The New York herald., 1879-08-26
THE POPE'S NEW ENCYCLICAL.

POPE LEO XIII. ON THE REGULATION OF
PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES.
The encyclica letter just addressed by the Pope to
the dignitaries Of the Catholic Church fills ten
closely printed columns of the Osservdtore Romano
and treats of the restoration Of Christian philosophy
in the Catholic schools according to the spirit of the
angelic doctor. Thomas Aquinas During the last
fifty years least says the Rome correspondent of
the Daily Neacs. "the teachings of St. Thomas Aqunas
have been held at q discount in the seminares
Of Rome. The philosophic teaching impaired
to the young has been drawn according to
the varying fashion of the day. from
Grotius. PuHendorf, Descartes or Kant. At present
the text book used in the Roman semnaries is the
philosophy of Core, the late Professor Of Philoso
ply at the University of Turin whose system based
mainly on Rosmini's speculations, is taught like
OF compromise with modern thought the Pope would
recall the instructors OF Catholic youth back to the
system of the angelic doctor. The result can only
be to train up generation Of militant clergy. versed
in scholastic method and dialectc debate In order
that they may cope with the freethinker and Protes
tant-the very antitypo, In u word, OF the modern
easy going cure.
Rome correspondence OF the London Times.l
lis Holiness commences by remarking that the
greater part of the evils which act society i'll the
present day due to the medication OF false phi
losophy, and ADDS that while sound philosophy is
help the understanding or supernatural truth false
philosophy dissuades from it's acceptance. Phil
osophy. in order that it may attain it's end must be
subject 10 the Ialtu. oucn suDJcctlou, nc points
out, is not injurious to philosophy, for he atiirms.
the history OF Christian philosophy demonstrates
that it is the means OF securing 1t from error. He
speaks Of the philosophy of the scholastics. and,
dwelling upon them one by one, demonstrates their
excellence. and more especially that of st. Thomas
Aquinas whose doctrine, the Pope remarks vene-
rated for many centuries, has been followed by
ligious orders and approved by popes and by coun-
ciIs He deplores that scholastic philosophy has
been abandoned and that various and opposed sys-
tens have prevailed instead which have given rise
to great Inconsistency of doctrine and consequently
he exhors the bishops to adopt in their eccesiasti
cal schools the doctrine of st. Thomas Aqupas. 1t
is many years since so long Papa Encyclical has
been sent FORTH
Alter quoting the Divine mandate, ''Go ye, there
fore. ana teach all nations, no dwells the vig-
labcrs of the bishops, the laws and DEGREES Of
the Synods and, above ALL the daily solicitude OF
the popes whose right and duty 1t is to instruct and
confirm the brethren in the faith and to regulate
their scientific instruction, and chiefly their insruc
tion philosophy, the basis OF all science. Too
but though reason may not usurp the place
of authority t is OF value confirming
divii.eiy revealed truth; and the wise use mace
by fathers of the analoges between natural and
revealed religion, has been aptly compared by ST.
Augustine to the sroing OF the Egyptians. After u
of the fathers. from Justin Martyr. Ireneus, ORR
gen, Tertullian, to Bpothus and st. Thomas
Aquinas. the Pope concludes by pointing out tho
sole remedy for the evils OF age the due reli-
pious instruction of the young, especially OF such
as feel a vocation for tho Church. that they may
be able TO coniute error giving reason for the hope
that is in them. He therefore exhorts all bishops
and teachers, while prizing all truth by whomsoover
taught to seek to dfuse the golden teachings OF st.
Thomas Aquinas.