The record-union., 1892-12-12
Views of the Vatican Very Clearly Ex-
pounded.
Three Plans Recommended to Catho-
lies for Securing More Re-
ligious instruction.

The legate's deliverance was made at the
meeting of the American Archbishops
just held in New York "for the settling
OF the school question and the giving OF
religious education" Following is the
full text of the address:
To the Catholic Church belongs the duty and
Ihe i divine right OF teaching all nations TO be-
neVe the truth OF the gospel and to observe
whatsoever Christ commanded. Matt xviii. .
49, In her likewise is vested the divine right
OF lnstructlng the young, in so Tar as theirs is
lhe Kingdom OF heaven Mark X, Il; Conf
Conc. BAIT. PL Ill, No. 194j; that is to say,
she holds for herself the right of teaching the
truths OF jalth and the law of morals in order
10 bring up youth in the habits of Christian
lie. Hence, absolutely and universally speak
ing, there is no Tepugnance TO their learning
the 1rst elements and the higher branches OF
the arts and the natural sciences in the public
schools controlled by the State, whose Office it
IS 10 provide, maintain and protect everything
by which its citizens are formed TO moral
goodness, while they live peaceably together,
with sufnclency of temporal goods, under
laws promulgated by civil authority
FOR the rest, The provisions OF the Council of
Baltimore are yet in force, and in a general
way, Will remain SO. to wit; "Not only out OF
our paternal laws do we eXhort Catholic pa
rents, but we do command them, by all the
authority we possess, to procure truly Chris
tlan and Catholic education for the beloved
oIsprlng given Them by God, born again in
baptism unto Christ, and destined for heaven
10 shield and secure throughout childhood
and youth from the dangers OF a merely
worldly education, and therefore to senu them
to parochial or other truly Catholic schools"
THE RIGHTS OF PARENTS.
United with this duty are the rights of
parents, Which no civil law or authority can
violate or weaken. the Catholic Church in
general, and especially the Holy See far from
concerning or threatening with indifference
the public schools, desires rather that by the
JOINT action OF civil and ecclesiastical authori-
ues, there should be public schools i'll every
STATE according us the circumstances of the
people require, for the cultivation of the use
tul arts and the natural sciences: but the
Catholic Church sdrinks from those features
OF the public schools which are opposed to the
truth OF Christianity and since in the interest
of society itself these Objectionable features
are removable, therefore not only the Bish-
ops, but the citizens at large, should labor TO
remove them, in virtue of their own right and
in the cause of morality
1t is long SINCE the Holy See, after consuIta-
ton with the Bishops OF the United States of
America, decreed that parish schools and
other institutions under the direction of the
Bishops, each according to the conditions of
lts own dlocese, were opportune and necessary
for Catholic youth from the fact that it was
held Tor certain that the public schools bore
within themselves a proXimate danger to the
talth and morals for various reasons Gone Pl
pat. II, NO. 194, sec. app, p. 27Sl viz:
because IN the public schools purely secular
education is given, inasmuch as il excludes
all teaching of religion; because teachers are
chosen 1ndlscrlminateIy from every sect, and
no law prevents them from working the ruin
of youth, so that they are at liberty to instiIl
errors and the germs of vice in tender minds
Likewise, certain corruption seemed to I'M
pend, from the fact that IN these schools or at
least in many of them, children of both sexes
are brought together in the same room for
their lessons. Wherefore if il be clear that in
a given locality, owing to the wiser disposi-
tlon of public authorities or the Watchful
prudence of the School Board teachers and
parents, the above-nameI dangers to faith and
morals disappear, then IL is lawful for Catho-
lie parents to send their children to these
schools to acquire the elements of letters and
arts, provided the parents themselves do nor
neglect their more serious duty and the pas
tors of souls put forth every effort to instruct
children and train them in all that pertains
10 Catholic worship and life.
WEEKLY CLASSES
1t is left to the judgment and wisdom of the
ordinaries to decide whether, in a certain part
of their respective dioceses parochiaI schno1
can be kept up in a fitting condition. not in
teriOr to the pubic schools, taking into CON
sideration the temporal condition of The mar
ents, while graver needs for procuring their
spiritual welfare and the decent support of tho
church are pressing. 1t will be we'll there
fore, as was the wont Of our forefathers. and
as was done in the early days of the church
to establish weekly classes of catechism
which all the children OF the parish shonId
attend. For the better success Of this meas
uTe let the zeal of pastors in fulfilling their
duty and the love of Catholic parents leave no
effort unspared.
