The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-05-10
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.
PASTORAL LETTER
or THE
Fathers Of the Tenth Provincial Council


of the province Of Baltimore, at the Tenth
Provincial Council, (Which closed It's session
on sunday, the ID inst, to tho clergy and
laity of the province, was read yesterday
morning at 81. Patrick's church.
The letter IL upon some of the most impor-
tant subjects that engaged the attention oil
the Council during their recent deliberations.
The first suhjcCt Is on
EDUCATION.
The clergy are expected to redouble their
efforts in providing sound moral and reli-
Vious education for the children Of their
tocks. UPon this point the letter snysi
"BIttcr experience convInces US more and
more that = purely secular education, to the
exclusion OF a religious training, IL not only
an imperfect system but Ia attended with the
most disastrous consequences TO the Iniivid.
ual and to society. Among tNholics there
cannot be two opinions about this subject.
And we are happy TO sec tht' iLia ptAGtlcal
truth is beginning to find l"srrt NEE also In
the minds Of rejecting mca 1Ib"s or sepa-
rated brethren"
Catechetical instructions weekly are not
deemed sufficient to satisfy the religious
wants Of the children; they should every day
breathe healthy religious atmosphere in
those schools where not only their minds are
enlightened, but where seeds of faith, piety,
and sound morality are nOurishcd and in
yigorated.
The lack of attention to sound religious in
struction Is deplorcd. The pastoral, speak
Ing Of the consequences Of this neglect,
says
many Intelligent persons throug bout the coun.
try embracing the true faith, we are obliged
to confess, with sorrow, that n great number
are lost to the Church. There is no exaggera.
tiOn In aaViuu ~ Nghnf Ilahnn E0Elanl
felt IL his sacred duty TO state many years ago,
that hundreds, nay, thousans Of soul5 annually
stray away from the fold In this country, on
account OF the neglect of their early religious
education. II We look for the descendants Of
those numerous Catholic families which have
emigrated to this country during the past and
present century, we will Ind that many OF them
have wandered away from the faith Of their
fathers, and that not a few OF them are now
ranked among the most active AMI unTele nting
enemies OF the Church OF God.
The only way to arrest the evil which we
deplote, Ia to make ample provision for the
moral and religious training Of our youth"
Parents, and especially mothers, In the
order OF Providence the natural guardians
and teachers Of their children, arc cxhorted
in the name Of God, the faith they profess,
and In the narnc of their country, which ex-
poets them 10 rear up, not scourges of So
ciety, but law-ablding members, 10 devote
themselves to the education of their of
spring.
The clergy arc instructed to establish pa
rochial schools as soon as practicable In the
cities, towns aud even in the rural districts
OF this province, where they may not yet
have been organized; and, as far as possible,
10 lave these schools in charge of the mem
bcrs OF religious communities who make the
teaching OF youth their special vocation, and
to give them their personal supervision.
CATHOLIC PUBLICATION SOCIETY.
Tho ('athnlia Qualification
lished In New York several years since, is
cordially approved and recommended to the
patronage of the clergy and laIty. Under
this head the letter says
This society Is laudably engaged in the
publication Of such Catholic works as are pc.
culiarly adapted TO the wants OF our times,
and II serves as powerful AUXILIARY 10 the
propagation Of Catholic truth.
short religious tracts are also Teissuei IN.
tracts are daily growing in popularity and tI.c.
iulness. In one year over six hundred IN a..
sand Of them were printed aud distribu., d.
lheif Dtovity recommends their psrusal TO
many who have neither leisure nor dispose
tion TO read books treating OF tho same sab.
Ject"
The clergy are recommended to adopt
some cnCctual and systematic means Lv
which the books and tracts of the publca-
ton society may he regularly circulated
throughout their missions, and distributed
among the children.
MURDER OF TIE ISSOo ESTs.
Under this head the letter condemns nutr-
natal murders, and says:
The abiding Interest we feel In the pIrs,r
Nation oil the morals OF our country, constI. ana
US to raise our voice against the daily incrrls
ing practice OF infanticide, especially before
birth. The notoriety which this monstrrus
crime has obtained Of late, and the hccAtomhs
Of infants that arc annually sacrificed TO Mo.
Loeb, to crafty an unlawful passion, are suf.
hcient Justification for our alluding 10 A I,,iI.
iul and delicate lsubJcct, which should not
even be mentioned among Christians.
I'VE may observe, that the CRYING sin OF in.
ihnticide is most prevalent In those Localities
where the system of education without re.
llgion has been longest established and m AT
successfully carried out.
