The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-27
TEACHING THE JEsuITs.
How the Novitiates ofThis Powerful Religious
Order Are Instructed.


Blackwood's Magazine.
The father who presides sometimes a
novice, at others the Socius of the MASTER
first gives general rules and hints. both as
to what to say and how to say. IT, and
notes how much severity, with what tenn
perature of kindness. is required to main
tain discipline. Then a novice stands forth
in the middle, and for the nonce becomes
the catechist; all the others are Sunday
school children. He proceeds to explain
tons them sometimes; they. on their part.
must personate children. They rather
overdo it ia general Such lazi-
ness. such disorder, such insubordi-
reformatory. He has here to show his
presence of mind. his energy. his self-com-
mand. and all the qualities indispensable
to IA good teacher. Then comes, as usual.
the criticism; sometimes favorable, some
times severe, always useful. In after-llfe
the teacher will have no witnesses of his
class but the boys, and no one to give him
good advice. True. it will be more serious
then. and this is but a sort of child's play;
but there is no objection to sham fights,
naval and the Kriegspiel; why,
then, should not this sort of game have its
value, too? Here | may add a word or two
about a similar exercise, which, as
have heard. is .practlced dur.
novitiatel by the priests who, after
their theological studies. pass q year to pre-
pare for active life i'm the ministry. l al
lude to the Exercise of Confession" Ger
tain of the "tertiaries" are appointed be-
forehand, and have to study their parts as
penitents, so as to give the most trouble
possible to the confessor. One is a devotee.
laden with the sins OF other peoples; an
other, a nun, with no end of scruples and
pecadilloes of her own; a third Is soldier,
rough and ready-says be has dom moth
ing, but let's plenty of sins be wormed out
of him by degrees. A man kneels
down-he is a Voltairean workman,
come to dispute; followed by an
always of the most honorable kind;
and then there a monk. with an I'M
Ineligible confession, having done some
thing he does not like to say and fears to
leave unsaid. After all these have been
questioned. counseled. rebuked and ff pos
slble) absolved. in turn, there is the newt
able judgment upon the performance.
''Notre Pere might have shown himself a
little more authoritative in dealing with
the NOltairean perhaps patience
was wanting in his treatment of the monk
he seemed to listen too willingly
to the deyotee's tales y =" and SO on.
This exercise. though highly. comical,
II properly prepared by the characters,
is also of great and undeniable value to the
Catholic priest. 1t certainly seems at first
sight irreverent, but then let such as are
shocked at the idea of making game of
confession remember that by no other
means can a priest, on account OF the IN
violable secrecy of that sacrament. discover
either his own defects or the remedy to
them. Other priests cannot hear him while
he cOnfesses, and he is not allowed to hear
Others. The peDitent may not correct him
when he is wrong. and no one else is there
to set him right. Long experience will,
OF course, help him, but at the cost of the
penitents. and, besides, time and age. too.
often only confirm o bad habit of undue
%sternneSS or leniency.