Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY.
Statement In Regard to Its Affairs by
Bishop keane.

A Statement In Regard to Its Affairs by
Bishop keanc.
THE RECTOR DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE rSr-
vERsITr WAS CRITICISED 1T THE ARcupIsH-
OPS, As WAS REPoRrED-No CAUSE ron Such
cRITICIsM-Irs AFFAIRS IN SPLENDID SHAPE.
The attention Of the Right Rev. John ].
Keane, rector of the Catholic University of
America, was today called to the statement sent
out from New York last night by the United
Press Association concerning an alleged dis
cussion by the conference of Catholic arch
bishops in New York yesterday of the condition
of the Catholic University in this city.
In this statement it was said that the uniyer-
sity is not in state wholly satisfactory TO the
church authorities. and that it is bv no means
the success it promised TO be when 1t was estab-
hshed two years 40 The statement as sent
out by the United Press further says:
"At tina. time professors and instructors emf
inent In their own departments were selec led
from k0rope and America to fill the several
chairs, and it was anticipated that students
would flock to the institution III large numbers
The result has been that the number of students
on the university roll is scarcely more than the
membership of the faculty.
This unfortunate condition of distrust
is alleged to be due in a measure to
the maladroit publication of pamphlet
on the subject Of education by one of the
faculty. which is said to have been disapproved
Of in Rome and was not in consonance with the
ideas of the majority of the Catholic clergy in
this country. This pamphlet was issued
by Dr. Boquillon, who came from the Uni
versity of Lille. France, having been APP
pointed TO the chair of moral theology in WASH
lugfon by Bishop keane, the president of the
TTpiya
the tenor of this pamphlet. which was pro-
nounced In its argument in favor of state super
vision over parochial schools
1t was argued that the orthodoxy of the uni
versity should be above suspicion and all its
teachings should be in perfect accord with the
decisions of the holy see and the decree of the
Baltimore council.
BISHOP KEANE's STATEMENT.
Bishop keane read the article in question and
to a reporter made the following preliminary
statement, which may be followed bv one more
specific in character If upon inquiry the bishop
learns that the university one of the sub
jects discussed in yesterdays conference:
II have no reason to believe that the uni
versity has been in any way discussed at the
meeting of the archbishops in New York
l consider 1t very unlikely since the affairs
of the university are in the hands of a board
,of directors. five of whom are archbishops
ing having been held in Nav last The asser-
ton that the affairs of the university in an
unsatisfactory seems on the face of
1t gratultous, to saw the least. No
such conclusions was reached by the board of
directors. who carefully looked into the affairs
of the university last May. The statement in
regard to the fewness of the students of the
university cannot have emanated from any one
who has authoritative knowledge of the ma
ture OF the institution and who is will
ing TO do it justice. In the first
place, 1t Is postgraduate institution
exclusively, and any one acquainted with the
university methods knows that means many pro-
fessors and few students. Any one may
ascertain this by referring to the post
graduate institutions of the country. Next. il
never was expected. as asserted that students
would flock to ii in great numbers. This is
manifest not only from the reason just given
but also from the plain fact that the students
being thus far only students have no
power to flock to the university anywhere
else, but must go just where their bishop sends
them. The bishops of the country have again
and again declared that they would
ghad'y tho SEND sis ,o,,, more students. but
needs of the parishes renders it impossible for
them to send as many they would wish. The
that the fewness OF the students is
by spirit of distrnst and that this is in
some degree owing to DR.. Bouqiulloa's pamphlet
on the school question. has no foundation In
fact Before DIR. Bouquillons pamphlet APP
peared the list of students had been com
pleted. not only for the years 1889
ard 1890, but also for the year 1891.
The pamphlet could evidently. therefore. have
bad no bearing upon the number of students
during the past three years. That it has had
no such effect this year is manifest from the
fact that several bishops, who found
it impracticablc to send students be-
fore, have this year managed to
do so and that not one of the former patrons of
the university has in any way shown distrust
nor an uflwillingness to send students as be-
fore. 1t is true that DIR. Bou-
quillon's pamphlet wrs found fault
with in Rome, but only BY those who were
then finding fault with Archbishop Ire
land, nay, who were assailing him
with such unseemly violence that the
pope himself had to put a stop to It. The
final decision of the holy see has been a
both of Archbishop Ireland
and DIR. Bouquillon. We are not surprised
that they who were worsted in that contro-
versy should show their feelings by
snch insinuations as those which have
of late been laid before the
public. Thank God the affairs of the Un,ver-
sty are in splendid shape. The faculty of
divinity is now well established and the faculty
of philosophy letters and sciences will be
opened to the lalty of the country in 1884,