Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-17
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY.
Bishop Keane's Reply to the Attack
Made ON the Institution.

Bishop Keane's Reply to the Attack
Made ON the Institution.
Last week the New York Herald printed
an abstract of an article in the Civilta Cat
tol!ca, written by Rev. Father Brondi in
which the writer said:
I had occasion to converse today with one
Of the most eminent Jesuits in Rome. one
Of those who has lived for a long time in
the United States. I asked him to tell me
how much truth there was In the reported
hostility Of the Jesuits to the University
Of Washington. His reply was as follows
1T Is not exact to say that we are making
war on the University Of Washington. but
1t must not be forgotten that for a century
past the Jesuits have had q fiourishing uni
versity. When there was a question Of es-
tablishing Catholic University in Washing
ton the Jesuits pointed out that it would
be better to locate the projected university
In some other city, as there was already
such an institution in Washington. No at
tention was paid to this objection. What
has happened? The Jesuit University at
present is attended by 600 students. while
that recently founded by the priests and
bishops has only eighteen"
Bishop Keane's Reply.
Yesterday the Herald printed the follow
ing reply to the above attack by Bishop
Keane. the rector Of the Catholic Univer-
sity:
Il dislike extremely to have even, the
slightest appearance Of being at variance
with the Jesuits. But from what quarter
soever an unjust attack on the university
may emanate. the responsibility Of my office
demands that i should repel 1t. The state
ment IN question is simply q clever bit of
misrepresentation, for which l would be
very sorry to hold the Jesuits in general,
or Georgetown College in particular. respon-
sible. The best answer to 1t is a simple
presentation Of the facts of the case
In the year 1866 all the Catholic bishops
OF the United States were assembled in the
second plenary council Of Baltimore. They
were perfectly acquainted with Georgetown
College. They paid a well deserved tribute
to the schools and colleges of the country.
Tney concluded, however, that the day
might soon come when the establishment
OF real university would be practicable
IN 1854 an the bishops Of the United States
council. They knew that Georgetown Col
iege had In the meantime been styled a
university and that schools of medicine and
law had been opened In Washington under
its auspices. They nevertheless Considered
That the establishment Of such an educa-
tional institution as the learned world means
by the term university was still a desidera-
tum. and they decreed that 1t should be
founded. They added a decree, which was
afterward emphatically reiterated by the
pope. that the university should never be
under the exclusive direction Of any relig-
ious order, but should be open to all and be
controlled by the united episoopate Of the
country.
I'm 1885 Archbishop Ireland and I were
delegated by the board Of directors Of the
proposed university to submit to the judg-
ment OF the holy see all the decisions ar
rived at In regard to the undertaking. In
our interview with the holy father he told
US that the University Of Georgetown had
been placed before him as an argument
AGAINST the new project. Yet after months
or dehberatfon, the pope decided that the
university was to be established. and gave
framed for all its future development He
also declared his wish that 1t should be To-
Gated In Washington. Considering. how
ever. the importance Of this question, he
of all the bishops Of the United States in
regard to it. This was done, and the de-
cision OF the bishops was so overwhelm-
tngly In favor of Washington that the
board OF directors made this their unani-
nous vote. to the great satisfaction Of the
pope.
THE new university and Georgetown
were to stand on totally different levels,
and therefore ought not to conflict. The
ideal Of this university is not for a college
for boys. no matter how excellent and no
matter how many other courses might be
added to 1t. but an institution like the
Johns Hopkins University in this country
or Louvain in the old world. The total d.
versity Of the Institutions is manifest at
present, when only our faculty OF divinity
has been organized. but 1t will be no less SO
even when We shall have added our facul-
ties Of medicine and law. For we do not
intend to establish only. night schools, at
tended mostly by grown men otherwise en-
psoyed during the day, but regular day
schools like those Of Harvard and Yale,
and. therefore. again leaving no room for
reasonable conflict
las to the number Of our students. the
author Of the attack in question ought to
have known, II he did not that his state
ment was. to say the least, the insinuatfon
OF an untruth. In the first place our stu
dents have always been nearly double the
number alleged. and, with the students in
the Paulist and Marist colleges. who ar
tended many Of our courses, about three
times the number assigned. In the next
place, our students are exclusively post
graduate divinity students. and it Is re-
markable that they have been from the
very beginning as numerous as the post
graduate divinity students in the Catholic
University Of Louvain or in the Catholic
university or institute Of Paris. To hold
up the number Of our postgraduate divinity
students for unfavorable comparison with
the number Of college boys medical stu
dents and law students in any other insti-
tuition Is simply not honest
In conclusion, / repeat that we have no
need to antagonize any other institution.
and we have no desire to quarrel with any
one. hut we have nothing to fear and we
cannot remain silent in view Of the open or
covert attacks so often made of late on an
institution so solemnly founded by the pope
and the episcopate of the United States.
and whose course Is constantly directed by
their supervision"