The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-06
A REPLY TO IRISH CATHOLIC.

To the Editor of the Eagle.
Ny attention was drawn to an extract
which appeared in your issue of the Cd
inst. giving the views on an Irish Cath
Ole" on the public school question, and
calling upon his fellow Catholics to up
hold a system of non-reIigious training
which is opposed by the Catholic church.
This Irish Catholic" furthermore ele-
Yates himself upon the pinnacle of his
own abSurdity and has the effrontery to
call in question the teaching of the head
of his church-the pope. 1t is needless
to say the writer is not Catholic, nor is
he an Irishman, as his impertinence is
an open contradiction to what those
terms imply. The Catholic church.
whatever else its opponents may advance,
has always been and Is today the ac-
knowledged mistress of education every
where in science and in art. She does
not in the United States object to
universal education of the people; her
numberless schools, colleges. academies
and universities supported by her
members at an immense expense prove
this assertion. What she objects TO in
our public school system is the ignoring
Of the training of the child in the higher
and nobier science of the soul. No relig-
iouS community can consistently endorse
q non-religious system of training. for it
is wrong in principle. The Catholic
convinced of this indiSputable truth can
not, in conscience, endorse or support
the public school system of education as
AT present IN vogue. and naturally objects
TO being compelled to pay taxes for what
he considers injustice not only to him
self but 10 every protesting Christian.
As regards this would be Catholics
Directing to the encyclical instructions
of the Sovereign Pontiff, it is enough to
say that his own words belle his pro
fession He is not Catholic in fact the
moment he penned such an assertion
In the wear s63 it was decreed in
a council of the Catholic church that an
athena should be pronounced upon
every one who holds in contempt the
dogmas, mandates, interdicts, sanctions
or DEGREES which have been wisely pro
mulgated by the Apostolic See for the
Catholic faith. for ecclesiastical disci-
pine, for the correction of the faithful,
for the lettering of the wicked. or for
the prevention of imminent or future
evils The Catholic church through
her recognized officers, teaches. Her
doctrines are not the changeable views
or opinions of her members, but the I'M
changeable dogmas of her faith commit
ted to her bv her founder, Jesus Christ.
Go and teach all nations, and am with
you to the end of time" Is her shiboleth.
Her obedience 10 this mandate has char
acterized her existence IN peace or war,
IN sunshine or storm. during the past
eighteen hundred wears. The true Cath
Ole never questions the teachings
of his church. He upholds them
firmly and without question. for he Is as
sured on the testimony Of Christ that his
church will not err. The church. IN his
tory. has been compared 10 q ship upon
8 boisterous ocean winding It's way with
its freight Of human souls from time 70
eternity. Its chief officer X Peter, whom
Catholics see in his successor. the Pope
As IN every weIl disciplined vessel. the
captain j. supreme: - IN the Catholic
church the voice Of its chief pastor Is
heard and obeved. No one ! physically
compelled 10 be a Catholic, but the
church can and does exclude from the
eternal benefits Of membership any ore
who. without authority. srrogstes 70
himself the Office Of teacher. or wto l.
80 inconsistent a. TO question the divine
mzgistegium under which NJ lives
4 ROMAN CATHOLIC.