The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-01-26
THE PAROCHIAL SCHOOL CUES
TION.

The lecture on Education by the Rev
T. T. Mccarthy. delivered at the Church
of Our Lacy of Perpetual Help, for the
benefit OF the new parOchal school, will
he read with interest by all who wish IT,
understand the exact position of CAtho-
ilc authorities upon the public school
question, 1t is TO be noticed that th-
speaker struck at the root of the ques-
ZION by plainly denying the right OF the
State to educate. His denial
was absolute, and not based merely up
On assumed or actual defects in public
schools as they are. 1t is impossible, he
'ftirmed, to avoid teaching religion IL
the schools and the moment religion il
iaught in them they become unconsti-
lional. The right to educate belong
only to perents, and cannot be surren
iered by them or usurped by the State
The public school system is "a national
fraud" and the speaker did not hesitate
to declare that ut must cease to exist.
and the day will come W en- it will
cease to exist He laid down the prin
cIple that a law, to be binding on the
conscience, must he for the common
veal; the public school laws, being pro-
nounced by Catholic authority 10 b.
cont ary to the common veal. are there
fore not binding on the Catholic con-
science.
People who have thought that there
was actually no public school question"
and that any discussion of such Dues
zion was premature and insIncere, will
perceive that there is the germ of a
pretty large issue IN the principle thus
enunciated. The objection of Catholic
authority To any given law, under this
principle, deprives the law of any hold
upon the conscience. A possible con
hrct of policies upon this question is in
dlcated in what the speaker further said
concerning the relation of Catholic par
ents to the public schools, If they send
their children to public schools when
there are suitable parochlal schools at
hand they commit mortal sin. If there
are no parOchial schools, and they are
therefore forced to send their children
to public schools, they commit mortal
sin if they fail to do everything IN their
power to guard them against losing
their faith. But this is not all. II there
are no parochial schools Catholic parents
still must not send their children to pub
lie schools, except with the consent of
the Bishop. Unless this requirement il
meaningless. it means that the Bishop
may not consent. What then Is the si:.
uation The State declares that chl-
iren of school age must be educated
and it frames truancy laws. provides
penalties, and appoints special officers
Tor the enforcement of the requirement
But the Bishop declares that Catholic
children must not be educated. Catho-
Ilc parents, therefore, are exposed. on
he one hand, to ecclesiastical penalties
if they send they children to school, and
civil penalties if they do not. Here,
clearly, the way is open for an omInous
collision of authority, and the principle
Is unhesltatingly ennunciated that when
such a conflict of authorit, occurs the
civil law, so far as its bold upon the con
science is concerned, becomes no law at
all. 1t is impossible that such a state
ment of the issue should fail to receive
serious consideration. 1t is impossible
also that it should fail to arouse dissent
even among Catholics. American Cath
Olica, who have been educated IN our
public schools and understand their ad
vantages, cannot be brought to instant
agreement with the declaration that
they are "a national fraud. ~ Boston
Journal