St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-17
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Pr. LYONS. Sergeant Signal Service
CaTuOLLC CONGRESS,

The congress of Catholic iaymen In
session during the past week in Balti-
more was, in some respects, the most
important ecclesiastical convention ever
held in this country. We speak of it as
an ecclesiastical meeting, not because ii
was one in a technical sense, but be-
cause it radiated all the influence and
convened all the impressions that it
would have done had the BODY been
convened by proper ecclesiastical au
thority. Its utterances will be &C
cepted. as they were Intended to be. as
an authoritative expression of Catholic
sentiment in this country. and they are
entitled to all the respect and impOr-
lance that would be attached TO them if
the congress had assembled in obedi-
encr to a direct mandate of the pope.
Consequently the American people have
followed the proceedings of the con-
greSs with the livelieSt interest, and
have carefully weighed every word that
was spoken during the deliberations Of
the body.
The congress was composed of emf
nent laymen from the various sections
of the country, many of whom have
been prominent in state and national
affairs, and all of them American eiti-
zens of unqueStiOned patriotism and
of pronounced integrity. They were
men who are imbued with the progress
sive ideas of the age. and i'm the hearth
est sympathy with the eleYating influ-
enceS of our American civilization.
When such men speak on any subject
their opinions command attention; but
when they undertake, as they did i'm
this instance, to formulate ali express
sion of opinion on a matter about which
there has been so much miSunderStand-
ing, and about sect which has been so
grievOusly mistrusted. all Intelligent.
fair-minded prople. by whatever name
they may be called, will give them re-
spectful hearing, as well as due credit
for sincerity in their expressions.
The first thing of Importance in con-
nectiOn with this congress is that the
assembling together of such a large
and representative body of laymen in
church council is in itself a contradie-
ton to the oft-repeated calumny against
q
ridden organization. The most thor
Oughly Protestant churches of this eoun-
try have never given more emphatic
assertion of lay power than was pre-
scented by the Catholics in Baltimore
last week. While it may not have been
done under a direct mandate of the Su-
preme pontiff. it certainly was done by
the permission and wi h the encourage
ment of the highest ecclesiastical digni-
taries, and the pope himself vnuchsafed
his blessing upon the aSsenbage.
The work of greatest consequence
performed by the congress was the
adoption of a platform of principles
which will be accepted as a statement
of what the Catholics of the United
States wish to be received as an EXPOSE
ton of their relations to the church and
to their fellow citizens of other faiths.
1t is plain-spoken paper, Sinking
scarcely anything, and carries with it
the evidence of the good faith of the
trainers of the platform. 1t breathes
with loyalty to both church and lntry,
and there is not word or sentiment in
1t but what all Americans, irrespective
of creed, can heartily subscribe to.
Still. it is misfortune that these plat
form makers did not express themselves
a little more clearly concerning the one
matter about which there is the most
controversy concerning the position
of the Catholic church, and the
one subject in which the great
body of American citizens are the
most interested. We allude to that
plank in the platform relating to popu-
lar education. The opinions expressed
are those which any American citizen
has the right TO hold. The congress
committed itself to a sound popular ed
ucatiOn. yet it advocated the policy of
supporting secfarian schools SO long as
religious training is excluded from the
public schools. The important fact,
however, which the public wished TO
learn is the one that the platform is
studiOusly Teticent about-whether or
not Catholics will ever demand that the
fund donated to public instruction shall
be drawn upon for the use of sectarian
schools. This omission in the platform
was partially remedied by Judge
KELLY, of this city, whose interesting
paper on education explained the Cath
Ollie policy to be to support parochial
schools at their own expense. and at the
same time cheerfully contribute to the