The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-06-27
Relation Of Maynooth to the New University
Question That Interests the
Whole Catholic World.
Practicability of Clergy Taking Out Art
Degrees Before Specializing on
Theology, Considered.

Rev. Father York, In the San Fran
cisco Leader Of June 20. has the fol-
lowing interesting article relative to
the new Irish University bill:
The bill for the new Irish University
is going through committee in the
English Parliament. 1t is at this stage
that the bill is licked into its final
shape In the course Of the debates on
the various amendments several inter-
esting questions have come up. Among
them perhaps the most interesting of
all is the relation of Maynooth to the
new university. That question is in
teresting. not only for Ireland, but for
the whole Catholic world where the
education of the secular clergy has to
be considered
To the present generation Of the
clergy in English-sp speaking countries.
who have been trained on more or less
variations Of the French monastic
plan, 1t may seem little short Of bias
phemous to speak of any change in
the method Of training priests. The
seminary. with It's segregation, from
the world, It's narrow course of studies.
it's meager fare. It's repression of the
natural man. and. above all, the om-
impotence and pervasiveness of that
mysterious entity known as the Holy
Rule-these the priest trained in the
system considers as part of the nature
of things, and cannot conceive any 9TH
er way of producing what is known as
the priestly character.
The DEGREES of the Council of Trent
concerning the institution Of semin-
aries in each diocese led to the multi
plication Of little clerical colleges that
in many cases were mere hedge
schools. So much was this the case
In Italy that one Of the first reforms
Of Plus x was to make wholesale
suppression of diocesan seminaries
and a. concentration of professors and
students in larger colleges.
While the letter of the legislation at
Trent apparently favored the multiple
cation Of semnaries, the sound sense
Of Rome never hesltated at approving
the establishment of a general seminar
les to be used by a province or a nation
in common. The establishment Of Ma
tional Colleges In the city of Rome IT.
self is an example Of that policy.
Though Cardinal Cullen cordially de-
tested Maynooth, and wished to break
1t up. yet his vast influence in Rome
was not able to overcome the appreci-
alton OF the many advantages arising
from the existence Of so large and 20
strong an institution. 1t is not gen.
orally known that the Catholic Uni
versity at Washington was originally
planned by the Holy See as a Great
Seminary, to do for the United Statss
what Maynooth does for Ireland.
IT. is true that our catholic University
is developing in other lines, and that,
owing to our magnificent distances and
other causes, seminaries are being built
at a rate that promises to bring us to
the same state Of affairs that lately
obtained in Italy. In some parts Of the
country there are rival eminaries at
every cross roads. Then. again, there
are vast tracts that have not even a.
pretense at a school. The common
sense of the American people is ask
ing what Is the use of multiplying
costly institutions within a stones
throw Of one another. It is evident
that the time is not far distant when
the Holy See will insist on the reor-
ganization Of our seminary system and
establish two or three great institu-
tions to serve the whole country.
But even when concentration Of ef-
fort is secured, as in Maynooth, another
question arises, and that is as to the
training the youth shall receive. In
this country the monastic system
evolved by the Lazarists and Sulpi-