This inhuman crime might be compared 10
the murder OF the "lnnOcents," except that
", ,h criminals 70 this case exceed In enormity
"lf II is sin to take away the life even of
40 enemy IL the crime Of shedding innocent
blood cries to heaven for yengeaucei in what
language can we characterize the double Guilt
oil those whose souls are stained with the In
noeent blood Of their own unb lrn, unrercnr.
rate offspring
THE murder OF an Infant before It's bI.Ih H.,
In the sight OF God and Of II church, ne great
acrime as would. be the killing Of cLilI aIfrr
9irth, with this aggrayntiug Circumstance in
the former case, that the unborn child dies de.
prlYed of the essential grace of hlpllsm,
mo mother Is allowed, uuaer say c.rcun.
STANCES 10 permit the death Of her unborn Ia.
sHh'i -a'Sa tNNh iOl tue hhhF Ul nFgrgI
her own lifei because the en- .ryaf lu-tit,es
the means and we must not 40 eva that InI!
may come from II.
We confidently believe that you, beloved
children in Christ, are stranger 10 this unnn.
tural vice. Our words, therefore, are the Ian.
guage rather OF warning than OF rcprooi."
This subject concludes with tn. words Of
warning written by ST. Paul TO the Ephc.
sans, chapter V, I'd to 10th verses.
DANGEROUS AMUsEMENTs.
lfH Inn al
next alluded to in the following language;
Prominent among the evils we have 10 de.
ploTe, and which are an evidence Of the grow.
ing licentiousness Of the times. may hc Itr,t.
oned morbid taste for indecent pl,IIicrri,,n,
anu me irequentation OF immoral1r positively
obscene theatrical performance
mo entertainments seem SUN .cnt tosntI,Iy
lhe last uegeneratlng spirit .; the age, unless
they pc hlBhlS sensational n.A calculated 10
CRAFTY the most pruticnt aprcl.'cs
we can hardly say whJ ttrsr.yg a str, .r,r
eohuemnAtlonl the actors who ptuder 10 me
most yltistei tastes, or the audience WIN en-
courage by their presence and applaud H. ,s,,
grossly indelicltc uXLlJ4.pEs. IiJth sr.,,.
and spectators appear TO vie w''N each on, =.
10 their rapid march Iown the s,,pppfy path OF
THE Church, far from Instantaneous
mas always encouraged iunOccu' aud moderate
lmusements, as useful or necessary fCl,xs
IONS. But while approving Of 'harmle.s
lIIersions, she never &c Ats 10 exercise Ter
'acrei influence In crnsuFlns a'I tmusguerts
virtue. " VI
"w "" deem It particularly oar solemn duty
70 renew our warning against the modern |
lhshlohthl dances, commonly called Gsrmgu
VI '"",,d uit''H, which are becoming more and
more the "rl nIpns Of sin.
lhes' " 'gllfes are 80 m .Ich the mOFe dan
eIDus, 70 several persons seem to look unon
ihetl no hhI I.I'ts, ami Indulge h. them without
WY apparent IcmuIse Of conscience
"But dlVlne revelation, tho ,yis,irr, NJ a,
lquity, the light Ui TetiDl AMI I 1919 81 ~ h
vi concur IN prOciAlWing tL,i these KIM. nT
even when restricted VIM
olerable bounds OF pTOprle'y are sttr,I','t
WIN more or less danger to tact'nn.,I,nsm',,I'
III such has been the verdict OF UnI ,T ~,
us church regarding less DhJrr'i0Enhlr t"rr,
u dancing, we cannot too strongly rcptnI,"
he system OF round dancing recently INTO.
Iced INTO society, which shocks every feeling
u Hellchcy, and Is fraught with immiEcni
anger to morals.
1T can hardly be expected that any ylrtu.
us persons unless they be more than human.
NJ, without dctriment to their souls, he
,hatd anu lake part IN such amusemeuta
, mere 'he Eye Is dtzzledby an array of fascIne
Jug opJeets, where the senses are CaDtIv aIeJ |
} enghhhllhg music and the heart ia asycb
itement. s''c'S anu cH- |
III the participation in such .c,oo, s,orI,
OF al hfst deeply wound tn, r'n'nie SnoHit
reeves me spirit OF God, and tsInisbesy ~ ~
rOwrWhte ny o. ohasti,. y, the most pTrrIonS
im"heht o. the iemAlc, sex, which shr i1,r.
es III earthen yesse, :" "'''' ''' var
inc ihllIlUi q. n thnrcC,rc ,rnrrol o,,.l,., |