RATANA.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1921, Page 12

RATANA.

THE MAORI MIRACLE MAN AN INTERVIEW WITH REV; MUNRO. The Rev. Piri. Munro, who was with Ratana when he was in Auckland and who conducted the Sunday service at Orakei, gave an impressive and surprising impression of his tour with the healer shortly after that afternoon. On the Sunday, Rev. Mr. Munro spoke to a large audience at Orakei, but he did not satisfy the curiosity about Ratana’s personality as he did in this later interview. “Ratana,” said Mr. Munro, “was an. ordinary Maori.” He went on to describe his early farming life, but added: “During the influenza epidemic Ratana was impressed at the appalling amount of sickness. Mr. Munro continued: “One day as Ratana was sitting on the verandah he noticed a ball of cloud rise from a large pond in front of his house, and after flying over some sandhills, it burst.” RATANA TN A TRANCE. “Ratana fell into a trance which lasted until evening. Not long after this singular happening, he commenced to take peculiar fits and walked alone about the farm, crashing through fences and other obstacles. He would not/'allow anyone to come near him and his mind suddenly became a, blank. He later became subject to violent moods, and while in these, he would break up furniture in the house and smash the telephone. He became -so violent that his wife arranged for him to be sent to a mental hospital.”

SUSPECTED INSANITY. “He was strapped to a chair, but half an hour before the train arrived he awakened, saw his bonds and said: “If you have any love for me take these off.’ He was released and from that time onward the violent fits never came again, and Ratana remained at the farm.” Continuing his story, Mr. Munro said: “One day Ratana noticed a ball of cloud, similar to the one he had seen previously, at the other end of a room he occupied. As before, it burst, and appeared to divide into two forms. One seemed to become a Celestial being, and Ratana received his commission to heal the bodies and minds of his people. Ratana had a nine-year-old boy who had unsuccessfully undergone several operations, and was to be sent to hospital once more for another operation. Ratana said ■ ‘The boy will be operated on, but not by doctors. It will be by, the hand of God.’ The boy was cured of his affliction. From that time Ratana did nothing else but attend to hundreds and hundreds of afflicted natives. Last Christmas he invited natives to assemble at his farm where he had had a meet-ing-house erected. He did some wonderful healing and people began to realise that the source of his power was something above natural. From Christmas last, he had been daily treating upwards of 200 natives.”

A DEFINITE COMMAND. Last May a definite intimation was received by Ratana througn the Celestial Being that he was to visit natives all over the North, South, and Chatham Islands, and go to whatever settlement invited him. Ho set out on his tour. At his first meeting 500 natives publicly declared their faith in the Holy‘Trinity and said they would renounce the old gods of their fore-fathers. Mr. Munro explained that Ratana asked him to continue with him in the mission, as they worked in harmony, and the bishop’s consent having been obtained, he remained with the healer and came South with him. His own duty was to speak to assemblages and create a proper spiritual atmosphere. He understood the Maori mind. His great grandfather was one of the last of the high priests, and the oracles of Maori paganism had been passed on to him by his grandfather, -who had brought him up.

“MAORTISM AND TOHUNGAISM.” “Knowing the Maori mind,” he said, “I watched Ratana closely and I have never once seen in his work the slightest indication of ‘Maoriism.’ It may be asked why should Ratana not treat Pakehas also? I think Ratana is being used to free the native mind, from the influence of ‘Maoriism’ or ‘Tohungaism,’ and his gift of healing is only given to impress the people. I never realised before how steeped our race is in ‘Maoriism. It is often disheartening tn see native boys and girls, after receiving a. good education and being well placed in the world, suddenly go wrong and make a mess o-f the whole thing. Their failure must be attributed to the Maori mind, which some time or other : takes charge of the psychological posii tion and diverts the steps. We Maori clergy have failed to overcome the handicap of the Maori mind, but Ratana has been raised’ up by God to do so. It has been indicated to him that his itinerary through the Maori settlements must cease next Christmas. He does not know if ho is to continue in the mission of healing after that, but a great gathering of natives will be held at his place next Christmas Day.” RATANA’S MAIL. Ratana’s mail bag plays a big part in his life. It was not until Au- that any attempt was made to find out exactly how many enquiries he had received from abroad. During the months from January to August of this year, Ratana received no less than 51,000 letters from all parts of the world, including U.S.A., Honolulu, Cuba, Spain, Italy. Germany, Austria, India, Ceylonj -Samoa, Tonga, and Australia. His daily mail averages 275 letters.