St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-10-06
APPROVED BY TIE PAPAL SEE
The Action of the Baltimore Plenarv
Council Sanctioned by the Pope.
The Scope of Clerical and Lay Educa-
ton Enlarged in America.

BALTIMORE, Oct 5.-The American pub
llshed to-day a special letter from Rome,
having reference to the confirmation and
effect Of the DEGREES passed by the plenary
council of Baltimore. The writer SAYS that
their influence will be felt throughout
America, and to beneficial purpose. A
canon, which took its origin in medieval
| times, and was founded On and constituted
Tor civilization that has almost passed
| away. is cut into by the DEGREES. They will
constitute law suitable for the time The
education OF the clergy will be elevated
to the wants of the time. The Chris
| tian civilization of the people will
be made to keep pace with the material
civilization OF the time. Christianity will
be brought into harmony with the educa-
tloE and civilization Of the present age.
Regulations have been made for the eStab-
| GShment of schools for children, normal
schools for teachers, and university for
priests and for those laymen who devote
| themselves to the pursuits of higher knowl-
edge. 1t is not by ''benefces," that great
feature of the middle ages, by which, while
education was assisted, it was also ham
pered, that these results are to be obtained.
"Benefices" will not be brought in as
means of support. The Catholic church in
the United States wants no subsidy from
the state, and thus it will not become
servant, or rather slave, of the state, as
it has so often been in European countries,
such as France and Austria.
THE CHURCH IN AMERICA
prefers to depend for her support upon
the free offerings of the people. In the new
dioceses it is provided that no such thing as
parishes and parish priests in the old canon
ical sense of the term, will exist in the
United States These were founded on
''benefices," but there they will not be en-
ployed. This, however, does not indicate
that pastors who have created and fostered
a congregation, and made the desert to
bloom as a rose, will be harshly treated or
removed from the places they have built up.
There will not be an absolute remOvability
Of pastors. A certain percentage of them
will be declared immovable, and this holds
good except in cases where faults are as
cribed to the pastor, and these faults and
their consequences will be determined by a
trial. A certain amount of liberty of action
is required in the United States both by
bishops and clergy, and it is not advisable
to remove or curtal that liberty. The dig
nifty and authority will be increased and
brought more prominently into relief. They
will have their courts over those of bishops,
III WlIlCl cSppSdio Will US 1cCClN6u UGiOIG
such appeals can be sent to Rome. In fu-
ture bishops will have az
PERMANENT BOARD OR COUNCIL,
which they will assemble at certain inter
walls during the year. They will also give
some voice to the clergy in the selection of
bishop. Another important decision of the
Baltimore council refers to societies or as
sociations. A stop is about to be put to
indiscriminate, injudicious. or conflicting
condemnation Of secret societies. Hence
forward the condemnation of any secret
society will be reserved to permanent
board of all the archbishops of the country,
and all cases of such nature must be re-
ferred to them for their Judgment and de-
cision. The greatest safeguard will be
thrown around the contraction of church
debts in future. The sanctity of Christian
marriages will be specially guarded by suit
able and effective regulation.
Much was said on the holding of ecclesi-
astical property, but as different laws exist
in different dioceses, it was left to each
bishop to adopt the means best suited to
| each particular case. These DEGREES will
form the basis of the councils about to be
held in Australia and Ireland