The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-11-26
MESSENGER SUNDAY NOVEMBER q
Address Of the Irish Prelstes on the Education
Question.

Question.
A pastoral address to the clergy and
laity of ireland, on the Education ques-
ton, was issued on Sunday last, signed by
Cardinal Cullen, three archbishops, and
twenty-one bishops. The document ex-
tends over fifty-four pages. After
lengthy argument on the subject, it pro-
As to primary education we demand -
First-FOr all schools which are exclusively
Catholic, the removal of all restrictions on
religious instruction SO that the fullness OF
distinctive religious teaching may enter
into the course of daily secular education,
with full liberty for the use of Catholic
books and religious emblems, and for the
performance of religious exercises, and
that the right be recognized of the lawful
pastors of the children in such schools to
have access to them; to regulate the
whole business of religious instruction in
them; to remove Objectionable books, if
any, in such schools. The teachers, the
books, and tho inspectors, should all be
Catholic Secondly y That the public
money should never be used in the work of
proselytism. Thirdly That in mixed
schools, whore the children of any religion
would be SO few as not to be entitled to a
grant for a seperate school, q stringent
to guard as far as possible against even the
suspicion of proselytism. Fourthly.That
the existing model schools should be
abolished. Fifthly-That Catholic train
ing schools, male ard female, should
be established in which teachers would
as we'll as Intellectually, and in accordance
with Irish traditions and feelings for the
holy Office of teaching the Catholic children
of Ireland. The RESPONSIVENESS of this
demand is manifest from tho fact that of
the entire number Of teachers in Ireland,
about 5000, there are in schools connected
with the National Board about $500 I'M
trained.
AS to intermediate education, we demand
that the large public endowment now
monopolised by schools in which you and
we have no confidence, and many of which
are directly hostile to the Catholic re-
ligion, should be taken up by commission
have full confidence. That the commission
thus appointed should be merely for
financial purposes, and should hold the en-
dowments in question for the benefit of the
whole nation of all the intermediate
schools in Ireland without religious dis
tinction, and for the general advancement
of mddle-class education. That the ma
tional fund thus held should be devoted to
the encouragement of intermediate educa-
ton by means of exhibitions open to the
competition of all youths under a certain
age, and to payment by results to every
institution established for middle class
education, the examinations being con-
the possibility of Partially or Of interfer-
ence with the religious principles of any
competitor or of any school.
AS regards higher education since the
Protestants of this country have had a
Protestant University with rich endow-
ments for 300 years, and have it still, the
Catholic people of Ireland have a right to
Catholic University. But should her
Majesty's government be unwilling to in
crease the universities in this country, re-
ligious equality cannot be realized unless
the degrees, endowments and other privi-
leges enjoyed by our fellow subjects of a
different religion be placed within the
reach of Catholics on terms of perfect
equality. The injustice of denying to us
the participation OF those advantages, ex-
ccpt at the cost of principle and conscience,
is aggravated by the consideration that
whilst we contribute our share to the
public funds for the support of educational
Institutions from which conscience warns
us away, we have, moreover, to tax our
selves for the education of our children in
our own colleges and universities. Should
it please her Majesty's Government, there
fore, to remove the many grievances to
which Catholics are subjected by existing
university arrangements, aud to establish
one university in this kingdom for ex-
aiming candidates and comforting degrees,
the Catholic people of Ireland are entitled
in justice to demand that in such universi-
ties or annexed to it, they shall have one
or more colleges conducted upon purely
Catholic principles, and at the same time
fully participating in the privileges enjoyed
by other colleges of whatsoever denomina-
ton or character That the examinations
and all other details of university arrange
ment be free from every influence hostile
to the religious sentiment of Catholics, and
that with this view the Catholic element be
represented upon the senate OF
other supreme university body, by persons
enjoying the confidence of the Catholic
bishops, priests and people of Ireland. All
this can, we believe, be attained by modi-
flying the constitution of the University of
Dublin, so as to admit the establishment of
q second college within it in every respect
equal to Trinity College, and conducted on
purely Catholic principles, in which your
bishops shall have full control regarding
faith and morals, securing thereby the
spiritual interests of your children, placing
a tho sapae TINA Cathcliea On f,ct;,>r -