No reproach, either in public or in private
shall be cast upon Catholic parents who send
their children to private schools or to acade.
miles, where better education is given under
the direction of religious or of approved and
Catholic persons. IL they make Sufficient pro-
vision for the religious training of their chill
dren, lei them be tree to secure in other ways
that education which the position of their
family requires. 1t is greatly to be desired
and will be a most happy Arrangement If rhe
Bishop agree with the civil authorities. or
40 mo hpr nj hn Cahr, ID
conduct the school with mutual attention and
due consideration for their respective rights
While there are teachers of any description
for the secular branches, who are legally in
hibited from offending Catholic religion and
morality, let the right and duty of the church
obtain of teaching the children the catechisn
in order to remove danger to their faith and
morals from any quarter Whatsoever. 1t seems
well to quote here the words of our holv
father Pope Leo XIII. fsee the Pope's Letter
to the Archbishop Of New York and TO the
Bishops of the provinceI: I'VE further desire
you to strive earnestly that the various local
firmly convinced that nothing is
more conducive to the welfare of the com
monWealth than religion, should by wise leo
islation provide that the system of education
which is maintained at the public EXPENSE
and to which. therefore, Catholics also con-
tribute their share, be in no way prejudiciaI
to their conscience or religion. For we are
that even your tellow-citizens who
differ with US in belief, with their characteris-
tic intelligence and prudence, will readily set
lSlue Hll SUSPICIOUS anu Ill views JntaNOra bla
to the Catholic Church, and willingly ac-
her merit as the one that disDeIled
the darkness of paganisrn by the light OF the
gospel ana an nc cTeateG Tst "a new society distin
by the cultivation of all that refines
1--WE do not think that any one there after
looking into these things clearly, will let
Catholic parents be forced to erect and sup
port schools which they cannot use for the IN
struction of their children"
CATHOLIC CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AS for those Catholic children that in great
numbers are educated in the public schools
where now, not without danger tbey receive
no religious instructions at all strenuous ef
forts should be made not to leave them with
ont suhhcient and seasonable instruction in
the Catholic faith and practice. We know nv
experience that not all our Catholic chiIdren
are found in our Catholic schools Statistics
show that hundreds of thousands of CafhoIfc
children in the United States of America at
tend schools which are under the control of
the State Boards, and in which, for that rea-
son, teachers of every denomination are en-
gagged.
religious and moral education according TO
Catholic principles-is not to be treated either
lightly or with delay, but on the contrary
with all earnestneSs and energy. The adoD-
tion of one of three plans is recommended
the choice to be made according to local cir
cumstances in the different States and yari-
Gus personal relations. The first consists in
an agreement between the Bishop and the
Of the School Board, where they in
a spirit of fairness and good will, allow the
Catholic children to be assembled during free
time and taught the catech1sm. 1t would
also be of the greatest advantage if this plan
were not confined to the primary schools, but
were extended likewise to the high schools
and colleges in the form of a tree lecture.
The second, to have a catechism class out
side the public school building, and also
classes of higher Christian doctrine, where. at
fixed times, the Catholic children would as
semble with diligence ana pleasure, induced
thereto by the authority of their parents, the
persuasion of their pastors and the hope of
praise and reward
THE THIRD PLAN.
The third plan does not seem at first sight so
suitable, but is bound up more intimately
with the duty of both parents and pastors
Pastors should increasingly urge upon parents