Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-08

| and scores of others were estaDllsneo
under the fostering care of the popes OF
Rome. He dwelt upon the shock thai
came to the church system by the re-
formation and then, as evidences of the
interest of the church, he detailed the
great efforts made since that time to
maintain schools, even when there was
not only direct state opposition but
even penal law persecution.
| Education gives the stimulation to
growth and mental activity and is also
the result of BOTH" he said. "It is a
development of the best within us in
mind, in soul and in body. Education
should have as its great result better
knowledge of God in order to render
Him better service The aim of al
education should be the truth: truth
| for the mind and truth for the life, and
hence education cannot do its work
without the influence and direction OF
religion which has the authority to
| teach the revealed truth which protects
us In fixing the certainty Of scientific
results.
$50 far as the Catholic is concerned
the religion necessary properly to In
form and practically to influence edu-
cation is the religion of Christ, not In
any vague generalities but in a posi-
tive teaching which has the authority
of Christ, who said to his church Go
,
days until the contamination of time.
1.-THE evils that surround US and eat
into the heart of modern society are not
evils resulting from illiteracy The
dangerous. far-reaching crimes of to-
day are crimes committed by those who
boast Of their education
The Dvorcee Not llllterate
"The forger, the embezzler, the di-
vorcee are not illiterates but men and
women upon whom has been lavished
the most that mere human knowledge
can give. The Source of the evil of to-
day seems to be in growing tendency
to ignore religion and this often comes
by rea son Of the divorce of education
from positive religion. Men have ac-.
uuired varied branches of knowledge.
They have excelled In specfalties. Cen
eral education has reached the masses
but it has often been done at the ex-
pense of the religious idea and thus
many have lost sight of religion. We
need an intelligent manhood. but 1t
should be a manhood intelligent with
the knowledge of God as well as with
the knowledge of the arts and sciences.
1.-THE Catholic church stands for edu-
cation, for general, popular education,
but 1t is an education with God and
Christ and the principles of positive
religion. She stands for positive re-
ligion as guide in all the grades Of
study from kindergarten to university.
'In the loud sounding cries for better
character building and stronger civic
virtues we should hear the note for the
need of religion. for religion can model
character and build the virtuous life.
The drift in many educational systems
Is toward the purely material which
ends In independence of all positive re-
igious thought. This produces natural
religion and sometimes a return to
pagan ideals. 1t certainly takes Christ
1ut Of our educational life and this
must work disaster to Christianity it
self in the lives and thought of youth |
Religion alone can teach morality and
establish the code of right ethics |
Character cannot be built without con-
science and no teacher but religion can |
ell conscience its duty.