Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-31
The Head Of St. Johns College Order
ed to Paris.
RULES OF FEE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
La Sales Order Against the Classics
Being Enforced.
TIE AMERICAN POSITION

st. Johns College, in this city, has suf-
fered a severe loss, Brother Fabrican, for
ten years in charge Of that Institution, hav-
ing been deposed from his Office and order
ed to appear before Brother Gabriel Marie
the superior general Of the Christian
Brothers, in Paris. This action was taken
as a matter of discipline on the part of the
head of that order, who, since his eleva-
ton to his present Office, has endeayored to
strictly apply the rules of government es-
tGblished by La Salle the founder Of the
Christian Brothers.
La Sales Instructions.
The Christian Brothers We're organized
into society of the Roman Catholic
Church early in the last century. La Sale
founded it as brotherhood of lay men,
whose purpose was to give the children of
peasants an elementary education. In or
der to restrict the work of the order to
this field of usefulness the study of Latin
was forbidden. This restriction, it is said
was also to prevent the order getting il
the control of the priesthood, for no priest
can be ignorant of Latin. For many gen
eratlons the order thrived under these reg
ulatlons. Thirty years ago, however, the
study of Latin and the classics was taken
up in this country, and the teaching of
these courses progressed rapidly. In thirty
nine OF about fcrty-four such institutions
and the classics are taught There are a
great number of schools maintained by
the brotherhood which do not give instruc-
ton in these higher branches, the Catholic
parochial school system Of the country
generally being under them.
Brother Fabrician is the ninth member of
the Christian Brotherhood of America to be
deposed during the past spring and present
summer for their failure to cease teaching
Latin and the classics, and unless other
heads of similar institutions bow to the
will of the superior general in France like
discipline will be enforced on them and
they will be ordered to obscure places with
instructions to teach prescribed course.
The American Position.
The American Brotherhood defend their
action by the claim that they are carrying
out the spirit of the instructions of the
founder of their order, that being the edu-
cation of poor boys.
They claim that times have changed
since La Sale laid down his rules of gov
ernmant. and that if ne were alive today
ne would approve what they are doing.
Ihey say that there is in America no
peasant class, and that every boy, no mat
ter how poor he may be- aspires to as good
an education as any other boy, and it is
their purpose to give such an education.
They will fight the ruling of the superior
general before the propa ganda at Rome
next November the bishop of Tennessee
having been delegated to appear before the
u opaSdHud dHu argue their case Inc
bishop of Tennessee will go to Rome with
influential support from the Catholic hier-
archy of America, and will carry with him
a statement prepared by DR.. Harris, com
missioner of education, showing the good
results that have been accomplished by the
Christian Brotherhood in the colleges in
this country
If the superior general is sustained there
will be nothing for the American branch of
the order to do but to obey the mandate
laid down by him. They might possibly
continue the teaching of Latin and the
classics in their schools by hiring lay teach
ers for this purpose, as the order simply
prohibits such teaching by the brothers
But If they should meet the question by
this method it is thought likely that they
would be given another order which would
efectually stamp out the instruction OBJ
jected to.
st. Johns College has gained an enviabIe
reputation among the Catholic educational
institutions in this city, and much regret
has been expressed that Brother Fabrician,
who has built it up, should have been re-
moved