The morning call., 1894-02-11
HIGHER STUDIES.
The Catholic University
at Washington.
BISHOP kEANE SPEAKS.
The Rector Explains Its Scope
and Purposes.
LAlC AND ECCLESIASTlC.
&c AND ECCLESIASTlC.
L-AlC
The PreIate Expresses the Views of
the American Hierarchy on the
Educational Question.

~ w oSHibS IOns HHOoO Nioit ~ SoihAOih'o
has reference to the opening of the new
faculty Of philosophy. science and letters,
spoke as follows TO CALL reporter last
night In reference to Catholic education
and the action of the Bishops therein:
The Catholic Bishops Of the United
States have from the beginning been con-
WINGED that religion and education are the
two essential foundations of our country's
civilization. They have also been con-
WINGED that religion and education must
be blended in order to form the kind of
man that will make ci vilization sound and
lasting. This idea is the inspiration of
the efforts that the Catholic church has
been making In the United States to build
up the system of Christian education. and
right here l may say that this by no
means indicates disposition on the
part OF the Bishops or Catholics of the
country Of h ostilty to the State system Of
public schools as such. We recognize that
education is one of those great public
needs in which the power OF the State and
the power of the church ought to act TO-
gether in order TO reach the desired end.
1t is so in nearly all matters which con-
Germ public morality. The church teaches
the law of God, ana the spiritual penal
ties that follow its violation; the State
makes laws to the same effect, forbdding,
just as the commandments do, stealing,
murder, injustice of every kind, adultery,
ETC., aud threatening the civil penalties
which the State has power to In flict. This
illustrates the great truth that while
church and State should never be
united In what is considered the medieval
sense. they must nevertheless Cooperate
in order that civilization may be sound
and rest upon public morality. Now the
Stafa eabnnts nf this ru
does not thus far admit the teaching of the
Christian religion, but Catholics believe
that the Influence of Christianity In the
school Is essential for the proper training
of the young. and therefore they have had
to build up school system OF their own
not that they love the State less. but that
they love Christianity and the souls OF
their children more.
lin the third plenary council the i'm
provement of the Catholic educational sys-
tenn was one of the chief objects engaging
the attention of the Bishops of the coun-
try. They desired not only TO multiply
schools, so that they might eventually
suffice for the needs of all the Catholic chill
dren, but they also wished to improve the
standing of methods of the Catholic
schools, in order that they might be at
least equal to the best non-Catholic
schools. For this end they decreed the
establishment in their di0ceses of examin-
ing boards for scholars and for teachers.
1t will doubtless take time to bring this
system fully into shape, but its obvious
purpose is to permit no imperfect methods
in Catholic schools. They formulated
similar legislation for the improvement of
colleges. and finally cane TO the question
of a university, the natural climax OF the
educational system. In 1866. when the
Bishops assembled at the second plenary
council, they devoted a whole chapter
of their proceedings to the question
a
that tie time had not yet arrived when its
establishment would be practica BILE.
Catholics were yet comparatively few,
generally Door and struggling mostly from
under the heel of the penal laws that had
hndered and ground down the education
of the masses in many parts Of the Old
World. In 1884. the third PleDary Council
judged that the improvement in the condi-
ton of Catholics would justify them In
making beginning of the work. During
the eighteen years that had elapsed since
the second council. some of the colleges
responding to its wish for the establish
ment of a university, had had added to
their course schools of medicine and law,
and assumed the name of universities.
But the Bishops of the third council be-
lieved that more than this was needed to
constitute true university, and decided
that an attempt should be made 10 estab-
lsh one.
nltCi Wy
board of ATchbishops and Bishops The
matter was laid before Leo XIII, who
gave it his solemn and cordial approval,
and ever since has frequently and elo-
Quently expressed his desire that the
university should be made one of the
glOries of the church in the nineteenth
century and the worthy crown of Christian
education in America. The Catholics of
the country have responded generously to
the wishes of the Bishops and holy ia Their.
In compliance with his desire the univer-
sity has been established in the capital
city of the country in order, as he says,
that it may be national in character and
in fiuence.
"A true university comprises several
faculties, namely. divinity. philosophy.
medicine and law. Besides these natural
sciences form faculty by themselves
capable OF endless subdivisions. The uni
versiiy in Washington, ID. c., has begun
| by the establishment of the faculty of
divinity. This has been in working order
for the last four years 1t is exclusively
of postgraduate character. Its Students
must have completed not only the ele-
mentary courses OF the schools aud the
secondary or classical courses of
the college, but also the philosophical,
theological and scripturai courses of the
seminary. They are, therefore, men OF
| from % 10 % when they enter and nearly
all ordained priests. In the university
| they have the choice OF four departments
| OF ecclesiastical studies. dogmatic depart
meni. moral and social, scriptural and
| historical. In these they MIST spend two
years of hard study and pass a satisfac-
tory examination before taking the degree
OF licentiate or master of theology, and
two years more are required to obtain tile
! degree of doctor. There have been five
students in divinity from California, one
of whom took the degree Of licentiate
with great honor.
| The Bishops are now anxious to open
the second great faculty-philosoph
science ana letters. This is meant esp
cially for lay students, although clergy
men Will not be excluded. Like the FIRST
faculty it Will comprise four departments,
philosophy, natural sciences. sociology and
comparative Jurisprudence and history and
languages. The building tor this faculty
Is rapidly approaching completion. 1t will
DE magnificent structure OF cut granite.
90 feet long, four stories high and eu-
tirely devoted To classrooms. laboratories
and museums. Dormit0ry buildings or
residences for lay students will be added as
the demand makes them necessary. Sep
arate laboratories for physics, chemistry
ana engineering will be erected in the
near future. The object now engaging my
attention is TO secure funds for the endow-
1 IN mt of I'm Al