Results of the Journey
When Colin left Rome on 18 January 1847 the situation in the missions was not resolved. In fact, the negotiations about New Zealand represented little but frustration and personal disappointment for Colin. He had requested a solution 1842.
What he received was a Decree he had never requested, and never wanted to execute. He sent the Decree to Pompallier under obedience only to find it remained a dead letter—Pompallier went on to appoint the Provincial that pleased him―and which was revoked in 1845.
Further meetings in Sydney produced only limited results.
On top of that, delays and changed decisions from Rome added to the frustration. Rome had decreed that the Friendly Isles be attached to the Central Oceanian Vicariate, then changed them back to that of Western Oceania. This brought confusion, unrest, and loss of confidence to the missionaries in Oceania.
Colin left Rome in 1847 thinking that the erection of two dioceses in New Zealand was certain, but on that point, too, Rome was delaying.