The sun., 1892-12-11
TIE PiPiL DOCUMENT UPON THE
SCHOOL QUESTION:.

To THE Ep1ToR OF THE SuN-Sir: American
Catholics cannot but hail with JOY the states
manlike document upon tho school question
defining tho Holy Fathers views. which was
latoly published by his intimate friend and
representative. Archbishop Satolli. In our
hands 1t can be powerful instrument for
good. Among other uses 1t will serve to dis
abuse our fair-mnded Protestant fellow citi-
zens OF more than one common misconce ption.
For this we rejoice. because we as may be no
other Catholics in tho world. taken en- masss.
are brought into constant and intimate asso-
citation with Protestants and they in turn
mect us at every step in life. We labor to.
Gethcr in the fields. on tho streets. in work
shops mills. and manufactures; We recreate
at the same common resorts: we buy and sell
with one another. are united in commercial
enterprise and business aGgtessivcness: We
belong to tho same labor organizations and
literary societies: politically we are bound by
common party ties, and patrioticay there is
but ono aim for nll-the welfare of these United
States. Now. through this ali around contact,
both Of us. Catholics md Protestants. have
come to know one another WELL knowledge
that has b"Got mutual respect.
However. acquainted with the Catholic
Church. as an institution. only through -r parte
statements. and inheriting the preJudices OF
generations. it is not remarkable that our
on-tathOic couHtrymen have come to look
upon us as particular species OF the genus
Roman Catholic: a species largely differen-
tiated from others Of the family found else
where. NOR" Il product of our American cnv-
ronmcnt than OF orr religious influences: in n
word. they very often consider that we are
what we are in sIito OF our faith. rather than
because of it. This opinion nAds frequent eX-
prcssions. Az influential Protestant weekly.
for example. speaking. not long since OF those
o! us who favored tho "farhnult Plan" snid
"Thcy are tryin: to !ibera!i2e the Catholic
Church. and there is nothing else which. as
patriots. We can desire more than to see tho
Church !ibrralizel and relieved OF medieval
ism. while becoming not Il particle less. but
rather more Christian" on conclude at once
that those Catholics to whom reference Is
made were mcH holding views far In advance
Of their couLrfyr> Beyond the waters.
Archbishop snto!lfs document proves that
the opinion is erroneous. From 1t 1t is clcar
that the churrhmon among lis who are popu-
lnrIv esteemed most in harmony with
American in-iitu'ons-for example. his En-.
inen,r ,aliiual Gibbons. Archbishop Ireland.
and Bish"p Kcano OF the Catholic University
aro also the ones closest in line with tho
Pores own opinions Their liberalism" ns
it has been suspiclously termed, is not an
u
cllampioned By those than whom others cnn.
not be more Catholic Archbishop Satolli is
the accredited mouthpioce OF his Holiness:
surcly nobody questions the orthodoxy of his
OF inlon. Well. this foreign Archbishop, an
Italian of Italians. brought up from childhood
III the midst OF tho most conservative c-medi-
unlurstiuned master in Thomstic philosophy
1n ,Es9hSEy ths fsno9 which Dominates
lint in matters of "fniith onH uJ"m % 'mr smeMSis M
F.! hn,rh IS M the authority, but in SECULAR educa-
as published in the daily papers OF the Sth,
has. among others. the following assertions:
.sns ms"i n so. The !" ssy ana "a. .s
u, nr mi ". I to .%S sSss: s, Hn.,
,.slrh ,he avn. rgt Of ,n.iIurtins the y"nns II, 50
q" a. .S,' Nal. 'Ar f. mhnfaG m Sa "f e.
h"Es ' i"r n.rsrf the right of teaching the truths ="
nnhs ." H.an 'i IL. u 'a'n rmt :" s6"i m i"i ,n
snH.r aid s nj .hs ,-1
"" m M ndt; ana nn,rral sciences puhir srAoo' CON
pi"tnIt t .v.tSthInE BY hch II, citizen irnri 20
w,tl .rIrrnry ~ ,"mI"rnl rords unasr prop
"r"tsa tra hs ,n r,,il an,h.i,,. ,,.n.n,,,,,,.
m nr,cs ,eri H. lac irnm r"nhrmnln ,r t'ans ~ mn,
@ st" "I II "" .s"a, .a "S,'tr, :"
n"' m ~ oe Pun ir srno s ~ ","N s,n' .''s ~
ION o; NJ gssm ART. rna na,u's s,sr.e, ""s ,ns
aS"s "%sS Hn"5rn @ ar .ns. "p. @ @ @ 81 "S
nh' {" NOR ht,. anil since ~" '"ieits ul society
!,hrli. thrs" objrc'ipnablr ,eI nrI' a." leW"hnf'
'htfrfor' M amy tue iSl-l ,. ' lhr'NHes ~ ARG,
hoUi Labor To ieino,e ,0cH ~ rlE,ae" th"ir own
rlsnt and IN tile ] c4a.r "r ,oor, ~"
is not the conclusion warranted that iust
he opposite of what l'IOto slaniS think etri"f |
Are not European ;hc =! u:ians lar NOR" in lihr-
nluny with American ideas when they declare
that the state has "a right to educate Than |
those OF our own who never ne"d"'. naturalZH-
tion papers .ls cr" l"ntIal- of their ci'i>enshp
and who proclaim that such u principle" r. op-
posed to Catholic thrOioGyf in face nf this is
there need To Anrricani2c catholic theology
given to the question by an interview printed
In The NEW loRK Sun Of Friday. Dec. o. In 1t
ing OF a particular school in theology as the
utterarce OF the universal church in u rather
unhappy manner. A Fr. IN Fallen. probably