The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-03-21
[Continued from page II
AMONG MAORI CATHOLICS.

number of new Maori mats of con-
siderable value, wrought with exqui-
site art in fax and feathers. Then
two Maori chieftainesses, in appropri-
ate native nantes, slowly and SOL
emily carry in the folded Papal flag
and approach the outstretched mats,
while the Archbishop, Clergy and as
sembly rise to their feet in token of
respect for the present of the ven
Grated Sovereign Pontiff And instant
ly the crowd, unable to contain it's
emotion, burst into spontaneous and
loud shouts of welcome. The flag,
amid the breathless attention of the
crowd (who see it for the first time)
is laid on the mats and gradually un-
folded to it's full length. Next series
of speeches of welcome and gratitude
are delivered by some of the princi-
pal chiefs preceded by the solemn rit-
ual chants of the olden days. Obvi-
ously the audience is much impressed.
The Speeches.
The speeches are brief, as becomes
the great occasion, when the speakers
keenly feel their inadequate power of
fit expression. When the speeches
cease, the Archbishop rises to re-
spond. He salutes the tribes from the
various districts of the Dominion, and
then he briefly relates how some
years ago, the tribes then assembled,
erected on Pukekaraka Hill the metal
statue of St. Peter, which the Arch
bishop solemnly blessed; how many
precious mats were taken by him to
the Pope, accompanied by a Maori
address, Illuminated and framed, with
a good translation of the same in Ital-
ian; how, in return, the Holy Father,
sent back by the Archbishop to the
Maoris beautiful and valuable pres
ents of religious objects which were
received with jubilation by the Ma
oris brought together for the purpose
of accepting them with due respect,
gratitude and solemnity. Then he
pointed out to his rapt hearers the
symbolism of the flag, it's colors, white
and yellow, like the golden rays of
the sun; it's keys recalling the spirit
ual power given by Christ to the first
Pope, st. Peter, with those divine
words of everlasting import: Thou
art Peter and upon this rock I will
build my Church, and the gates of He'll
shall not prevail against it; and 1 will
give to thee the keys of the kingdom
of Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt
bind upon earth shall be bound also in
Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt
loose upon earth shall be loosed in
Heaven" Finally it's tiara, typifying
the threefold authority of the Popes
over Heaven, earth and Hell-Hell to
conquer, earth to sanctify, and Heav-
en- to fill with the elect. The present
flag would be to them and to all the
Catholic Maoris in New Zealand, a
rallying point to keep them in their
holy Faith and stimulate them to live
in accordance with it's precepts. Peter
was the rock upon which Christ built
His Church. Peter lives in his sue.
cessors, the Popes, who are, like
Peter, the Wears of Christ. Where
the Pope is, there is Peter, and where
Peter is, there is the true Church, and
nowhere else. Thus all the holy Cath
Ollie religion was summed up symbol.
cally in this large, rich and handsome
flag, which, in their great gatherings
and solemn festivities, would be their
standard and their pride, and in it's
folds they would raise aloft and carry
abroad the faith and virtues of their
holy religion. Solicitations again to
all, with best Christmas and New
Year wishes.
When the Archbishop sat down
Dean Regnault rose and said that
after the apt and copious speech oil
the Archbishop, his task was only tc
be the echo of those eloquent words;
but he had one item of news to con
vey to them which doubtless would
afford them unalloyed pleasure, name
ly, that he hoped in the course of the
next year to be in Rome and to pre-
sent personally to His Holiness theil
greetings and their tokens of loyalty
to the Supreme Pontiff, the common
father of all the faithful and particu
larly of all the Catholic tribes in New
| Zealand.
Religious Significance of Meeting.
The proceedings were closed by the
shaking of hands, when all, men
women and children, passed in process
sion before the Archbishop and heart
| lily shook and reverently kissed the
venerable hand. 1t must be observed
if we would thoroughly grasp the
import of these periodical assemblies
of Catholic Maoris-that such large
meetings are not mere social gather
ings, but very much more; they are
religious assemblies which are in
many respects equivalent to a mis-
sion, and tend immensely to keep III
the fervent practice of the Catholic
Religion. This is their true idea, their
soul, and their significance. On Christ
mas Day, five hundred Maoris, almost
all Catholics, dined in three relays in
the vast Hall provided with seats, ia.
bles, plates and dishes, knives and
forks and all other requisites, the
cooked food and vegetables being sup
piled from the adjoining spacious
kitchen, containing all the needed an
planes for cooking both in the Euro
pean and the Maori fashion. The de
voted Maori Missioners deserve un