The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-01-23

What manner of teaching can that be which claims
power 10 teach authortatively. and simply leaves
minds unable to Judge for themselves open to con-
fusion and uncertainty
3. Again. Catholics. realize that children are
easily worked upon, and that there is close per-
sonal relation between strong-mlnded teacher and
impressionable boy girl. 1t is natural that
prejudiced Professionalism blatant inhdellty Will
at times voice its objections against the Catholic
church against Christianity. Even when this Is
not done in so many words, the false idea may be
conveyed by an insnuation, Interrogation, or a
mere shrug of the shoulders.
f. Catholics again, object to the double bur
den laid upon them of supporting both the public
and their own parochial schools They hold that as
citizens of the United States they are entitled TO
have their conscientious difficulties about the pure
ly secular education of their children considered
and respected. This country acknowledges Its
obligation to provide for secular education, and
Catholics claim that such provision should so be
made that they can avail themselves of it without
going against their religious principles. They OBJ
Jest to the exclusion of religion from the schools
in which their children are taught and to non
Catholics as teachers of their children.
But you may say that in country like ours,
with a mixed population of various religions, reli-
gion cannot be taught by the state. Granted Cath
oics do not ask cent from the state Ito provide
catechisms Bibles, or to pay for religious In
struction. In all fairness, however, they demand
that secular training be provided for their children
by the state, III such not to prevent
religious teaching by Catholic teachers, is done
in other countries England, Germany, Austria, Bel
gium, whereahe same conditions prevail. The state
can see to it that the secular teaching up 10 the
required standard that the public money be well
spent. This is mere matter of justice.
know very well that many sincere Catholics
have attended the public schools, and that the lack
of religious instruction was in some degree made
up elsewhere. But no one can deny that the gen
eral tendency of such education is evil and harm
full.
Indeed patriotism should protest against the ex-
clusion of religion from the schools. Undoubtedly
men are better citizens if they good Christians,
The fear of God is stronger motive for keeping
the law of the land that the fear of the public court
Furthermore many Protestant denominations
have gradually the Catholic way of thinking
and have provided religious schools for their chill,
dren. ("Catholic Free Schools in the United
States" Amer. Cath. Quarterly, 1884 p 713; 'Pro-
fessor Fisher on Unsectarianism in the Common
Schools" ibid. 1889, p. sos; The Idea of Pa
rochial School, ibid. 1891, p. Al; "Lberalistic
View of the Public School Question" ibid, 1877, p.
l. 240; "Our Parochial SYSTEM ibid, 1892, p. 867
Public School System and Professionalism" ibid,
1886, p. 73G; Religion in Education" ibid. 1891
p. 760).
How can Christ be at the right hand of the Father,
and earth at the same time?
How can the body of Christ be in so many places
Does not the Savior expressly deny his real pres
enee among the people today? For ye have the poor
with you always, but me we have not al
ways" Mark xiv. y.
The whole question:" writes Father Dalgairns,
resolves itself into this: Can body be unextend
ed! Who will say that God cannot take from a body
the property of extensionl What contradiction is
there III it, Is it not easy for to conceive sub
stance without extensionl If you take to pieces
the idea of substance shall find that it quite
independent of quantity, on which extension de-
pends; for the smallest grain of gold is as really
and substantially gold as all the precious metal
in the whole universe
again, quantity is sensible thing which is
seen by the eye and felt by the touch; but as for
it is revealed to US by the mind alone
Let God but only reduce body to the state of pure
and it ceases at once to be extended
without eeasing to be a body. 1t is by extension
that body becomes subject to the laws of space:
take extension away, and it partakes at of
some of the prerogatives of the spirit
This, then, is what God has done to the body
of Jesus in the blessed sacrament. 1t has ceased
TO be extended, and all at it is freed from the
letters which bound it to place. 1t is not so much
that it Is III many places at that it is longer
under the ordinary laws of space at all 1t pervades
the host like spirit. 1t uses, indeed, the locality
formerly occupied by the bread in order to fix itself
into definite space: but it only into the do
main of space indirectly through the species (the
appearances OF bread and wlne), as the soul only
enters into Its present relations with space through
the body. Who will say that this involves contra
dcton or that ii is beyond the power of omnip-
otence!' Dalgairns, the Holy Communion" PIP.
34, 35)
We find this multiplication of the sacramental
presence of Christ foreshadowed in the miracle of
the loaves and fishes in the desert (John Vi. 49,.
Who can explain how five barley loaves would suf-
fee satisfy the hunger Of 5000 or how each loaf
could have been at one and the same time in the
hands of several persons! (Cf j. s.. Vaughan.
Thoughts for All Times, PIP. 142-146)
1t is indeed a wonderful mystery that Jesus
Christ should be really present OH thousands of al
ars the world over but the Christian does not deny
fact merely because it is mysterious. Mystery is
,ften the law for finite intelligence in things hui
nan; much more therefore, in divine things We
;now little indeed of substance or of glorfed bod
es although the apostle tells us that our own will
possess new and wonderful qualities q. Cor. XIV AZ
~. Who can explain how the glorifed body of the
isen Christ passed through the stone of the sepul-
hire Mark XIV, 46). or through the closed door of
he upper room in Jerusalemi John Xxx 26) Who
AN explain how the human soul is really and wholly
PRESENT in every part of the human body pa fact
f philosophy admitted even by the pagan Aristotle
The text cited above clearly refers to his nat
ral visible presence among the disciples during
lis earthly ministry. 1t in way contradcts the
act of his sacramental presence in the Eucharist
lie also says: 81 am with you all days, even to the
onsummation of the world" Matt xviii, 20).