The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-01-30

to Catholic principles, we must deter
mine according to Catholic principles
the ownership of the child. No Que
will deny that to the owner of tile
child belongs it's education. To whom
then does the child belong? Liberal
ism which dominates pretty much the
thought of this modern world of ours
proc.aims, as we have seen, that the
child belongs to the state to the eN,,
cllsion of both God and it's parents
Therefore, it concludes that the state
has an exclusive right to educate the
child, to say what instruction shall
be given it, and by whom it shall be
given. In patrarchial times, undc.'
tie theocratic government of lie Jew
ish state and even among nations Of
paganism, with few exceptions, the
child was held to belong to the father.
Except in the Jewish state, the author
ity of the parent over the child was
absolute and exclusive of any inter-
ference on the part of the city or state.
When paganism came under the
control of Christianity, the child was
still held to belong to the parent sub
jet always to the rights of God. The
Church came upon the scene as the
guardian OF the rights of God and the
interpreter Of His law, both for par
ent and state. The Church With this
authority as representative of God on
earth and as guardian and interpreter
Of His law and rights, has always
taught, and most consistently, that
the child first of all belongs to God;
after God, and subject to Him, in the
second place to the parents: and in the
third place to the state. No one will
deny that God. being the absolute
owner of all things, has also domin-
ion over the child and it's destiny. AS
secondary causes of the child, the par
ents are it's owners after God.
In the interest of society and of the
child itself the Church has always
recognized in the state Il claim upon
the child subordinate to the divine
and parental rights. AS guardian of
the temporal welfare of society, the
state cannot stand idly by and suffer
parents to neglect it's life, education
Of general well-bcing. But the state
must recognize at all times that it's
rights over the child are subordinate
to, ,.;. 49, ~
and limited by them. This order
which is founded on the very nature
of things the state must not disturb,
much less overthrow. The Church as
the representative of God has always
insisted upon the fuliillment by par
ents Of the obligation resting upon
them to bring up their children in the
faith and practice which God makes
known to men through her. Were she
to neglect to do so, she would be
recreant to her mission to teach all
men to observe what the Saviour COM
manded them to observe. The state
has the right to require the education
lof all children, but it belongs to the
parents to determine what education
shall be given them. Catholics must
look TO the Church for guidance in this
most important matter and obey her
regulations as to what the child shall
learn and by whom it shall be taught,
the voice of the Church being for
them the voice of God--"Who hears
you hears Me-" For non-Catholics
this right to control the education of
the child belongs to the parent, and
this right of the nOn-Catholic parent
the Church has ever respected and
safe-gMlrded.
The Roman empire, though it made
war upon Christianity, never obliged
Christians to send their children TO
state schools, nor deprived them Of the
right to have their own schools for
their own children and to bring them
UP in the Christian religion. This is
an oppression peculiar to modern lib
eralisn, which denies all right anu
authority outside of and above the
state. 1t has reached it's practical
climax, in the legislation of iniitlel
France of to-day against the right of
Catholic parents to educate their chill
drcn in the Catholic faith by Catholic
teachers. This excludes all right of
the parent and all right of the Church,
as representing God, to direct the
education Of the child The modern
spirit of liberalism would make the
state supreme in morals and education
to the end of getting rid of all relig-
ion that is not the creature of the
state, and bringing up children in pure
secularism. This is atheism; for what
else is the assertion that the state is
supreme in human affairs, than the
denial Of the authority of God and His
Church.. The American system of
non-sectarianism will inevitably pro-
duce the same result. 1t also banishes
God and religion from the educa ton
of the child. What is a matter of
wonder to Catholics is that Protest
ants do not see it in this light, for If
nOn-sectarian education means any
thing it means a purely secular edu-
cation, that is an education without
God and religion. But with all their