St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-22
NEW CATHOLIC ERA.
Father Ireland's Friends Well
Satisfied With the Report on
the School Question:
lThey Feel the Dawn of New Era
in the Catholic Church in the
United States.

BALTIMORE, Nov. 21.-The full devel-
epments of the meetings of the Catholic
arbhbisnops in New York last week are
anxiously awaited here, where they are
matters of much concern and conjecture
in Catholic circles. The arrival at home
of Cardinal Gibbons has given new im-
petus to the discussion Of what decis
ions may have been reached at the
New York conference. The friends Of
Archbishop Ireland believe the dawn of
new era III the history of the Catholic
church of the United States is at hand.
and already they see the daylight of lib
eralism in education breaking over the
tops of the hills of ultra-relIgious objec
ton. The authority for this belief is
the report of the preiates-a short,
seemingly ''nOtblng-in-lt' statement,
which, however, when examined close
Iy, considered carefully and read be-
tween the lines, is seen to be one OF the
most important announcements ever
made by the hierarchy OF the Catholic
church in America.
This is all the more remarkable when
the decided opposition of number of
the archbiShopS to the school plan of
Archbishop Ireland is considered.
There were among the prelates and
their suffragans those who had declared
themselves unequivocally for the par
oclllal school system. There were
priests who favored prohibition
against Catholic children attending
public schools under pain of ecclesi-
astical censure-in short, for eompul-
sorry attendance OF Catholic schools.
These clergymen had expressed their
opinions from the cnancel, and in some
parts of the country made little, if any,
provision for the religious education
of the children attending public
schools. Their views were known
trically opposed to the policy marked
out by Archbishop ireland in the con-
duct of educational methods in his arch
diocese. He gave the Farlbault Sys-
TEN existence. and against the hue and
cry of opposition from this country and
Rome, Wnere the strongest sort OF in
fuences were brought to bear to have
his theories condemned, but the pope
indorsed the archbishop'S acumen and
Catholicity by allowing the Faribault
plan to be tolerated. This meant that
there was nothing pernicious in the sys-
TEN to the interests of the Catholic
church in the United States. 1t meant
that the pope, after receiving Cardinal
Gibbons Endorsement of Archbishop
Ireland's ideas, had biding faith in
that prelate'S ability to take care OF his
own affairs.
The news was bitterin some quarters,
but there was nothing left but to &C
knowledge that the liberaliSts had-car-
ried their point.
q Pure and simple, the report, while
not saying SO i'll so many words, is an
Endorsement of the progressive policy
in educational matters advanced by the
liberal Catholic party. led by Cardinal
Gibbons and his brilliant lieutenant,
Archbishop Ireland, of st. Paul. The
influence of these two prelateS have
m arked themselves indelibly upon the
character of the Catholic church in this
land, and in no way more prominently,
say their friends here. than in the
adoption of this brief parochial school
report, which was accepted UNANIMOUSLY
by the assembled archbishOpS. and,
without one dissenting vote, was or
dered given to the public.
The second res )lution of the report is
considered the important feature. The
point the friends of Archbishop Ireland
make with regard to this is that there is
no condemnation of the public schools :;
on the contrary, special provision Is TO
cial instruction for the care of those
children who attend public schools.
This resolution is held to likewise con-
tain dig" at those priests who make
no effort to have the public school chill
dren of their parish educated in the re-
ligion. 1t tells them plainly that they
must look out for the religious welfare
of these children.
Here is the ground upon which the
LiberalistS claim victory: Ii the public
schools are not conference.-the Oh the
contrary they are tolerated, as shown
by the report of the archhlshops i'll di-
reetlng provision to be made for the re-
HgiouS training of the children, then
there is no wrong IN Catholic cnlld
attending the public schools. argue the
LiberalistS, so long as his religious IN
StructiOn is not neglected.
Speculation is wide as to the influence
that affected the opponents of Arch
bishop ireland in the meeting to permit
a report to be adopted which could be
construed in this manner One eminent
Catholic authority stated yesterday that
it was simply sensible act of refusing
to make "a sin where no sin existed. :"
Others are inclined to believe that the
democratic decision of the pope in the
Faribault controversy. clearly indicat-
ing his sympathy with the liberalists,
had It's effect upon the minds OF the
archbishops. The pope is noted for his
democratic tendencies. There is a
strong belief that he sent Archbishop
Satolli to this country to emphasize his
sympathy with the liberalists, and that
when the latter hands in his report on
the condition of the Catholic church i'll
the United States it will be tombstone
on the grave of the opponents OF Arch
i-hn r1ln Il