The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-03-17
Morning Star and Catholic messenger.
nv oRLHANs SUNDAY. MARCH H. 1871.


ma Asohsishop Of westminstsr's Pastoral Letter.
coueluded nom last weekly
Enoland Passing through Crists.-
The education of the people OF Eng
land is, therefore, at this time passing
through crisis which, for good or ior evil
will determine the future of this country.
We are wasting our time In political con-
tests and angry dissensions about theories
and schemes of second and third-rate I'M
portance, while the question which is vital
to the well being of the country is passing
beyond our control into tho hands OF those
who are undermining the foundations OF
our national character. England is a
Christian people; and the education OF
England, in an anbroken tradition from
our fathers, is Christian still. Its unity
was, indeed, shattered. and it's perfection
diminished, three hundred years ago. But
through all it's losses and cenfusions the
education of England and of Scotland is
Christian to this day. The education OF
Ireland is, to this hour, what Ireland Is.
immutably Christian, in all the fullness of
the Catholic faith. On the maintenance OF
this Christian tradition in all its integrity,
depends, therefore, the national character
of our people. And at this moment, for
the first time, the inestimable inheritance
of Great Britain and Ireland is deliberately
threatened by politicians, by organised
leagues, and by the secret enemies of the
Christian education and Christian charac-
ter Of our country: They are ciamoring g
who have been laboring for years while
they did nothing. They are clamoring for
secular education under the pretext that
the " religious difficulty" binders the
education Of the people. They tell US that
their condolences are wounded it an appre-
ciable fraction of their rates be paid to
school where religious opinions are taught
to which they object, or, indeed, where
religion is taught at all. The adver-
carries Of he Christian education OF, Eng
land thought that their time was come,
nnd that the religious divisions of the
country had rendered the exclusion of re-
ligion from our schools inevitable. They
tell us the public money ought not to be
giZGG4 except for secular teaching; and
they seem to think that their victory over |
tell us that the public money ought to be
given, in our present divided state, only to
the secular part of education. Such is now
the fact; and, therefore, the pleas aud
pretexts of conscience as to the subsidizing |
Of UNCONVENTIONAL religions are deception
Britain and Ireland are unhappily d.
vided in religion. The established Church |
Of England IL Anglican, that of Scotland is |
Presbyterian of Ireland is Catholic. The
public revenues are raised indiscrinainate-
~, without regard to religion. from the
State nor the Parliament have any legal
religion. Parliament has no course to
pursue, but to make grants of the public
money for education, on equal conditions,
to all subjects of the Crown. 1t can take
no cogpizance of religious denominations.
In the eye of the law all sects and COM
munions are equal. Its grants of public
money bear a small proportion, not as much
as one-half, compared with the amount
raised by the voluntary efforts of those
whose zeal and self-denial have hitherto
educated the English people. The State
tion-the reading, writing aud arithmetic
of these voluntary schools in which the
education has been freely pro-
vided by the voluntary contributions of the J
and founders. Let US hear no :
more, then, that public money is given in
has laid down the broad and :
inevitable principle, that public money |;
shall be applied only to the secular part OF !,
public education. In England, the Angli- a
,ans and Nonconformists of every name, !,
and the secularists of every color may, If -
they will, receive grants of the public =
money, proportioned to the amount of their =
efforts, and under conditions :,
equal and alike to all. In Scotland, the -
Kirk, and the free Kirk, aud the Presby- q a.
erians, united or independent, and all who :.
nave education at heart, may in like man z r
Ter receive public grants proportioned to -
heir personal efforts. In Ireland let the u
Catholic people have their full and just y
,quality with England and Scotland, in ~
he freedom to found their own schools ac- =, 20
ording to their conscience. Those in the -
hree Kingdoms who believe in exclusive - :,
ocular education have their full equality, =,
nd can start fair with us in the race. With ~ ~
'erfect liberty we are not afraid of the ~ .,
ssue. But there is one thing we protest a.
gainst: the tyrannous use of religious ~
igotry and the State power to undermine 6.
he Christian schools of these countries, -
y an unequal and controversial applica- ~
ion of our public revenues. What is {,
aid by all belongs to all. The golden =,
eriod of religious unity has been long o. .,
'st-we fear, never to return. We are +
ow in a period, not golden, indeed, be- o.
ause of our multiplied divisions; but it OF
lay be called a silver age, because the b y,
of the past are allayed, and the ~
email laws which dishonored our statute w
box have been blotted out. So long as bs
10 people of these three Kingdoms are free si
follow their conscience in the education g.
fho;r rI,Sl lal A.