St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-13
The FARIBAULT PLAN.
American Catholic Bishops to
Meet in Council This
Week.
Religious Education OF Cath
Ollie Children to Be
Discussed.
The Faribault System Will
Be Reviewed in All Its
Bearings.
Extent to Which State Aid
Can Be Asked Will
Come Up.

NEW YORK, Nov. 12.-Twelve of the
thirteen American archbishops of the
Roman Catholic church will gather in
this city from all parts of the country
on Wednesday, and will sit in distin-
guished ecclesiastical council. This as
Semblage will be the annual conference
of the chief dignitaries of the church.
which has been. authorized by his holt
ness Pope Leo XIII. for several years
past. In 1891 the archbishops met i'll
st. Louis. Next year they will con-
vene i'll Chicago.
Speculation is rife as to the exact out
come of the probable discussions which,
it's generally believed, will arise on
questions that have recently been the
subject of controversy among the arch
bishops individually. Thus far the
members of the coming gathering have
kept their own council. and, as the SEES
sions will be secret, public knowledge
of the exact happenings may be long
postponed. Those in position to guess
shIewdly, however, look for little acr-
mOny III the doingS of the ecclesiastics,
and predict speedy adjournment of
The Proceedings.
On the morning of Wednesday the
ecclesiastic council will convene in the
handsome and spacious marble mansion
of the archbishopric, at the corner Of
Madison avenue and Fiftieth street.
The large double room in which the
dignitaries of the church will sit in
conclave is situated on the south side
of the building. 1t is richly furnished,
but with no attempt at display. Little
formality will be observed in the forma-
ton of the council. Cardinal Gibbons
will open the proceedings with prayer,
and with the religious exercises usual
on such occasion.
The subjects for discussion will be as
to the best means to provide for the
religious education of such Catholic
children as do not or cannot attend the
parochial schools. There are in the
United States 1,250,00 of such children.
Under this head Will come the question
of the multiplication of Catholic schools,
the extent TO which state aid can be
sked and a general review of the Fari-
bault system.
Cannot church give the state the APP
zp0intment of teachers?" will be another
phase of the discussion. 1t Is probable
that the last interrogative will be an
swered in the egative, with possible
concession in favor of granting to the
state the right to test the competency
of the teachers. Next will arise dis
cussion of the text books to beused, with
he probable exclusion of those bigoted
in character.
"A Serious Question
which will confront the council will be
the removal Of crtlcifixes and other re-
ligiots embems from the school rooms.
Members of the council hold extremely
opposite views on these matters, and
Archbishops Ireland, Williams and Ror-
dan will undoubtedly express their
opinions freely on this Subject. What
ever Tine the discussion may take, it is
safe to predict the following general re-
suits:
First-Autonomy of the denomina-
tional schools-that is, the right to
choose their own teachers, but only
among those who have qualified before
a state or mixed board.
Second-The doors of the school room
to be always open, tboth to eccleciastic
and secular inspection.
Third right to examine the
schools in secular branches to belong to
state or municipal officials; in religious
matters to ecclesiastical authorities.
Fourth and text books
to be agreed upon amicably.
Fifth-The civil power to support the
schools and pay the teachers, or at least
to contribute for the purpose all amount
corresponding to the school tax paid by
the parents of the pupils.
Only on these conditions will the
archbishopS entertain proposition to