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Pompallier's Legacy The following is from Cardinal Thomas Williams
Return of the remains of Bishop Jean
Baptiste Francois Pompallier If asked to set down what really matters in our lives, surely most of us would have the gift of the Catholic Faith high up on the list. Then if we were to ask ourselves: "How did we come by this gift of faith?” we may mention our parents or a teacher, a priest or a friend. But how did they come by it? How did our faith get here to our country, to our region? 166 years ago the then Pope appointed a young French priest, Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier, to be head of the Catholic mission to Western Oceania. He was only 34 years old and was placed in charge of a vast area. The story of his travel from France, his stopping off on various places on the way (in Tahiti, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Rotuma) makes fascinating reading. He arrived early January 1838 in Aotearoa New Zealand and worked for thirty years to bring the Catholic faith to the people of this land. He was helped by Maori won to the faith before his arrival, priests and brothers of the Society of Mary, immigrant Catholic families from England and Ireland, Sisters of Mercy, and other Religious. He was quick to learn both English and Maori. He founded missions in 16 different places throughout the length of our country. He had a close relationship with many Maori leaders. Few New Zealanders, including Catholics, know about the contribution made by Bishop Pompallier at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. There he insisted that a clause be added which would guarantee the right of religious freedom for all. After thirty years of hard work - old, sick and tired - he returned to France and was buried near Paris. Yet he had left behind a pearl of great value, the gift of Faith. This year, on February 5, the day before Waitangi Day, our Archdiocese has the opportunity to show our gratitude for the gift of faith and Bishop Pompallier in a festive Commemorative Mass in Sacred Heart Cathedral. The occasion is the arrival in Wellington of his mortal remains, and I invite you to honour the occasion with your presence. Because of their enduring affection and respect for Bishop Pompallier, Catholic Maori requested that his remains return to New Zealand. His remains arrived in January in Auckland, and are being taken the length of the country from Dunedin back to the Hokianga. They will be interred on 20 April in the Far North, near the site of his first mission station. We cannot put a monetary value on the things that are most important in our lives. We cannot buy and sell them, but we can celebrate them. I hope that you will make the effort to come to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at 5:30pm on Tuesday for the arrival of the remains there; and that you will stay on to participate in the Mass commencing at 6pm. It promises to be a moving celebration in thanksgiving for one of the great missionaries of his century, Jean Baptiste Pompallier, Apostle of Western Oceania. Pompallier's legacy has grown from the humble beginnings in the Hokianga to nearly 500,000 Catholics today, belonging to six Dioceses, 284 parishes, 53 National Offices and Associations, 45 Religious Orders and Missionary Societies of Priests, Sisters and Brothers, and over 300 missionaries sent throughout the world. Holy Mass is celebrated in over 15 different languages throughout the country each Sunday. Many New Zealanders including Catholics, know very little about the contribution made by Bishop Pompallier at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Present at part of the negotiations 5 February 1840 amid a climate of denominationalism and suspicion of each church, he insisted upon the right to religious freedom and guarantees of free and equal protection to Maori and other religious customs. Bishop Pompallier's contribution cannot be understated. He had a genuine concern for his Church and the Maori people who had become Catholics. Since his arrival in 1838 he had a close relationship with many Maori leaders. There are now an estimated 350 religious denominations, Christian and non Christian, enjoying religious freedom in Aotearoa New Zealand today. + Thomas, Cardinal Williams ARCHBISHOP OF WELLINGTON 17 January 2002
After much consultation and deliberation, Bishop Patrick Dunn wrote to the priests and people of the Auckland Diocese on 1 July 2001, confirming the return of the remains of Bishop Pompallier. His living relatives have given their approval and have indicated their wish to accompany the return of his remains to the place where his first mission began in1838. A delegation of the faithful from Aotearoa New Zealand will travel to Rome, where Bishop Pompallier was consecrated Bishop of Western Oceania, and to a Papal audience before travelling to Lyons, Puteaux and Paris to acknowledge the great contribution and debt we owe to the sister Churches of those cities for the mission to Aotearoa New Zealand, Oceania and the Pacific. |
