Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-25
Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Bay

Int. 1876. Just issued, touches o. the mixed
mar age and "religion in schools" ques-
TORS. He refers I'm the beginning 70 the
seniority OF the archdiocese o. Baltimore in
his country and the inspiring memories
clingiDg about il; 10 the past simplicity
VI hen people did rot SO much crowd into
the cities but pursued a Quiet rural life. AMI
fhinF that resting 700 much under these in
fIuenCes and ideas has been one of the great
dangers of the present, when 'seyil has b..
come aggressive" when there is developed
"eu excessive love Of money and outward
show; want of moderation aud simplicity
IN every thing; n haste and hurry in daily
life which precludes all steady reflection ani
self examination; bad manners; bal Gus
toms; bad books: bad newspapers; 50 that we
live in vitiated atmosphere and are sur
rOuI Ged by moral malaria on every side"
The archbishop says:
at has. consequently, become absolutely
necessary for all OF us, priests and people.
fully to recognize this epidemic character of
the evil influences OF our days so as to pro
tect ourselves against them, and do all that
we can TO protect Others, The most favor
able sign in our regard is that Col, In His
goodness, seems about to come To oar helm
In eImitting spirit OF Injustice and pars,-
cUtion TO he stirred up against us and our
thing which SavorS of kindlneSS and char
ity, but there can be no DOUBT that constant
and familiar intercourse with those who are
living in religious error, or have no rali zion
81 all, is calculated to produce "a spirit of
II difference and make us insensible tn the
Ia'ue of religious truth. Your Over-char-
p oil generally end by having no religion n
81. We cannot be Catholics and At the same
time make a religion 10 suit ourselves"
In regard 10 the subject Of marriage and
the jealous care the Catholic church has al
ways exercised over that foundation OF ev-
cry thing in tue church, the aTchbi shop says:
"In our days there are large numbers OF her
children who disregard these laws as IL they
did not exist There can he no more certain
test of weak and declining faith than Sthe
frequency of what are called "mtxed mar
NF.,s,
catLOiclty must necessarily assume a very
diluted character, and faith have little OF
energy and robustness about it,"
On the subject of education the archbishop
urges "Open-handed liberality to provide
good ChlStrian schools for poor children" lie
says: Formerly our common schools gave "A
simple, plain education, sufficient To Ill
those who received IL for the ordinary Occu-
TaIiODs of life, aud Parents found time TO
Keep them from bad company, teach them
their prayers. ana see that they attend
cd TO their religious duties. Ana as they
were comparatively few in number the
priests were able to know them personally,
and watch over their conduct in life. But
low, from variety of causes, which have
no time TO dwell upon, our poor children,
who have become very numerous, are gener-
ally very badly cared for. Their parents nI
gleCt or are unified TO take proper care of
them. Those OF them who attend the public
schools III course receive nOreli gIOuS instruC-
ton, and are brought very slightly under
any wholesome discipline. Our Sunday
schools, useful as they may be in themselves,
can DO very little to supply these deficIen-
cteS. All experience shows us that the only
possible method by which we can hooe to
make up for the want of parental Watchful-
ness, preserve our children To their reli zion
and make them good citizens is by prOvi1irg
good p8TOChial Christian schools. To form a
Catholic parish q schoOlhOuse has become
as necessary as q church. Your clergy are
making every eXertion to gather the poor
children Of their flock under the wing OF & G
church, to provide schools, and good schools,
for them, and every one o. US should, cO-ope.
rate with them, and aid them from the
widows mite Ia the rich mans pound.
"ReiigiOGs teaching is as necessary to any
thing that deserves the name OF education as
OEy gen is to the air We breathe. Without il,
il may be seriously doubted whether a good
ds al OF what is now called education does
not do more harm than good. IL is rdicU-
lUus TO speak OF sharpening up quick in
telcct with corrupt heart aud depraved
VIII under IL, as IL you were necessarily pre-
pairing such person TO be a good citizen aud
4 useful member of society. To say nothing
Of cur political combinations, our peniten-
t.aTies and state prisons are full of these
well-eduCated people,
In regard 10 st. Mary'S Industrial school,
which the letter Commend5 as q mira Diy
conducted, the archbishop says:-"Egen If
the state ami city authorities took wise
interest in our enGeayOrS TO make these deS-
titute children well behaved and useful
members of society, aud were willing 20
assist us, would prefer, il l could OnI, pre-
vail upon you TO he Of the same opinion, taat
We should do il ourselves. II is in our power,
aud that without any very great SACRIFICES,
TO take care Of all our poor and sick aud
helpless people without assistance from any
one. Some of US may think, perhaps. that
open persecution has become Impossible in
these days of hberality and popular riga g..
when civil and religious liberty is Out. OF
the boosted glOries OF the age, when there is
so much tenderness in the human heart that
they are unwilling to hang even the gre AZ,
criminals. But we have studied the history
OF the world and the human heart 70 litt' o
purpose If We allow ourselves TO be dclU1eI
by such dreams as these
The letter goes on to discuss the Gestrur Il We
persecution now waged in u rmany as suH
Client to dispel any ailusiOn that might bo
entertained, and says: what would we
think in this country, If z law were male by
the state deprivlng SIl the Catholic bishops
and clergy of all sources OfincOme, and then
imposing penalty OF severe imprisonment
upon every one who should give them the
least assistance? And yet this is but one Of
the minor incidents I'm the present German
legislation against the church. Our AmerI-
can newspapers, which, If you were TO b.Iieve
their own account OF themselves, are always
boiling over with indignation at the slightest
appearance of injustice ald iniqUity, have
yet to write their first word OF protest against
these open violations of all the principle
upon which our government is founded, and
OF which we claim 10 be the especial patrons
and protectors over the whole face OF the
earth.
"Here we have no endowments for the sup
port of religion LETT us by the piety of our
fOlefatheTS and are obliged to depend on con-
and Institutions OF charity. Rich eudOW-
ments, however, tend TO paralyZe the charity
OF those who come after them and excite the
rapacity Of spoilers. Most Of the perSecu-
lions OF the church in our day have come
from her wealth, not merely because she
was despoiled of her means of doing good,
but as they who iDjure you always hate you
persecution naturally follows on spoliaIion
There can be no doubt that II would be q wise
policy on the part of the state to assist de-
nOmiDatiOnal charities. The poor and desti-
tute and sick who become dependent on the
state for support and nursing can be taken
care of much better, and at much less cost.
by deLOIuinational charity. England not
only helps Catholic schools, but she has
Catholic chaplains Ia her training ships and
prisons.
"But there is no need OF discussing the ius-
tice or Injustice, the advantages or diSad-
Nantages Of different systems; one thing is
certain, that the secular irreligious system
is becoming day by day the faVOrite one In
Cur country. All sectarianism, which, by a
curious peTVersiOn OF words, means CathOl-
icism, j. to be carefully excluded from any
share in the public distribution. We must
take care of the children and the poor our
selves, and the sooner the work is done tle
better for them and for our own souls"
Dogs BETTER THAN SHEEP IN TENNFs.
SEGA few days ago a gentleman was rid