The Primates of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (ANZP) have paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Church of ANZP has three Tikangas, or cultural streams, each led by an Archbishop who, together, form a single Primacy. Tikanga Pasefika (the Diocese of Polynesia) is currently vacant.
In a joint statement, Archbishops Don Tamihere of Tikanga Māori and Archbishop Philip Richardson of Tikanga Pākehā expressed their condolences on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
They said: “We are saddened to hear that Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96, after more than 70 years of dedicated service to her people.
“We give thanks for Her Late Majesty's constant witness to her Christian faith, and for her grace, human warmth and intellect that have come to be well known in the Anglican Church and in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia by those who were privileged to meet her.
“We recognise too that while the world grieves, there is a family who have lost a mother, a grandmother, and a great grandmother: a family matriarch who will be deeply mourned and deeply missed.
“We pray for the repose of her soul, and for consolation and comfort to King Charles III and all the members of the Royal Family at this time.
“Rest eternal grant unto her O Lord, and may light perpetual shine upon her.
“May she rest in peace and rise in Glory. Amen”
The two archbishops also sent individual messages to their own dioceses.
Archbishop Philip Richardson’s pastoral letter to his Diocese of Waikato and Taranaki
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
I know that you will join me in acknowledging with deep gratitude to God, the life of faith, witness and service of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II who died this morning at 5.30am New Zealand time.
I had the opportunity to meet and speak with her and was struck, as many others have said, by her detailed knowledge of New Zealand and her concern for the life of ordinary New Zealanders.
Our meeting was on the occasion of the Lambeth Conference in 2008 and she asked me about the Conference. I replied referring to the diversity present in the Conference; both in terms of those who were there and the issues we were dealing with.
She replied saying “the thing about diversity is that it challenges your presuppositions”. No small talk in that brief encounter!
That was similar to the experience of so many.
Her attention was fully in the moment and with the person she was engaging with; her concern was genuine, her commitment was unwavering.
Her sense of service and duty was driven by a deep personal faith in Jesus Christ who she humbly sought to follow.
I know you will join me in praying for her family and for the repose of her soul. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
++Philip
Blessèd be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whose great mercy
we have been born anew to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
Lord now you let your servant go in peace:
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation:
which you have prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations:
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Archbishop Don Tamihere’s pastoral letter to his Hui Amorangi o Te Tairāwhiti and Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa
Archbishop Tamihere has sent a pastoral letter to his Hui Amorangi o Te Tairāwhiti and Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa expressing his sadness at the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Whakarewa ake rā tō toki ki runga, ko tō toki he tangatanga, he toki whakaruke, he toki nō tuawhakarere o te pō, kua whakamoea
Whakamaua te kakau o tō toki e ō uri heke iho, kia tū tapu ai tō whare ariki
Te rau Huia titi tonu ki tō pane, he tapu, he mārohirohi, he aweawe mo ngā uri whakaheke tangata
Te mana, te tapu, te ariki pōkai whenua, te kāpehu o Te Haahi O Ingarangi Kuini Irihapeti II maranga mai tō toki ki runga, whītikina tō Kahu ka tū he tai whakawehi whenua hei kura hautū i ngā kura tīwaka puta noa i te āo
Haere i runga i te huarahi o te takitini, haere i runga i te huarahi o te takimano, haere i runga i te huarahi kua takoto e o tīpuna ariki i haere i mua noa atu i a koe, e okioki i te hunga okioki, whakangaro atu rā i te pūtahitanga o Rehua, i te huinga o te kahurangi
E moe rā koe i te mārietanga o te pō, kia ara mai anō koe i te korōriatanga o tō atua nui i te rangi.
Raise up your sacred adze, though the adze you hold has come loose, an adze of strength has so drifted in to the darkness of death, may you sleep in the night.
Your sacred adze, passed down and grasped by your descendants, behold the sacred adze has been grasped tightly by your people.
The very feather of the sacred Huia that adorns your head, can be seen from afar, by the many peoples.
The prestige and power of your sacredness, the authority you behold as the head and as the compass of The Church of England,
Queen Elizabeth II raise your sacred adze above the heavens, let light shine upon the cloak of death that adorns you, the cloak laid and in which you find rest upon your lands is weeping in lament.
Go forth, on the path that was laid before you by your ancestors, the many that have pierced the veil, you now join their company, go forth and may the stars in the heavens above sing you to your rest in the glory of heaven.
Rest in peace and rise in glory.
E te whānau ā Te Karaiti, e Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa,
Please join me in acknowledging with deep gratitude to God, the life of faith, witness and service of Her Late Majesty The Queen. Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully surrounded by those she loved after a lifetime dedicated to duty and the service of our Commonwealth family of nations.
The Most Rev and The Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury on the morning of the 9th of September wrote to us his fellow Primates of the Anglican Communion following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
In his letter, Archbishop Justin praised the late Queen as “a faithful Christian disciple”.
He also said that: “As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and as a faithful Christian disciple, Her Late Majesty lived out her faith every day of her life. Her trust in God and profound love for him was foundational in how she led her life – hour by hour, day by day.”
The Most Rev Archbishop Don Tamihere and The Most Rev Archbishop Philip Richardson have expressed their condolences on the passing of Her Late Majesty. In a joint statement they said:
“We are saddened to hear that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96, after more than 70 years of dedicated service to her people.
“We give thanks for Her Late Majesty's constant witness to her Christian faith, and for her grace, human warmth and intellect that have come to be well known in the Anglican Church and in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia by those who were privileged to meet her.
“We recognise too that while the world grieves, there is a family who have lost a mother, a grandmother, and a great grandmother: a family matriarch who will be deeply mourned and deeply missed.”
Rest eternal grant unto her O Lord, and may light perpetual shine upon her.
May she rest in peace and rise in Glory.
We pray for Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Royal Family:
HE INOI MŌ TE KĪNGI
E Ihowā, e tō mātou Matua i te rangi, kei runga noa atu, he nui noa atu koe, ko koe te Kīngi o nga kīngi, te Ariki o ngā ariki, me te tino Kawana o ngā rangatira, e titiro iho ana koe i runga i tō torona ki ngā tangata katoa o te whenua; Tēnei mātou te tohe atu nei, kia tirohia atawhaitia mai tō mātou Rangatira pai, a Kīngi Tiāre te Tuatoru; whakakiia ia ki te kaha o tōu Wairua Tapu, kia anga tonu ai ia ki tau e pai ai, kia haere ai i tō huarahi: Whakanohoia ngā mea papai o te rangi ki roto ki a ia; hōmai ki a ia he pai, he oranga roa i tēnei ao; whakakahangia ia, kia kore ai ōna hoa riri katoa i a ia; a, a te mutunga o te noho i konei, kia whiwhi ia ki te haringa mutunga kore; ko Ihu Karaiti nei hoki tō mātou Ariki. Amine.
HE INOI MŌ NGĀ WHĀNAUNGA A TE KĪNGI
E te Atua Kaha rawa, ko koe te mātāpuna o te pai katoa, tēnei mātou te inoi nei kia whakapaingia a Wīremu Piriniha o Weiri, me tāna hoa wahine, me ngā Whānaunga katoa o te Kīngi; Whakanohoia tōu Wairua Tapu ki roto ki a rātou; whakatōngia tāu atawhai ki a rātou; kia hua te pai ki a rātou; ā arahina rātou ki tō rangatiratanga mutunga kore; ko Ihu Karaiti nei hoki tō mātou Ariki. Āmine.