The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-28

Rt, Rev. Thomas ]. Conaty, d. d..
rector of the Catholic University of
America, at Washington, ID. c.. lee
tured at the Lyceum theatre last night
before an audience that filled the the
atre on the subject of "The Catholic
Church and the Educational Move
ment.' The lecture was given under
the auspices OF the Catholic Historical
society of this city.
The eminent educator and orator was
introduced by Bishop Hoban, who re-
marked that one of the most malicious
Vituperations directed against the Ro-
mana Catholic church by narrow mind
ed persons Is to the effect that the
church is opposed to education, and, in
view of this fact, the handling of the
question by such an eminent authority
as Bishop Conaty was of the highest
interest to every Catholic who has lab
| ored under this gross misrepresentation
Bishop Conaty throughout his entire
discourse laid special stress upon the
declaration that while the Catholic
church has been the foremost educator
of the Christian ages she would never
take part in nor permit il she could
possibly prevent it, the mind of man
Kind to be cultivated at the expense of
his character and his immortal soul.
The Catholic church has ineXtricably
woven into the education of the human
intellect the woof of Christs teachings
and she will not divorce one from the
other.
THE Catholic church wants nothing
to do with an education that is God
lpGS nj 10
education that cultivates intellectual
barbarians, and presents the world
with cultured agnostics and brainy
atheists. Religion and education must
continue to go hand in hand. They
cannot exist without each other and
the Catholic church will have nothing
to do with divorcing them.
THOSE WHO WILL NOT SEE.
1T Is only when history is not read
Alright, or else written wrong that cal
umny has come to the Catholic church
on the question of education. There
are many persons who will obstnately
affect to wonder'at the Catholic church
being associated with an educational
movement. We are not speaking to
those tonight for they are the blind
who will not see. But whenever honest
men are making a sincere search for
truths. there the Catholic church need
have no fear.
II can only touch on chapters so
great is the educational work of the
Catholic church. OF all the institu-
tions bearing messages to the hearts of
men she alone can say that she looked
upon the face of Christ and heard the
word as it fell from his divine lips. The
supreme power to teach was then given
her, a power that was to abide with her
forever. Her educational mission is Il
double one: First to cleanse the
hearts of men, and, second, to teach
all truth.
You may begin with her catechetical
schools, where the early Christians
We're taught to combat the doctrines of
the Pagans at Antioch and elsewhere
You may follow her down through the
monastic days, when every convent and
cloister was a school and the religious
orders OF the church, burning with holy
zeal, carried the banner of the cross to
the remotest corners of Europe. train
ing the minds and the hearts of its be-
| nighted peoples. You may follow her
the dreary centuries of the Dark Ages.
You may watch the growth of the great
universities that sprung from her mon
astic schools, and ever will you find her
untiring in her effort to lift man, men,
tally and morally, to nobler plane.
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
THE university system, which is the
aNnrpSSiOn human -
ton, is the outgrowth Of the Catholic
churchs effort to educate. During the
twelfth century her universities devel-
oped, and during the following four
hundred years they We're the center OF
the enlightened world. The scholar
monks went out to meet the barbarian
hordes that came pouring down from
the north for carnival of murder and
| rapine, and sent them back to their
homes with the doctrines of Christ on
their tongues and His cross in their
| hands.
The universities of Bologne, Edin-
burg, Paris, oxford, Cambridge, Padua
and Copenhagen We're few of her
| seats of learning. Many of them are
not of her fold today, but that is not
her fault, but the fault of princes. who
| fell away from God and carried univer-
stiles with them.
The history of the Catholic church IN
education has been the history of the
world since the time of Christ. and
| Furthermore, she Is the only institution
that has carried down to us all that
was good OF other ages. What would
| the world of literature he without the
classics of Greek and Rome? To the
monk in his cloister must go the thanks
that we are privileged to read the