BACK FROM RATANA.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1922, Page 7

BACK FROM RATANA.

INTERESTING FACTS. SOME MIRACULOUS CURES. Some very interesting facts about the Maori prophet Ratana were gleaned by a reporter of the Te Kuiti Chronicle on Wednesday in the course of a conversation with Mr. T. Moej-ua, of Te Kuiti, who lias just returned after spending a fortnight at Ratana’s camp. Mr. Moerua said that there were over 3100 Maoris from all parts of New Zealand at the gathering, and that services were held three times a day, Ratana being present on each occasion. Asked whether he had actually seen a miraculous cure, Mr. Moerua said that he saw an old Maori woman, who was 62 years old and had been blind and deaf for 52 years, brought before Ratana. After some difficulty, she was made to understand the question, r ’To you believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?” and she replied that she did. Then fcaid Ratana, “Tell me how many electric lights there are in this room.” The woman, apparently hearing quite plainly, looked round and said that there were four. This was the correct number, said Mr. Moerua. Ratana then told her not to lose her faith in God, and sent her away cured. “I saw this case myself,” said Mr. Moerua. “I used to> have doubts about the cures, and I went to see for myself, and lam convinced the cures a,re genuine. I saw another Maori, who was dying, brought in on a stretcher, and Ratana approached him and asked him if he believed in God. On the Maori replying that he did, Ratana told him to get up and go home to pray, and the Maori did. The Maori wfts shaky, but a miraculous change for the better was noticeable immediately, and he walked away, much to the surprise and delight of his friends. I have seen hundreds of others cured, and now I have absolute faith in the power of Ratana through God to perform these miracles.”

STILL BELIEVE IN TOHUNGAS. Mr. Moerua said that it was hard to convert the Maoris from tohungaism, despite the miracles. Many of them did not believe in God, but believed in images and gods of all kinds, and it was surprising to see the • articles that had once been the gods of converted Maoris, and that were thrown into a heap at Ratana’s camp. These articles included everything from stone images, coins, ornaments, walking-sticks, and even boot heels. The Europeans, on the other hand, were educated, and could reason better about such matters than the Maoris, and he (Mr. Moerua) was of opinion that Ratana could do great good among them. The reporter then inquired if it were true that Ratana had received letters from all parts of the world. “True!” cried out Mr. Moerua, as he drew out a notebook from his vest pocket. “Ratana has received, in the course of three years, 94,000 letters from all parts of the world!” “Good heavens!” ejaculated the reporter, “is that correct? Why, that works out, let me see, at over 86 a day, Sundays included! ” PRINCES, GOVERNORS AND BISHOPS. “Absolutely correct. I’ve got the figures here. Moreover, letters have come from all sorts of people—princes, governors, -bishops, scientists, statesmen, doctors, lawyers, in fact, all sorts.” “And you say they have come from all parts of the world ?” was the 'next query. “Yes, I’ve also got the countries, written down'. They include Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Italy, Cuba, Peru, Java, Norway, Sweden. Syria, Argentine, Hongkong, India, Bulgaria, Tahiti, Russia Poland—in fact, almost everywhere.” “Is it true that Ratana has been in-i vited to travel to Britain and the Continent?” inquired the reporter. ■“Ratana has received 36 invitations from reputable institutions to visit the Old World,” was K the replyAsked if there was any likelihood of Ratana accepting any invitation, Mr. Moerua said that Ratana had determined to complete his work among his own people first, aS far as lay in his power to do so, and then perhaps he might visit the white people. “In any case,” concluded Mr. Moerua, “Ratana can do a lot of good for the white people simply by correspondence. The white people, if they make up their mipds to have faith, do so with a more complete faith than the Maori, and therefore Ratana. can effect cures on white people by letterwriting that would not be possible with most of the Maoris.”