Evening journal., 1892-11-21
An Important Utterance.

tlOn breaking over lhe tops ol tue hAlis
of ultra-religious objection.
An Important Utterance.
The authority for this belief is the
report of the prelates-a short seemingly
"nothing-in-it" statement-which how
ever when examined closely, considered
carefully and read between the lines, is
seen to be one of the most important
pronounceuents ever made by the hier-
archy 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 them
selves unequivocally for the parochial
school system. There were priests who
favored prohibition against Catholic
children attending public schools under
pain of ecclesiastical censure-in short,
for compulsory attendance Of Catholic
schools. These clergymen had expressed
their opinions from the chancel, 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 to the arch
bishops and were Numerically opposed
to the policy marked out by Archbishop
Ireland in the conduct of educational
methods in his archdiocese. He gave
the Faribault system existence and
against the hue and cry of opposition
from this country and in Rome, where
the strongest sort Of influences were
brought to bear to have his theories
condemned, the pope indorsed the arch
bishops acumen and catholicity by al
lowing the Faribault plan to be tol
Grated.
The Policy of Progress Endorsed.
Pure and simple, the report, while no
saying so in so many words, is an in
dorsement of the progressive policy i
educational matters advanced by tn
liberal Catholic party, led by Cardina
Gibbons and his brilliant lieutenant
Archbishop Ireland, of st. Paul. Tn
second resolution Of the report is con
sidered the important feature. Th
l point the friends of Archbishop lrelan
make with regard to this is that ther
is no condemnation of the public schools
on the contrary, special provision is to b
made in Sunday schools and by specii
instructions FOR the care Of those childre
who attend public schools.
, why IiBeralists Claim Victory.
Here is the ground upon which I'll
Liberalists claim victory: If the publ
schools are not condemned-if, on IL
contrary, they are tolerated, as show
bv the report of the archbishops,
directing provision to be made for IL
n religious training of the children, the
there is no wrong in Catholic child a
: tending the public schools, argue Il
liberalists, so long as his religious i
struction is not neglected.
8 Speculation is wide as to the influenC
r that affected the opponents of Arc
a bishop Ireland in the meeting to perm
3 a report to be adopted which could
- construed in this manner. One eminei
Catholic authority stated yesterday tn
J. it was simply a sensible act Of refusiI
d ! to make "a sin where no sin existed
10 Others are inclined to believe that Il
n Democratic decision of the pope in q
d Faribault controversy clearly indicatiI
It his sympathy with the liberalists. hi
n its effect upon the minds Of the arc
or bishops.
le There is a strong belief that he Sc
he Archbishop Satolh to this country
emphasize his sympathy with the liber
y lists, and that when the latter hands
III his report on the condition of {
Sc Catholic church in the United States
as will be the tombstone on the grave
5 the opponents of Archbishop Ireland.