Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-07
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY.
Bishop Keane Says It viii be Thor
oughiy American.

Bishop Keane in an interview in New York
last evening replied to publication in New
York paper, purporting to come from Catholic
priest, alleging that he has imported for the
new Catholic university foreign faculty, with
monarchical and reactionary ideas. TO teach
young Catholic Americans: that there is no
Americanism in the university; that there is
feeling of dissatisfaction among the priests of
New York city at his course: that the selections
are slur on America. and that they will not
meet with the approval of the cardinal and
most of the other bishops
Bishop Keane stated that the article in aues-
ton was monstrous absurdity. Il did not"
he said. individually have the selection of the
professors who are coming from abroad. In
TINS as IN all the work of the university, nothing
was done without consultation with the sixteen
bishops and arcbbishops who constitute the
board OF management of the university, and
simply went to Europe as an agent to carry out
their instructions
1--WE have without doubt many able men
among the bishops and priests of the United
states, but they are engaged in their dioceses
ana IN the seminaries. and could not be spared
Tor the particular kind of teaching required in
unlversity-a training for which is certainly
not to be had in the busy. practical life of
parish work. The only man so equipped here
AT present and free to accept professors chair
Is Mgr. Corcoran, of Philadelphia, and he was
one OF the very first that we asked to join the
faculty. After mature elaboration he declined
on account of his age and indifferent health.
While We have thus been obliged to draw from
abroad, it is the earnest desire of the bishops,
as we'll as of the pope himself, that we should
make use OF American brains entirely as soon
as possible.
at is no disparagement to American Catho-
lies to say they are not yet ready to take up
university teaching, since it is an entirely new
thing here. and they could therefore have no
training in it. The assertion that they were
selected because of their monarchical tendeu-
cles and training is a contemplate absurdity.
Every one who knows me knows that my opin-
ions are the opposite of monarchical; that 1
am an out-and-out American, thoroughly i'm
bued with the doctrines of our American dem
ocracy and the principles of popular sover-
eighty established by our American Constitu-
ton. Everyone met in Europe knows this
Every cardinal in Rome and the pope himself
Is sure of 1T. There is no functionary in Rome.
and least of all the pope, that has the slightest
wish that we should make tendency to mon
archical teaching, for he fully appreciates that
the American Constitution contains the highest
form OF government for our country"
Bishop keane said the university would have
eminent Americans to lecture on historical and
scientific subjects during the first year. I'm
all the details of the university" he said. sit
has and always will be our aim to make it
thoroughly American in all its characteristics :"
The chair of canon law will be be occupied by
young American, the Rev. DIR. Sebastian Mess
mer. at present professor of moral theology
and liturgy at the Diocesan seminary at Seton
Hall college, n. J. 1t was impossible, the
bishop said, to at once have all the professors
drawn from America. although this was the de-
sire for an ultimate selection as well by the
pope as the committee of bishops. Hence the
necessity of going to Europe for the beginning.
In time, however, it is hoped that native abil-
ity will secure all the chairs of the corps of
teachers.