Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-15
DISSATISFIED CATHOLICS
How the Clergy and Some Of the Mem.
bes Regard the Public Schoola
Bishop PaFet Sets Forth the Position
Of the Roman Church on the
School Question.

Church yesterday morning listened to
sermon from Bishop Paret, which forcibly
set forth his views on the relations between
the church and the state, especially with
regard to the public schools. The bishop in
the evening delivered the same sermon at
the Church of the Epiphany. The text was
the well-known words found In Matthew,
the 22d chapter and the 21st verse-"Ren-
der therefore unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars; and unto God the things that
are Gods"
The preacher spoke of the divine sanction
given to government and the guarantees
Of the civil power especially enjoyed in this
country. which gives to every man the free
enjoyment and exercise of his religion
whatever 1t may be. But" said the
preacher, 'it may not give its money or it's
influence directly or indirectly to help him
in propagating 1t. I must speak plainly.
There are efforts at change. There are
plans laid; there are movements going on,
which. unless they are watched and defeat
ed, threaten the very foundation Of re-
ligious freedom and equality for which we
are SO proud and thankful. These efforts
and plans and movements are on the part
Of the Roman Church.
II do not say Catholic Church; not out
Of disrespect, but because you and !. not Of
that church Of Rome, are truly Catholic;
solemnity expressly declares that she IL not
the Catholic Church, but only q part Of 1t,
and calls herself the holy Roman Church.
Her own chosen name then we use II II
seems un-American not ours Is the fault
Honest, Terribly So.
IT must, say. speak plainly, even as that
church and its ministers speak plainly. But
hope 1 shall not speak uncharitably. I do
not charge them with Intentional wrong
doing. I believe them in their convictions
and purposes to be honest-terribly honest.
With all their hearts (and honor them for
it, they believe that church to be absolutely
in the right. and that everything they do
to advance its triumphs. however question
ed or questionable by men, Is right In the
eyes Of God and has His blessing.
And so, dear brethren Il wish we were
as terribly in earnestly. so do you and be
heve that not they, but we, hold the truth
Of Christ; and that our reformed commu-
MON, holding fast the faith and worship OF
the first centuries, and freed from the err
rors and corruptions which had accumu-
lated afterward. Is for this land and nation
the true representative and the most right
full exponent of the Holy Catholic Church
as our Lord founded and endowed it, So
let me in love speak plainly.
THAT Roman Church, its bishops and
ministers and some. not all. of its members
are dissatisfied with our public school sys-
tenn. 1t Is not new thing. though the ex-
preston has somewhat changed in form.
IL
boldly outspoken than now. Those of you
who may recall the times and words Of
Orestes Browt-son and others OF his day
will remember with what unmitigated abuse
our public schools and system were as
sailed
Public Schools Forbidden.
mo words could then be too bitter.
Under the several censures Of the church
parents were commanded not to let their
children attend public schools. Then, when
by the enforced edict Of the church, 1t was
made impossible for the members of the
Roman Church to use them, a bold and i'm
perative demand was made that such men,
bers should either receive a distinct proper
tomato sum from the public funds for the
support Of their own parochial schools or
that they should be exempted from taxa
ton.
Since then. from time to time. the same
demand has come out in strong expression.
despite its overwhelming rejection when
first put forward. as If to test the sentiment
of the nation. Then there was silence for
time. Their parochial schools were estab-
lished and multiplied everywhere. ] do not
blame them for it; I praise them.S take
shame to myself that our own church has
not shown like zeal for the children. They
have the right to educate their children
under religious influence at their own cost
The state would be violating the first prin-
ciples of religious liberty II II should in any
way prevent their doing II.
Advantage of Private Schools.
THE more schools we have, whether
public or private, the better. The private
schools will not harm the public schools
They may even spur them on to higher ex-
cellence. I wish that every religious body
could have its own to supplement and aid
the public system. But in the public schools
all might we'll share the nations pride
Men may SNUFF what they call heresy in the
ADOStloS' AL in 90
Ten Commandments or in some translation
of the Bible, but there is no heresy in the
alphabet or the multiplication table or in
chemistry or geometry
But to this our Roman brethren do not
seem to agree. Either arithmetic and
chemistry under the church's oversight
they seem to say. and with the church's
flavoring no arithmetic and chemistry
Bishop Paret said that this opposition to
the public school system. though not sue
ceeding, had not been abandoned, but mere
ly changed In form, and harsh words had
given way to smoother ones. The hand that
seemed clinched to strike had opened in an
appearance Of friendly grasp. At the west
in the Faribault scheme, there had been a
seeming show of affiliation and generosity.
They established parish schools everywhere.
trained their own teachers, and then said
to the civil authorities: Here we make
you gift of all these. Use our buildings
during school hours; take our teachers and
our scholars. All we ask of you is to pay
the expenses We will take our chances for
the religious influences.
Church Schools After All
Under whatever more plausible form the
proposal may have appeared" continued the
bishop. this was to be the real effect They
were to be as effectively as ever Roman
parochial schools; paid for out Of the public
money. And so the money belonging to un-
UNCONVENTIONAL education would have been
used in sustaining and propagaring what
would thus practically have been made the
established church.
mo surer way could there be for estab
fishing 1t than by using the state or ma
tional treasury to help 1t in getting control
Of the children of the nation and their edu-
cation. This was the scheme which Ameri-
can citizens were asked to accept as a bepe-
faction-and a proof Of great liberal.ty and
patriotism!
I'm the past few days another phase Of
the scheme has been developed. The rar-
isioners of the Roman Church have com.
planned that they are being doubly taxed
for educational purposes; that they ere COM
PEELED to contribute to the support of the
public schools, as we'll rs to bear the ex-
penses of the parochial Institutions and are
demanding a relief from the alleged double
burden" Bishop Paret dismissed this cCm-
plant as preposterOus, and said il would
be as just for the man who sent his chill
dren to the great colleges and universities at