The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-03-31
The Religious Row In the seAssis At
Bsssem-Obj eesaeas q the Catholics.


Bishop FlrzpArRIcx has addressed let
ter to the school committee Of Boston, set
ting forth the objections Of Catholics TO the
religious exercises in the public schools,
which have lately caused so much trouble.
These objections, he says, ARE not affected
scruples-are not, IS some would seem to
think, fetches or pretences, devised simply
for the purpose Of creating difficulty.
They are serious and solid objections, found
ed in individual conscience ard individual
faith He divides them into three points :
lst. The enforced use Of the Protestant
version of the Bible I'd. The enforced
learning and reciting Of the Ten Command
ments in their Protestant form. Sd. The
enforced union in chanting the Lords Pray.
er and other religious chants The Bishop
remarks on these points as follows
l. Catholics cannot, under any circnm
stances, acknowledge, receive and use, as a
complete collection and faithful version of
the inspired book which compose the writ
ten Word OF God, the English Protestant
translation of the Bible. Still less can they
so acknowledge, accept or use il, when its
enforcement as such is coupled expressly
with the rejection Of that version which their
own church approves and adopts, as being
correct and authentic And yet this is re-
quired Of them by law. The law, as ad
ministered holds forth the Protestant YER
sion to the Catholic child, and says, ere
ceive this as the Bible" The Catholic
child says al cannot so receive it." The
law, as administered, says, "you must. or
else you must be scourged, and finally ban
ished from the school,
2. The acceptance and the recital of the
Decalogue under the fern and words which
the Protestants clothe il, is offensive TO the
conscience and belief OF Catholics inasmuch
as that form and those words are viewed by
them, and have no, unfrequcntly been used
by their sdversaries, as means Of attack up
on certain tenets and practices, which under
the teaching of their Church, they hold US
true and sacred.
3. The chanting Of the Lords Prayer, Or
psalms, or hymns addrt ssed TO God, perform.
Cd by many persons in unison, being neither
q scholastic exercise, nor recreation, can
only be regarded as an act Of public wor-
ship. Indeed, il Is professedly intended Us
such in the regulations which govern our
public schools. 1t would seem that the
principles which guide Protestants and
Catholics in relation to communion in pub
lie worship are widely different. Protest
ants, however diverse may be their religious
opinions -TriLitarians, who assert that Jesus
Christ is the true God and Unitarians, who
deny that he is the true Coz, find no difficult
~ to offer in brotherhood, blended and APP
parently harmonious worship, and 10 so do.
ing they give and receive mutual satisac-
ton, mutual edifcation. The Catholic can
not act in that manner. He cannot present
himself before the Divine presence in what
would be for him merely simulated union
Of prayer and alteration. His Church ex.
pressy forbids him so TO do. She considers
indifference in matters OF igion-ipdif.er.
eDce Us u the distinction OF positive doc
Urine IN Altb-as great e'll Whicn pro
miscuous worship would tend tospread more
widely aud increase. Hence the prohibition
of such worship, and the Catholic cannot
join in it without doing violence to his sense
Of religious belief.
These three points the undersigned simply
sets forth as facts sppertaiDng 10 tie faith
OF Catholics, and 10 their conscience in mat
tiers Of religion. Any discussion or show Of
arguments to prove the reasonablencS Of
such belief and OF such conscience, would
seem to him GU, Of place inasmuch as the
question to be solved is, not Why people be-
lieve, but what they believe rave always
the laws Of common morality, and the re
spect due to all such things as may be
essential or integral to the Constitution
under which the Commonwealth 10 gov
erned