February 1916, Page 23

THE APOSTOLIC DELEGATE

A MAORI WELCOME AT TAUPO. (From an occasional correspondent.) The 12th of February, 1916, will be written in golden letters in the annals of Maori Catholic history. Mis Excellency the Apostolic Delegate, who is making . a special report to the Holy Father on the status of the Maori mission in New Zealand, had decided, on his entry into the Auckland diocese, that his first official visit would be to the Maori race. Wai-hi, on the shore of the far-famed 'Lake Taupo, was the spot selected by his Lordship the Bishop of Auckland. Since the day that the natives had heard, the good tidings, they had spared no efforts, led by their devoted priest, Father Langerwerf, to make .his Excellency's visit a pronounced success. Eleven o'clock in the morning was the appointed time for the landing. At half-past 10. the launch bringing the Apostolic Delegate was sighted by the natives. It was covered with bunting, and never before had it carried such a, distinguished party. The sun was' bright, the lake. was calm; it seemed as if Horomatangi, the fabulous taniwha (sea \ monster) of the lake, who dwells in the depths of Motu- * taiko Island, and who can turn, according to Maori 'v/ legend, the peaceful waters of the beautiful lake into the wildest raging sea had repaired" to its cavern as an acknowledgment that its mana no longer existed. By this time the natives had gathered near the landing place. *■ The women sent out their long, native call of welcome, and as it went along towards the coming • visitor, it seemed to create a ripple oh the surface of the waters. -\ The; launch was ,now alongside the jetty which had been built for the occasion. •; - ;

" Rev. Fathers Langerwerf and Delach welcomed his Excellency at the landing, and, after presenting the visiting clergy to him, a procession was formed. All in the pa were shouting words of welcome. Suddenly a stalwart Maori, clad in native garments, and armed with a handsome but terrible taiaha, and tatooed for the occasion, stood before the Delegate, and laid at his feet a branch of manuka; it was the first challenge. Another challenger came on, and repeated the same performance. Every one on the road that took no part in the matua, had cleared the way as if by magic, and the welcoming party was seen at a distance lying on the road. One word from the leader, and the whole party, carrying green branches, jumped to their feet, and gave a mighty shout. After a time the matua or welcoming party drew out a little, and the women expressed their welcome. Then the matua started their powhiri again. This time they had warmed up to it; the excitement was greater and the sight was more exciting. Then the matua entered the marae. As soon as his Excellency arrived at the gate the final powhiri was given with renewed energy. Suddenly the matua divided, and the members formed themselves into two lines to form a guard of honor. Instantly the crowd dropped on their knees, and the Apostolic Delegate gave them his blessing. This was a sight never to be forgotten. Then his Excellency and party proceeded to the verandah of the Maori meeting house. After a short interval, ten chiefs of high rank, appointed from various tribes of New Zealand, welcomed his Excellency on behalf of the Maori, race. As his Excellency rose to reply, the air was rent by the cheers of the natives. The sound reached Tongariro, that mountain of romantic lore, which reechoed it to Ruapehu, and these two landmarks, witness of the old Maori mana, realised that a new sun had risen. , His Excellency, who wore his ecclesiastical robes, stood there on the verandah of a Maori meeting house, being in the eyes of the natives the very personification of everything powerful, sacred, tapu — representative of the Holy Father. His charming manner put all at their ease. His Excellency is a Hebrew scholar, well acquainted with Oriental poetry, and he noticed at once the Oriental touch in the native speeches, and he replied to them in the same strain. " HIS EXCELLENCY'S ADDRESS. His Excellency's address, which was interpreted by Very Rev. Dean Lightheart, was as follows My children, remnant of a noble race, I salute you. I salute you, the children of the great men who have gone to dwell in the land of death. The fame of your name and the strength of your faith have reached the ears of our Holy Father the Pope. His heart rejoiced when he heard from Bishop Cleary of the love of the Maoris for the successor of St. Peter. The sun in the heavens gives warmth to the tall rata of the forest, but it also gives warmth to the little flower in the valley. So the Pope's love and care extend to the small peoples as well as to the great. When the Son of God came down to this earth, He manifested Himself first to the shepherds; afterwards to the kings. So to-day, on my first entry into this diocese, my first visit is to you, to the Maoris, to this village. Afterwards I will go to the great city of Auckland, to receive the greetings of the vast Catholic population. I come to you as the Pope's Delegate. I receive your greetings and I greet you. Greetings! To-day, the spirits of your ancestors rejoice, because you, their children, have seen the realisation of their wishes, and their marae has been glorified. Rejoice, therefore, you also ! Hold fast to the faith; let that faith be the post around which all your words shall be fastened, while you live upon the earth. Keep ever, strong your love for St. Peter for St. Peter and his successors are the rock that stands firm in the ocean, and against which the stormy waves break in vain. You know the pawa shell. As long as the pawa clings to the irock, no harm befalls it. But as soon as the pawa' loseslits hold on the rock, it 13 tossed about by the wave* and dies on the dry \

