New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-27
A Priests ATTACK on Public Schools

A synopsis of a sermon delivered IN Ne"
York city last Sunday by Father Waiker'
of the Catholic Church, attacking pnolle
schools, ani denounciDg Catholics wno pay
rUnIZe or couDtenarce them, Is neie"i.n
printed, as follows:
"In announcing yesterday that next sun.
DAVIS collection would be for the beneht OF
the parochial schools, he took occasion TO
Genonnce .he public system ol New YORK
in the most bitter and iDjudicious manner
Woe be to the parents shouted he ID the
manner of one Lurling anathemas, woe
be to the parents who send their ch!!dren
10 these public schools! Woe be to those
who secretly favor them in their hearts.
I would not like to be in their places on
the day of Judgment. The public schools
are the nurseries OF vice. They are Goddess
schools, and they who send their children
TO them can not expect the mercy OF God.
They ought not to expect the sacraments OF
the Church in their dying moments. hope
you and I Will live to see the day when ii
will be understood that parents who com
init this great Sin will be refused the
sacraments of the Church. What! let
them die without the rites OF the
Church. will you ask. Yes, l say SO.
| would as soon administer the sacra-
ments to a dog as to such Catholics.
Did not Jesus Christ suffer one Of His
apostles to die without the rites of the
Church in despair! So would let these
wretched Catholics perish Catholics! They
are no Catholics. They are Catholics OF
the pot-hOusa politician stripe-men who
deceive and betray the poor, ignorant, iuno-
cent Irish immigrants when they arrive in
this couDtry: men who mako their poor
countrymen, when they are a few months
in this country, perjure themselves to
become citizens: men who have no faith or
charits in their hearts. You may say, 'Ah.
but / know good men and women, good
priests and bishops, good fathers and moth
ers. who were brought up in the public
schools True, but they are the rare excep.
tions, one in 1000 or 10000. You will say
also, But seme of the teachers are Catho-
lies What of it. What do they know
about the vice all around them, the con-
tamination and villainy9 They don't know
it; they don't see it. But we priests know
it, Go look at the water closets in some OF
your public schools and see the vile scrlb-
biings and markings On the wall and you
will realize the vice and infamy that prevail
at these nurseries of crime. l tell you,
Catholics, you do not realize the dangers to
your children. The great effort of the enc
my of Gods holy church in these days is to
get control of the education OF the youth in
the hope Of thus counteractIng the blessed
influence of the priests of God. The enemy
has abandoned every other effort. Look to
it, then, that you do not fall victim to his
insidious arts.
"The preacher then alluded to the won
dertul growth of the Church aud to the
iniquity Of taxing Catholics for the support
of schools they uld not want and could not
send their children to. He said there were
600. 900 Catholics in this diocese alone,
100000 more in the Brooklyn diocese. and
hundreds Of thousands more in Albany,
Buffalo and Ogdensburg. 1t all these banded
themselves together valiantly to demand
their rights, think you they could fail! No,
they could not. They would soon show
their strength and triumph like their fellow.
Catholics in Ohio"
This plain and outspoken sermon deliv-
cred from Catholic pulpit to Catholic
audience is so absolutely free from all ambi-
guilty as to shock the sensibilities Of the
New York Herald, ever watchful of the
interests Of the political party for whose
success it persistently labOrs, and which
relies SO strongly on the votes of Catholic
citizens tor all OF its triumphs. The Herald
occupies an exceedingly difficult attitude.
1t has taken grounds in favor Of the free
school system of the State OF New York, in
Guiding the compulsory provision now
being enforced. II is convinced that no
political party can survive in this country
that explicitly opposes free school system,
and, OF course, knows equally well that the
Democratic party can not win victory
without large majority Of the Catholic
votes. Hence it attempts to relieve the
Catholic Church from the responsibility of
the foregoing opinions uttered by Father
Walker. And in this, as Democratic
organ, it has acted discreetly. But its vol
unteered championship of that church in
behalf of it's party is not graciously received
by the Daily Telegraph. a newspaper printed
under Catholic auspices. This journal COM
nents on the HeraiTs editorial as follows:
ut will appear evident at first glance
that the above alleged report OF the Rev.
Father Walkers sermon is merely synOp-
sis. Probably as far as it goes it is correct,
and probably it is not. We should like to
know Just here by what authority the Her.
aid put itself forward as censor Of the
teachings of Catholic priest, duly or
dained and appointed to the care of souls
We should further like to know what au-
thOrity the Herald has received for stating
that it is the duty of that newspaper to
acquit the church of authorizing such
preaching as that referred to above! Who
appointed the Herald to this championship
of speaking in behalf of the church We
are at loss to know these things.
''It would be well in future when Father
Walker intends to preach to 60 to the editor
of the Herald and receive due instructions
as to what he shall say to his congregation
and what he shall not say. HencefOrth we
must ali take our theology from that news.
paper, and priests must bow in submission
to the Bohemian splutterings of some un-
known and untutored scribe, or bear the
consequences OF his refusal. We can
understand any amount of criticism of any
priests sermon, even when said criticism is
Of the most violent type. But we do not
understand the right OF a brutal attack like
the above and the assumption, presumption,
and dictatOn that breathes with angry fume
in every line. What has Father Walker
said that the Herald has dared to refute!
Says the Rev. Jesuit Father: The public
schools are nurseries OF vice. Has the
Herald that declaration met or does it dare
to meet it' Ii so, let it try, and we shall
help it all we can. If this be true, as
Father Walker says it is, and we believe it,
for we know it. and can prove it, Ia the
priest. who is accountable to God for the
souls placed in his charge, to refrain from
raising his warning voice to protect the
children of his flock from the gross con-
of the hideous and shocking i'm
moralities because newspaper reporter
stands BY. Never were truer words uttered
by the mouth of man than those uttered by
Father Walker on Sunday last. Never was
pOrlzing with an evil in our midst that is
striking at the foundations of morality, and
which. if permitted to pass unnoticed, lest
the high-strung feelings of our neighbors
be Jared upon. there is future for the
Church in America that will cost more labor
than the conversion of savage nation.
1.-The leprosy OF this public school busi-
ness must be exposed if we wish to cure it.
1t must be done, too, with no timid or
unerring hand, and we thank God that
Father Walker has raised his powerful and
eloquent voice against the atrocious evils
of this dreadful system"
This looks like a Catholic Endorsement of
Father Walkers opposition to and denun-
ac Nyill Hoa.aLd