The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-09-19
Catholic Education. :

There is no subject at the present day SO inn
portant to Catholics as that of education. The
efforts of many Protestants and Infidels to use
the schoolroom for perTerting purposes has
become so Obvious and fragrant, that our united
energies must be brought to bear to counteract
/ this Observation-Disclosures. The Catholic Church
has always taught that the most important end
of oil education is to help men to save their
immortal souls. 1t is because she is thoroughly
convinced of its Importance that she interferes
| in this vexed question For it is we'll known
that her mission is spiritual one, rs her king
dom is, although at the Same time she has to
use material means in order to accomplish her
delegated ends. Appointed " to teach all men, u
the education of her youth must ever be one
of her primary duties The whole system on
which Catholic education is founded is rejected
by the parties above alluded to, for, says CO.
temporary, many do not admit with any degree
OF certainty, that the soul is iulinortal-many
do not recognize the use or necessity of any
faith whatever; others do not, in any respect
connect dogma and salvation together; others
do not believe in q Church any more than they
do in Fetichism. OF course these people laugh
at the Catholic system, if they do not denounce
it as '' enslaving the intellect" We Will best
show the Importance of this subject by ex-
tracing a part of the letter which was adj
dseAed by his present Holiness, the Pope, in
1864, to the Archbishop of Freiburg. 1t is use
full at the present time, it sets forth authori-
tatively the teaching of the Church on matters
of the most vital Importance:
1t assuredly happens that, when truths re-
yealed by God are impudently denied, or are
snbjected to.the examination and Judgment OF
human reason, the legitimate subsection of ma
tural things to the supernatural order entirely
disappears. And rs men are WITHDRAWN from
seeking after the eternal end of their creation,
their thoughts and acts become circuniscribed
by the limits of the material and passing things
of this world The Church has been consti-
tuted by her Divine Founder as the column and
foundation of the truth in order that she may
teach all men the divine doctrines of faith
that she may keep whole and inviolate the de-
posit confidcd to her, and that she may direct
and mould men, according to the rule of re-
vealed dogma, in their mutual relations, in
their moral conduct, and in their whole system
of life. Hence it is that the abettors and pro-
paCators of false doctrine makes every effort
Co strip the Church of her authority over hui
man society. Wherefore they leave nothing
untried whereby they may diminish tho entire
power and saiutary influence which the Church
has ever exercised since its Divine institution,
and which it ought to exercise over human
society. They do all that in them lies to re-
moSe the influence of the Church from the in
situations of human society, and to subject
these institutions entirely to the political and
civil authority, to the good pleasure of those
who are IN GIoSSrnnent, ana TO Tue law OF the
tickle opinions of the age. 1t is not, therefore,
matter for astonshmeut If these unhappy
efforts are principally directed against the
public instruction and education of youth. 1t
cannot Ee d0ul ted but that human society will
suffer grave injury, when tho moderating au-
thority of the Church and her salutary in
fuence are expelledfrom the public and private
education of youth, on which the happiness of
Church anu State so much depends 1t is thus,
in effect, that human society is by little and
little stripped of that Christian spirit which
III afasa fita n1atip
of public order and peace, and is alone able to
create and carry out true and useful progress
in civilization, at the same time that all those
aids are provided which are necessary IN order
that man may attain his last end, that is, his
eternal salvation, after the course of this mortal
life. Most certainly the instruction which has
not only for its one only end the knowledge of
nature and the objects of earthly and social
life, but which also abandons the truths that
are revealed by God, must by necessity fall
into tue spirit of error and falsehood. The
education which undertakes to form the tender
minds and hearts, mallenble as wax in their
to vice, of children, without the aid
of Christian doctrine and the discipline of the
moral code, can only bring up a generation,
which, excited and impelled by Its own pas
sions and by selfinterest, viii bring down upon
private4aa4ilies and upon the State the greatest
msfortunes If this perniciOus mode of in
struction, separated from the Catholic faith
and from tho authority of the Church, IS the
cause of the greatest evil to the individual and
to society, whom it is introduced into the public
institutions that are consecrated to the educa-
ton and higher studies of the upper classes,
who can fail to see that the evil and loss viii
be far greater when such n method is applied
to the schools of the poor For in effect it is
principally in such schools that-the children of
the lower classes ought to be instructed from
their tessdeFest infancy he mysteries and
principles of our holy religion, and diligently
formed to piety, to a moral life, to religion,
and to become good citizens. Religion ought
III such sense to hold the first place, and so to
prevail in these schools, both in instruction
and education, that the other branches of
Knowledge should appear asr secondary. For
unless religious teaching is closely connected
with the instruction given in these schools
youth is exposed to the greatest dangers
Popular schools have been established for the
religious education of the people, for their
training in piety and in the laws of Christian
morality, and therefore it is that they have
always with good reason, beyond other houses
OF uducatioIT, engaged the specfn1 care, solicit
tude and watchfulness of the Church. The
plans and efforts therefore, which tend to
separate the authority of the Church from
these popular schools proceed from a spirit of
hostility to the Church, and from desire to
extingnish in the people the light of our divine
fifth Wherefore the Church. which founded