The evening times., 1899-02-13
DECISION BY THE
AUTHORITIES At ROME
Jesuits Favored Over the
Christian Brothers.
A Famous controversy for Suprem-
aey in Education.
Cause and History of Struggle
StubbornIy WaEed and Now Tenn
porariLy Settled.

stubbornIy Snsed and Now Tenn
porariIy Settled.
But few of the people who have watched
the struggle between the two greatest
Catholic educational bodies-the Jesuits
and the Christian Brothers-are aware that
the authorities at Rome have decided the
controversy in favor of the Jesuits.
The history of this contest reads like
chapter from mediaeyal chronicles, where
the great orators called warriors into the
field in defence of their theories, and when
whole nations shed torrents of blood 20
decide the merits of the controversy.
In this case the struggle is for educa-
tional supremacy in the United States.
Both the Jesuits and Christian Brothers
have legions of defenders. The former
have a clientele of wealthy and influential
laymen, themselves educated in Jesuit col
ieges, and desirous of giving their sons
the same advantages. Some few members
of the hierarchy uphold the followers of
Ignatius of Loyoia But the great ma
jority of the archbishops, bishops. and
vast number of secular priests stand pre-
pared to defend the interests of the Chris
tian Brothers through the last court OF
appeals in Rome.
The subject matter of the controversy
succinctly told, is this: The Christian
Brothers, by the rule of their founder,
are limited to teaching only the primary
branches Catechism should be of the
first Importance then the native tongue
of the country where they are teaching,
and lastly the commercial branches use
full in the daily ayocations OF the poor
and middle classes. By a special dispen-
sation the Brothers in America obtained
permission to teach the classics, and in this
permission lies the cause of their present
clash with the greatest order in thesCath
olic Church.
A Noted Body of Teachers.
The Jesuits are the most noted body OF
organized teachers in the church. if not
in the world. Even their arch enemy, Vo.-
taire gives them this credit. In the clas-
sizes they have excelied both as scholars
and as teachers Yet Notwithstanding
their pre-eminence in the domain of let
ters. since the Christian Brothers opened
schools for the classics the Jesuits have
had a fierce struggle for existence For the
past ten years they have fallen behind the
brothers in every particular.
Fifteen years ago the total number OF
scholars under the direction of the Broth
ers of the Christian Schools tas their prop
United States, and the Latin countries OF
the northern half of the Western Hemis
phere was but Sc 900. The last Catholic
directory and the statistics of the United
States Bureau of Education give $4,000
scholars in the United States alone to
these teachers; the number of Christian
Brothers !, ,743, with 200 houses under their
control. This tremendous gain for the
Brothers has meant proportionate loss
for the Jesuits.
The number of Jesuit colleges is but
twenty nine, and the lumber of professors
GOO, with 10000 students in The classical
course
Colleges Erected by the Brothers.
The brothers have in the last ten years
erected magnificent new colleges and made
large additions to colleges already estab-
lished They have laid foundations in dio-
ceses where the Jesuits could not gain ad
mittance. For instance, the grand build
ings and fine faculty located recently at
Hampton Va, in the diocese of Richmond
which cannot fail TO be a menace TO the
old Jesuit college at Georgetown. The
Jesuits, realizing that il was a case of the
survival of the fittest. about five years ago
made a formal protest against the en-
croachments of the brothers. Through the
representations OF their friends in Rome
ent Pope was a student of Jesuit school,
and his favorite brother. Joseph Pecci. a
prominent member of the order, il will be
seen how powerful these friends are), the
Jesuits have succeeded in having the su-
perior general of the Christian Brothers in
Paris revoke the permission granted his
order to teach the classics in the United
States.
The Mandate From Paris.
The mandate to this effect was received
from the central government in Paris about
two years ago. That it caused consterna-
ton in the houses of the order in this
country can be readily imagined. Ii meant
the loss of thousands of pupils and many
more thousands of dollars. The young
members of the order had been carefully
trained to teach classics and were not fitted
for the commercial branches. The broth
ers. with much labor and expense, had
built boarding schools. and where the ma
iority of the students desired classical lore.
The heads of the order here asked year
to consider the eXpediency OF following the
advice from Paris. AT the conclusion OF
this period many prominent presidents
of colleges were still unconyinced OF its
wisdom AS a consequence there has been
an upheaval These refractory members
have been disciplined, some have been ex-
| of their high offices and put in menial po-
! stions At this juncture the friends OF
| the brothers came forward to aid them in
| their struggle.
! Bishop Thomas J. Byrne, of Nashville
| Tenn, was solicited by a number of arch
| bishops and bishops TO go to Rome and in
| tercede for the American branch of the
order. According to news received in this
| city from high official sources at the Va
4 ;e ho6 TO &c
| cause of the dissenting members of the
| brothers. The whole matter has been rele-
gated to the central council in Paris.
One More Effort to BE Made.
This decision is SO obviously in favor ol
the Jesuits that the friends of the broth r.
are somewhat discouraged, but they in
tend to make one more effort in behalf ol
the American schools. Archbishop Ire
] land who is in Europe, will make an ap-
peal to the superior general in Paris. The
| Archbishop of St. Paul is yitally inter
ested in the controversy, since to close tbs
| brothers schools would cause great hard
! ship to the Catholic prelate of the North
west There are no Jesuits in the arch
diocese of St. Paul, and most of the teach.
| ers of the classics in that province are tn:
| Christian Brothers. Mgr. Ireland will en-
deavor to prevent harsh measures being
| adopted toward the presidents of colleges
| which rely on the students of classics fol-
| their main support. There are scores oi
| such colleges. At Manhattanville, Ions