The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-20
The vatican and Education.

The Vatican and Education.
The real issue between the Vatican and
the world upon the question Of education
is very clearly brought-Ou in letter,
recently published in France, written by
Monsign ior the Bishop ofMOntpelier, to
the Deans and Professors Of the Facul-
ties Of Montpelier, and bearing, date Dec.
s, 1875. In this letter the Bishop says
Now, gentlemen, the Holy Church
holds herself to be invested with the alb
solute right TO teachsmankind; she holds
herself to be the depository of-the truth
mot fragmentary truth, incomplete, q
mixture Of certainty and hesitation, but
the total truth, complete, from relig-
ious point Of view. Much more, she is
so sure Of the infallibility conferred on
her Divine Founder, as the magnificent
dowry OF their indiSsoluble alliance, that
even in the natural order Of things, SCI
entifc or philosophical, moral or politi-
cal, she will not admit that a system can
DO adopted and sustained by Christians, If
it Contradict definite dogmas. She con-
siders that the voluntary and obstinate
denial OF a single point Of her doctrine
involves the crime OF heresy, and she
holds that all formal heresy il 1t be not
courageously rejected prior TO appearing
before God, carries with it the certain loss
Of grace and Of eternity. As defined BY
Pope Leo Y. at the Sixth Council Of the
Lateran, "Truth cannot contradict itself;
consequently, every assertion contrary to
revealed verify Of faith Is necessarily
and absolutely false" It follows from
this, without entering into the examina'
ton Of this or that question Of phySiolo-
~, and solely by the gertrude Of our dog
mas, we are able to pronounce Judgment
on any hypothesis which is an ahtfChris-
tian engine Of war rather than serious
conquest over the secrets and mysteries Of
Nature.
This is the briefest and simplest def
milton Of the attitude OF Rome towards
education that has yet been made. There
is no danger that it can be misunderstood
or misconstrued. It's freed from all I'M
necessary verbiagc or any conccalmsut Of
meaning. 1t is a bare, bald statement Of
fact that the wayfaring nan, though a
fool, Gun understand. It is recognition Of
the fact that the spiritual and material
progress Of the Church is dependent upon
control Of education, and hence the asser-
ton Of the Bishop, without condition or
reservation of "the absolute right to teach
mankind" Mr.. Tyndall, the English scien:.
tist, has already put in a protest against
this assumption. He says in a letter to
the London lures II
Liberty is fine word, tyranny hate
ful one, and both have been eloquenty
employed OF late in reference TO the deal
ings Of the secular arm with the preten-
tions OF the Vatican. But liberty" has
two mutually exclusive meanings-the
"liberty" OF Rome to teach mankind; and
the liberty Of the human race. Neither
reconcilement nor compromise ia possible
here. One liberty or the other must go
down. This, incur day, is the conflict
so impressiyely described by Draper, in
which every thoughtful man must take q
part. ~ 40 r.
The Chicago Tribune in commenting on
the above, makes the following forciblc
observations:
at is well that the issue upon the Vati-
can side has been thus clearly and un.
mistakably made, and the Bishop Of
Montpelier Is entitled to credit for his
sincerity and honesty in making il. 1t
shows TO the advocates and friends OF
popular and unsectarian education the
exact character Of the contest in which
they are likely to be involved, and that
it is contest which does not admit OF
compromise. It must be settled either
that Rome controls or does not control
the schools, and It does not admit OF
doubt that the question will be settled in
the negative. The contest may be q
fierce one in some parts OF Europe, but
in the United States II will be short and
decisive. Wherever it is precipitated
the Vatican will find itself confronted
not only with Professionalism, but also
with the lay multitude Of its own Church,
OF whom the Papal Nuncio SO bitterly
complained after his return from con-
ferring the berretta upon Cardinal Nc
Closkey. In some parts Of Europe the
contest may be longer and more obstin-
ate, but Of its ultimate result there can
be no doubt. twill be war Of the six.
teenth against the nineteenth century; q
war Of Conservatism against Liberalism;
OF medieval dogmas against modern pro-
grc@; of spiritual absolutism against
civilization; war in which the odds are
fenrfnllY ngainst the Vatican.