sands of the seashore. So with you. So long as you cling to the rockto the Rock of St. Peter on which our Lord built His Church—the tempests of this world may war, the great waves may arise, but you will be safe. Therefore,- be strong in the faith (Kia kaha, kia manawanui, kia raau kite whakapono). And now, in token of the Pope's affection for you, I will give you the Apostolic Blessing. On the conclusion of his Excellency's address, the natives gave a haka, to express their intense satisfaction. The applause had hardly subsided, when all of a sudden, a fresh spontaneous expression of delight broke out, as his Lordship Bishop Cleary rose to address the gathering. Under his Lordship's guidance and protection, the field of the Maori mission, tilled by the zealous and devoted Mill Hill Fathers, has, during the last few years, borne fruits unheard of in the Auckland diocese since the day of Bishop Pompallier. With the fluency of an old Maori chief, Bishop Cleary addressed the natives in their own language. He was earnest, impressive, and eloquent. The Maoris love their Bishop, they are proud of him; he spoke to the point, and after the burst of applause that followed his speech had subsided, an old Maori chief expressed fairly well the feelings of the tribes when he said in his quaint English:—' No bishop like our Bishop.' After the speeches came the ' kai,' for such is the native custom. The herald of the village stood on an enormous volcanic rock, rang the always welcome dinner bell, and with a stentorian voice called out: ' The Pope, the Bishop, and the priest.' . His Excellency and party then adjourned to the native dining-room, followed by the various visiting tribes. Two rows of waiters and waitresses formed a guard of honor outside the entrance door. The room was beautifully decorated, the tables were loaded with dainty dishes; it was a royal banquet, and about 300 guests sat down to it. There was no string band, but the natives supplied native songs and ' paos ' in such a style that no brass band could have excelled them. How his Excellency enjoyed the music I do not kncv*, but the fact that he had dinner the following day in the same company shows at least that the novelty of the proceeding was not distasteful to him. In the afternoon his Excellency was seen going about the village, now shaking hands with an old Maori woman, now amused with the little children along the road, now having a friendly chat with young men, and even writing his name in autograph books. •In the evening his Excellency presided at prayers. Those who have not seen Maori meetings do not realise what it is to pray in Maori life. The chanting of prayers, the singing of hymns, the devotion and earnestness of the people cannot fail to impress even those who have no faith, so that of itself would have been enough to make the Delegate's visit to Wai-hi interesting. THE CEREMONIES ON SUNDAY. On the Sunday morning his Excellency said Mass at seven o'clock in. the church. Needless to say, every Catholic made it a point to assist at it and receive Holy Communion from his hands. At eleven o'clock, as the church was too small for the large congregation, an altar was erected in front of the Maori house, and the Mass was said in the open by Very Rev. Dean Van Dyk. His Excellency was present, and was pleased to observe the piety and fervor of the natives. The choir was at its best, and the singing was very effective. What struck me most was the Catholicity of the Church, as I. counted people of at least twelve different nationalities assisting at that Mass in this little unknown village of Wai-hi. . - ' , At 3 o'clock in the afternoon a ceremony of a new kind was to take place in the marae; the natives were to pay their respects to their distinguished visitor by investing him with a Maori cloak. The procession started from the presbytery. ' At the gate of the marae stood a party of young men who after giving a haka of welcome, broke out into two lines, and, kneeling on the

