Some Light

On Cook Is.

Churchgoers

A Special Correspondent Anyone interested in trends in religious affiliations in the Cook Islands can get a lot more infor mation now that the details of the 1956 census have been recorded.

There are facts which were not available in the 1951 census. In the past, the affiliations of Maoris only have been recorded, but the 1956 census records the entire popula tion. Some new categories thus appear.

For example, whereas at last census there were no Presbyterians, 58 now are listed, and 38 are listed under “miscellaneous sects” where none appeared before. The Baha’i sect which has entered the field since last census is listed with 20 adherents.

While the five “objections” con tinued to object and were joined by no others, those in the category “none, or not stated” jumped from 16 to 122, suggesting that this group is largely Europeans. But there again it is impossible to compare European and Maori comparative population figures, because in the 1956 census only those of 100 per cent. non-Maori blood are listed as Europeans, where before a Euro pean could be part Maori.

The 1951 census recorded 322 non indigenous persons in the Group,

and the 1956 census lists 307, so there is no great change involved.

IMS Has More The figures given for the main religious groups show an increase of Hi per cent, for London Missionary Society followers, 23 per cent, for Roman Catholics, nearly n per cent, for Seventh Day Ad ventists, and a jump of 71 per cent, for Church of England, while the Latter Day Saints declined by 9 per cent.

The latter sect, of fairly recent appearance, has spent considerable money in the Group on new build ings, including an expensive school

at Rarotonga. The Congregationai group is listed as unchanged.

In actual numbers the LMS sect, with 13,067 of a total population of 16,680, is far ahead of all others.

Roman Catholics are next with 1,845 followers listed.