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The Maori advisor to the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference says Maori have a vital role to play in the church’s future, particularly in reaching out to young people and migrants.
Catholics are the largest denomination in New Zealand with nearly half a million members, almost 70,000 of whom are Maori.
Deacon Danny Karatea-Goddard says new migrants have kept the numbers up, and through the church they are getting exposure to things Maori.
He says his new part time role came out of a drive by the Maori Catholic Council to persuade the bishops to renew their commitment to a bicultural agenda.
"The bishops have made a commitment to make sure te reo Maori and a Maori perspective now is woven through all our business and I think we are at a new stage and a new era and the hope is immigrants and everyone will benefit from this, bringing our communities together realising we are a bicultural nation sitting in a multicultural society but we have got to get the bicultural thing sorted first, and I think that will be great for everyone," Mr Karatea-Goddard says.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH DANNY KARATEA GODDARD
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