Vicar for Māori: Living the ‘word’ of Treaty would make NZ great

In a new episode of the Catholic Kiwi Podcast, Manuel Beazley said that the meaning of the words of Te Tiriti had been debated for the last 50 years or so.

“I think we can talk about the words and the meaning and the intent forever, and not really arrive at a common place,” Mr Beazley told podcast host James Bergin.

“One of the things I like [to say] when I speak about Te Tiriti is really focusing on the ‘word’ rather than the ‘words’. The ‘word’ is that two peoples in 1840 came together and they gave their word that they would work for the good of the other.

“So the Crown and Māori, through Te Tiriti o Waitangi, were giving their word to each other, that they would work for each other’s good,” he said.

“And if we can focus on that ‘word’ and get back to that ‘word’, we would be the greatest country on earth, where everyone gets to live the life they want to, where everyone gets to prosper.”

Mr Beazley discussed how the Church can live that “word”, referencing Catholic Social Teaching on the common good and the inherent dignity of all people. 

The Church can acknowledge “that Māori are here – and have a unique place in Aotearoa. But so does everyone else. Everyone else has a place in Aotearoa”.

Mr Beazley suggested that the notion of the Treaty as a “bi-cultural” agreement puts an unhelpful emphasis on ethnicity or race.

“In 2025, we still have the ‘bicultural’ relationship – the Māori side of the equation is to all intents and purposes still ethnically Māori, but the Crown side of it is [now]. . . ethnically diverse,” he said.

“So we have got to get to this understanding that Te Tiriti is about all of us. Every one of us becomes a Treaty partner, as it were. This idea of a ‘bicultural nation’ I think doesn’t help us.”

Referencing the work of AUT Professor Georgina Stewart, Mr Beazley said “the better term for us to be using is that we are inter-cultural, because each of us has something to give, but we also have got something to receive”.

In the interview, Mr Beazley spoke about his background and on being Vicar for Māori, which he sees as a point of connection between the bishop and Māori. The position means he is the “chief cup of tea drinker” in the Diocese, he joked, because of his many interactions. 

Mr Beazley, who serves as chair of the New Zealand bishops’ advisory body Te Rōpū Māori, also discussed attending the Synod on Synodality assemblies in Rome and bringing an Indigenous perspective there. He also mentioned his interactions with Pope Francis.

Among the other topics discussed in the podcast were evangelisation and inculturation, the contribution of Bishop Pompallier in discussions leading up to the signing of the Treaty and how to celebrate Matariki as Catholics.

FULL STORY

Catholic Kiwi Podcast: Season 2, Episode 1 Manuel Beazley (YouTube)