Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-03
PAROCnIAL SCHOOLS
MIST BE pATRONlzED BY ROMAN CATHOLIC
PARENTS, SAYS BISHOP KAHN
The Parish Priests to Decide Whether There is
Sufficient Reason for Waving the Oh
lection to Free Schools.
sptciu, zsleqram TO The Register.

| Spscid, Telegram 10 me Register.
CHARLESTON, w. VA, March "A
number OF Roman Catholics in this city
have persisted in sending their chill
dren to the public schools instead OF
the parish school Of the church, and
several of them have been excommuni-
Gated for so doing. One OF them, Mr..
John Spaniel, made several applications
to Bishop Kahn, OF this diocese, for per-
mission to send his children, after their
| first communion and confirmation, to
the public schools, but none OF them
were granted. he sent them anyway,
ana was communicated. A few
DAYS ago he addressed communlca-
ton TO Mgr. Satolli, at Washington,
and to-day received the following reply
| from his Secretary, showing the aIti-
tude of the church on this question:
"Mgr. Satolli desires me TO say in an
swer to your inquiry, that 1t is allowed
to send children to public schools after
their first communion and confirmation,
on the condition that there be no danger
for their faith or morals, and that the
parents be careful that they continue to
be instructed in their religion" Mr..
| Spaniel will continue to send his child
rem TO the public school, and thinks he
will be reinstated in the church.
The above special telegram was re-
| ceived yesterday. Last night a REGIS
TER reporter called upon Rt. Rev.
Bishop Kahn, at his residence, and OBJ
tanned an explanation OF the clrcum-
stances in the particular case referred
to In the telegram, and also statement
Of the Bishops position upon the paro-
chial school question.
The statement that Mr.. Spaniel was
accommodated for sending his chill
dren TO the free Schools" he said, "is
false. Some time in the spring OF 1891,
| [ received letter from Mr.. Spaniel,
com plaining that Father Stenger. who
| has charge Of the Catholic Church at
| Charleston, would not permit him to
send his children to the public schools.
/ answered that his parish priest was
the proper authority to judge whether
| there were sufficient grounds, and re-
! ferred the matter back to him. Father
| Stenger still withheld his sanction, and
! If Mr.. Spaniel continued to send his
children TO the public schools, he did so
| in direct violation Of the rules OF the
! Church. He was not accommodated,
however. nor has anybody been for this,
offense. 1t is what we call reserve
case parents who send their children
to the free schools being deprived OF the
! privilege of receiving the sacraments."
The Bishop quoted from the statutes
of the Fourth Synod, which met In this
| city in 1882, placing In the priest OF any
parish in this diocese, outside OF Wheel
ing, in which parochial school Is es-
tablished in connection with the church,
the right TO determine whether or not
there is sufficient reason TO permit chill
dren Of Catholic parents to attend pub
| lie schools. Assuming that the answer
| of Mgr Sattoli was correctly reported,
that Catholic dignitary said that child
rem were permitted to attend pub
| lie schools, ION condition that there
be no danger for their faith or morals,
and that the parents be careful that
they continue to be instructed in their
religion" The question naturally arises
as to who shall be the judge in the
matter Bishop Kahn stated that this
point was decided in letter OF instruc-
lions sent from Rome to all the Bish-
OPS in this country as far back as the
cath of November, 1875, in which the
Bishop is made the sole judge as to
when Catholic children may be sent
with safety to the public schools.
Bishop Kain reserves the right in the
city of Wheeling, but outside the city,
| he has delegated it to the priests in the
respective parishes.
In the summer OF 1891, complaint was
made to Rome that the laws in relation
to public schools in the diocese OF
Wheeling were too stringent. In reply
to letter from Rome, the Bishop sent
copy of the statutes OF the diocese,
and an explanatory pastoral letter. He
also sent the written opinions Of every