The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-10-13
ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW ORLEANS.
a CIRCULAR LETTER TO TIE CLERGY.

Rev. aud Dear Brother:
Now that we have reached the eve of the |
the Arehbi.hep. feels that It is his duty not To-
suffer the occasion to pass without calling !
your attention to the importance of Paro-
the Christian Educa a p Of the Youth With
which you are charged. This he has not been,
on account of his absence from the city, in q
position to do himself, and accordingly has
trusted to us the task Of addressing yon in his
stead.
At the present moment, dear Brother. all the
powers Of hell seem to be let loose, and its most
formidable batteries, to he directed against
the education Of youth.
Take Prussia, and you will find that maiig-
nant power, flushed by its recent victories
himself, and by an edict uuexampled for its
wantonness, expelling from the German EN-
pire q society of priests not more illustrious for
than for their valuable contributions towards
tho Development of every science. From Italy
We had nothing better to expect. That beau
accurst alike of God and men; and conse-
quently we are not surprised, that under the
very eyes of the Sovereign Pontif himself
tsuperceded tho old Catholic professors in the
public schools. Even little Sw.tzerland has
| caught the infection, and its Catholic popula-
the Christian Brothers and those Angels of
| earth, the Sisters of Charity, by whose zeal
| and devotion both their youth had been in
In these melancholy days Of ours, the worlds
hostility to the Christian education of youth
is more widespread andiptense tEan ever; but
it is only the same old struggle between good
aud evil which has been going on from the
very first: the devil makes one last and final
most desperate effort now, and seeks to catch
mankind in lis tolls by corruptingth the youth
| which are at once its promise and its hope.
! In our country, it is true, the State does not
SO far forget its duty as to issue edicts> by
which Christian teachers are expelled the Ca
| fhol IN Schn Rut / at IN inn
tends its most liberal patronage to the public
schools, from which all religions instruction is
lot of the children brought up under such .
systemf Left to themselves and to their
nascent passions; unguided by prudent di-
rector. aud unrestrained by religious cautions,
averted by the tender vigilance of the Church,
whose maternal arms win them back from
whose selection will make them educate ed men,
honest citizens and good Christians.
The last hope of society now consists in q
thoroughly Christian education of our youth !;
and it is with unf.igued pleasure that we here
attest the fact, that alongside of nearly every
Church in the Diocese q school has already
sprung up. as its natural complement Herein
we discern our brightest promise for the fu-
ture, together with our sweetest consolation
| for the present.
The shief point is, however, to collect the
| children of orr respective parishes within our
parochial schools; and herein parents lie nnder
the gravest responsibility, for which God will
| hold them to account, particularly in the case
| when they are themselves unable to impart to
their offspring thorough Christian education.
! This latter class il, unfortunately, too nume1-
! Gus, and hence the peculiar imperatveness in
their case to intrust to other and more COM
petent HAMS the task which they are incapa-
| bic of performing themselves. To this, those
parents are bound in conscience and in the
sightof God, and they cannot be exempt from
Gin, since in the perdition to which their chill
dren are doomed by their neglect, they are in
VOWED themselves by a fatal completely.
Bring this truth home to them, and never de-
sist from intoxicating it until it h become part
and parcel of their daily life.
1t must be admitted that many parents, whom
urged to send their children to the parochial
lschools object that there they have to pay,
whereas in the public schools educstio Is
gratuitous. This objection there is no great
maintained by the State, while ours are exclu-
sively dependent on voluntary contributions.
In this condition of things 1t is as just it is
natural that those of MS who devote themselves
: to the laborious task of education sho1ld
receive some compensation for their weary
toll. Would those, by whom the objection is
tion of their invaluable services7 In all cases
the stipend demanded is such mere trihe and
is, in so many cases, absolutely RENTED, that
to haggle about it would betray the very worst
grace in parents, the religions instruction and
eternal welfare of whose children are at stake.
3 But we go etep farther. If parents do
I the parochial schools, to whom are they in
] debted for the oppressive hardship but to
themselvesS
! The State levies a school-tax, we'll aud good;
with the measure are Just now unwilling
). to find fault; but since education is q strictly
family matter, we are of the opinion that the
9 State had better leave it alone. The State has
no better right to choose my school-master
= than it has my attorney or family physician
Q it Is not within its competence to dictate to q
d Child what he shall or shall not learn; much
Q less to mar its eternal destiny by denying it
a the benefits of christian education. Yet for
: this we are taxed and, despite of all consider
atoms Of equity and Justice We submit to the
9 imposition According to the fundamental
q law OF the land education ought to be as free
;. as conscience or religion and it lie manifest
Q usurpation for any State to impose an irreli-
: gious or Goddess ed EDUCATIONAL system on persons
r in whom it would be apostasy to avail them
selves of it's dangerous advantages.
All schools accordingly stand or ought to
stand on an essentially equal footing, and have
d an even right to an even share of the tax
D levied on the people for the purpose of public
3 education. OF this tax the State is simply
the depository and disburser; it is not the
proprietor.