Ko wai e eke ki tōhou maunga e Ihoa, ko wai e tū ki tō wāhi tapu. E kō te tangata nei e mā nei ngā ringa, e hara kore tōna ngākau, kahore nei i ara tōna wairua ki te horihori kahore i oti ki te hē rawa atu
Kei te tangi tahi nei a Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa ki a Ngāti Tūwharetoa, otirā ki ngā iwi Māori i te rironga a te Ariki Tā Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII ki te pō.
Kei te mōhiotia whānuitia ngā mahi i oti i a ia kia pūmau tonu ai te rangatiratanga o tōna iwi, otirā ōna ringa atawhai i ngā kaupapa huhua o te ao Māori.
Ko te Hāhi Mihinare, otirā Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa tēnei e tuku mihi ana ki te ngākaunui a Tā Tumu i roto i ngā tau.
I te marama o Pēpuere, 2005 ko Tā Tumu tērā i noho ki te Rūnanga Whiriwhiri Pīhopa i tohua ai a Ātipīhopa Paraone Tūrei hei Pīhopa Māori tuarima. He tūranga tēnei i riro tonu e tōna pāpā, i a Tā Hepi Te Heuheu i te tau 1980 i tohu ai a Ātipīhopa Whakahuihui Vercoe hei Pīhopa Tuawhā.
Hei tā Ātipīhopa Paraone i muri tata mai o taua hui a iwi i Tūrangawaewae, i tino kitea te mana o Tā Tumu. Nā tāna hūmarie me tāna tau i kawe ai te hui i runga hoki i aua āhuatanga.
Ahakoa he hui Mihinare te hui, i toro atu a Tā Tumu ki tōna whanaunga, ki a Pīhopa Rōmana, ki a Max Mariu hei hoa mōna i te poari. Ko tā Pīhopa Max kupu whakamutunga i taua hui, he wero ki a tātou ngā Mihinare, “He taonga tā koutou. Puritia!”
Nā Ātipīhopa Don Tamihere i ārahi ngā wāhanga ako karaipiture i taua hui i Tūrangawaewae. Hei tāna whakatinanatanga tēnei o ngā whakapapa e here nei i ngā wairua Māori puta noa.
“Ka mutu ana ngā wāhanga whakaako ka noho tonu mai a Tā Tumu ki te wānanga tonu i ngā karaipiture. He mātanga tonu ia ki ngā kōrero o te Paipera, he hohonu hoki ōna whakaaro. Kei te titia tonutia tērā wā ki taku ngākau.
“Nā te whirinaki mai a Tā Tumu, otirā te whare o Te Heuheu, kia mātou o te Hāhi Mihinare i whai wāhi ai o mātou tuakana ki te kite i te tino taonga kei te kapu o te ringa.
“Nō reira, kei te Ariki Tā Tumu, takoto mārire mai rā i ngā ringa atawhai o tō tātou Matua nui i te Rangi. Hoki atu rā ki ō tīpuna, ki tō rārangi Ariki e pōhiri atu ana ki a koe, otirā kia Ātipīhopa Paraone, ki a Pā Max. Mā te marie a te Atua koe e manaaki, e tieki.”
Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa mourns with Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and the entire iwi Māori, at the loss of Ariki Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII.
Sir Tumu has been acknowledged for his work to uphold the rangatiratanga of his iwi, and also of his guidance and support of many kaupapa within te ao Māori.
Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa give thanks for the contributions Sir Tumu has made to our church across the years.
In February 2005, Sir Tumu chaired the Electoral College that elected Archbishop Brown Turei as the 5th Bishop of Aotearoa. In doing so, he emulated his father, the late Sir Hepi Te Heuheu who chaired the College that elected Archbishop Whakahuihui Vercoe as the 4th Bishop of Aotearoa in 1980.
Archbishop Brown, shortly after that 2005 hui at Tūrangawaewae, said Sir Tumu’s mana was on full display.
“He was quiet, and yet he controlled that hui very well… There was a good feeling throughout the hui and through the electoral college.”
Though it was a Māori Anglican hui, Sir Tumu invited his relation, Catholic Bishop Max Mariu along for support. Bishop Max’s final words at that hui were an invitation to Mihinare, “He taonga tā koutou. Puritia! – You have a treasure here. Hold on to it!”
Archbishop Don Tamihere led the bible studies that day at Tūrangawaewae marae and says this is an example of the spiritual connectedness te iwi Māori has with each other.
He reflects, “Sir Tumu would sit with me after each bible study session, eager to discuss the bible readings further. He had a huge knowledge of scripture and deep insights. I remember that time fondly.
“By Sir Tumu, and indeed the House of Te Heuheu, sitting with us, afforded the Hāhi Mihinare the opportunity of our brothers and sisters to sense, and remind us of the treasure we have in our hands.
“Therefore, Sir Tumu, rest in the arms of Our Heavenly Father. Return to your ancestors, the Ariki before you, and to Archbishop Brown and to Bishop Max. May the grace of God bless and protect.”