ground, left the way clear for the Apostolic Delegate, who took his seat again on the verandah of the meeting house. Very Rev. Dean Van Dyk, Superior of the Mill Hill Fathers, made an appropriate speech, and read an address of welcome on behalf of the Maori missionaries of the Auckland diocese. He was followed by Mr. Hepi Houkou, a young Catholic chief of distinguished ability, who, in a few well-chosen words, thanked his Excellency for the honor he had conferred on the Maori race, and read to him an address on behalf of the native tribe. Then two elderly chiefs came forward and, after a few explanatory words, presented some Maori mats to his Excellency; this was followed by several others who brought presents including greenstones and a valuable taiaha, presented by Father Maillard, of the Wellington diocese. His Excellency acknowledged their presents in the following speech, which was interpreted by Father Langerwerf : My children, I have come among you to-day as the representative of the Pope. You have invested me with a native garment, as a sign of your affection for our Holy Father the Pope. It is therefore fitting that, to commemorate this day, I should bestow upon you something that would remind you of my visit. So to-day, I give you the Pope’s flag as a sign of his affection for the Maori people. For the children of the Church, and children of the! Pope, the Pope’s flag is an appropriate gift. Let it be a sign in the midst of you, to be handed down from generation to generation. Here his Excellency paused and a parcel was handed to him. It was a magnificent flag, the Pope’s fl & g 15 feet long by 7 feet wide, and a work of art, the gift of the Holy Father. He unfurled it, and presented it to the natives. The enthusiasm was running high* all .the time, but now it burst out into a universal and spontaneous haka, which afforded all a natural outlet for their feelings of delight. Then the flag was hoisted up* amidst enthusiastic applause, firing of guns, hakas, and the singing of a hymn to the Pope. The scene was indescribable.

When the excitement had subsided his Excellency continued his speech; The flag (he said) is made of two different colors— and white. The white signifies purity of heart ; the gold signifies the eternal happiness which is the reward of purity of heart. On the white part of the flag is the Pope’s tiara, with its three diadems; beneath it two keys. You know the meaning of the two keys. They remind you of the words spoken by our Lord to the first Pope, St. Peter : *To thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, it shall be bound in heaven, and whatever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed in heaven.’ What is the meaning of the three diadems? The top one means the power which Christ gave to St. Peter and his successors to bind and loose things in heaven. The middle one means the power which Christ gave to St. Peter and his successors to bind and loose things on earth. ‘ The lowest, the power which Christ gave to St. Peter and his successors over the evil spirits for Christ said that the powers of hell shall not prevail against the Church. This flag is, therefore, a sign of great meaning. It is also a covenant between you and the Pope; between your children and grandchildren and his successors. Let .it therefore float in the sky, as a sign of your devotion to the Pope, and a sign of the Pope’s affection for you. Let it be a sign that will bring peace and 'comfort to your hearts, your homes, your villages. Let at be a sign under which you will live and die, with the certainty of rising again to receive the reward of your allegiance to it on- earth. . The Delegate’s . words had touched the Maori hearts; the continued applause could Dot express their feelings, ■so they broke out into hakas, and for about an hour manifested their gratitude in their own native way.

In the evening an altar was again erected on the verandah of the Maori house, and his Excellency gave

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The congregational singing was very fine, and such a crowd of Maoris chanting the Benediction service in the language of the Church, could not fail to impress the Apostolic Delegate. "' V Dean Lightheart, who is always welcome when he appears before a Maori gathering, addressed the natives in Maori. Everything was now over, and the Tu-a-rangi was to take his departure at 9 o'clock the next morning. So on Monday as soon as the launch arrived the natives gathered near the jetty, for every one wanted to kiss the ring and receive a special blessing. As soon as his Excellency appeared on his way to the shore, the people formed themselves into two lines as a guard of honor. As his Excellency took his seat on the launch, there was a concert of hurrahs and hakas such an effervescence of human feelings was never seen in Wai-hi before, and will never be seen again, until the Karero a te Papa returns to the little village. A word of praise and thanks may here be given to the devoted Sisters of St. Joseph, of Wai-hi. They worked hard, and to them was due in no small degree the success of the meeting. .