The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-05-20
RELIGION IN DANGER.
Views Of n Catholic TkeoioGinn Respecting
the Forces Now Undermining the Church.


Woo Spain, April 2l.-It may have sur
prlsed some OF your readers that 1should. ina
recent letter. have laid 20 much stress on cnte-
instruction and careful home educa-
ton as one OF the most effective prevcntiVcs
against the spreading contagion oil inhdeiitY
as the best means Of forearming our youth
AGAINST tho hostile docirinal and Socialistic
Tendencies now prevailing In Europe. anu. toa
certain extent. In America.
It would he simple folly TO wish to d'sguise
Tho truth. The struggle In European countries
as against religious teaching and influence Tor
.lericalism. ms Gambetta terms it, Is to give to
he State tho exclusive right To educate-to
make Of education the work of laymen. to the
EXCLUSION OF NIL persons bearing priest
Y or religious character. In France
nd italy the men at present In power
20 further; they do not all disguise
leir purpose-or disguise II very faintiy
Of inbuing the minds of youth in the elemcn-
iry school and in tho university with prin-
y,cs openly and absolutely adverse to revealed
.ligion. to the belief in and worship OF SUI
.cme Being.
The process Of extinguishing in the minds
md hearts of the youth Of a nation the beliefs
aI sentiments. which have been hitherto the
,.rv breath Of national life. has begun to be
iOnal organizations controlled respectively by
Paul Bert III France and by Signor Baccoiil IN
% u a@M l"Gs sd w '" male eS and female
whom these two athc lists have ut their com;
uanl. to bot out from the souls OF French ana
Italian youth all that their forefathers beloved
M This ! leave to your enlightened readers
. say. And br IL a'so borne in mind that tho
c n ,hsr d nSr "a sc arH The
and by the teaching OF tho press ana IN" terri-
de influence of an immoral literature.
The battle for r li.,on on the one liahd anu
,nicntrc matcrial-m and social anarchy on
he other Is winged by education and Is to tie
esi Sy t as d the rs ea i lofc o
.,ruct society from its undationS Two strlk-
n9 examples OF this creative and rcnoyatirg
nv mind They will enable tho reader to
;rlsp the SURPRISING importance OF the issue
which am entcuvoring with ali my strength.
20 bring home to the m inds Of Americans
The first example relates To- the beginning
md spread Of Morm9ni.m; We Of the Older
,,arted half amused by the pretended dlscov;;
nv in western New York Of the celebrated
ook Of M3rm9m me mrn'qrS XII ssro ~
Ioe Smith and Brigham Young were scarcely
css monstrous frauds; the practices OF the
mountain soltu,i,.s OF Utah. and the rigid Sc
s sH T'h ho wRE d "l9n ani addsd
violations have become tho law OF ne Tor
early half n million OF human beings !!
1iir own day = the result Of Mormon education.
The other exampl" Is taken from the carry
n an opposite direction. an equally eloquent
csson. 1t viii be familiar to historical STUDENTS
hat the rragress OF Chrstinn,ty IN me iherhn
iXth century was continually interrupted or
,iarred by the arrival aeroSs the lyreneGs OF OF
"a nnsmest"ned TACT that these bnrbarians.
Whatever their name. were either henthens or
\rinns, and as such bitterly hostile to tho
native Christians In tho year $40 the Goths.
under Atana.:ld, were the dominant power III
pain ruling with the sword and with the
he HS divided majority. called Gathol,cs in con
rtdistinction to the Arians. VINO did not be-
eve in the separate personality or The divinity
But about that same year $50 ono Of the
:rcatest men o. all time. Leander; Bishop OF
arhs S r %e st. s"a drs ot %%S
,Q, conquer and convert by the sheer fore: q, OF
..ducation not only the Arian Cloths but the ne
lis brother Fussntia.. and ,asr later =! y
a aTs he asd xTf" the 1iqher
known In Western Chris,endom,"t the School
u Sev TO-" The three iilustrious brothers and
the youth Of all Spain Hooked to It. Nisigoths
Suevi. Vandals. and the native hispano.
omans From this sehoSfar which iidSrs
and in which he and his associates tnught every
Tue time bsSe7ah i sIhgss 81 stain rulers o
provinces, state amen, and magistrates; men
who bacame Archbisiiops and Bishops. and who
established at BraSa Palcnca Toledo. Sara.
-:ossa, and Barcelona university schools after
Catholic doctrine taught in Seville by Lonndel
and his brothers was borne. Xix. Il fruitiu seed
20 all the cities OF Spain, into the bosom %
very family among the leading classes in tn,
dominant aud the subject races.
MEANWHILE the fierce fauaticism of Queer
,ioswunda tho wife first Of Atanagild and thet
# I.aovigid the Great. and the zeal Of he
iothic mobiles and ArIan Bishops kindled
irarfu civil war in which Lrarder and Her
ncncgild the heir to ths Gothic throne. wer
IN the side OF the nationn, party aud uriho
oXy IT is one Of the most tragic and romnuti
tories on record. But the Instruction wa
merched in blood H.rmrnoSild pcriShirg i
,irison. I.eand.r's appeal to- tn. sword failed
unnifest ms WAS his right TO resist u rowc
leyer accepted by the nation and creed i'm
,osed by the superior force OF the invader
But the mighty force Of education WHICH h
lnd been using for so many years to such goo
purpose all ut once and when he least expect.
H. produced the very result whicH WI
ho aim of all his ambition. Just whe
.hc national party was PROSTATE ut th
mercy OF Lrovi.iii and GosNunda. the Kin
fell sick and on his deathhcd prnfc- sod hin
elf n Catholic and died rsrommHniiu. Va
,on and successor. Rcccarnio. to the father
are of Ienn,icr. The sequel i, well know
Within two years after Ia" death Of leoyig IL
Ruccureuo. with the OVERWEIGHT ny majority
he yisgoths had embraced the creed -! II
,u,lar, VII In politicians wcrr seek ~, the tI'
u.nph of religions truth and civil Freedom /