The Irish standard., 1908-06-13

taught in the common schools Of the
city. If the theory of general evolu-
ton as taught in the public schools
is right. then you and l, my friends.
are the greatest fools on earth. The
text books our Catholic children use
in the public schools. teach them doc
trines that would make our religion
hypocrisy.
What have we done intellectually
in the United States to further the
cause of Catholicism? We haven't
in the country good Catholic news
paper printed in English. unless we
want gossip sheet telling us about
Father So-andSo and his piety.
We are trying to educate our chill
dren in our own way at the Sunday
! schools. while the directors of the
| New York public schools are holding
meetings in an endeavor to bring
back sectarian teachings to their in
stitutions. If we have courage and
not fear, we will refuse to allow our
children to hear these doctrines. We
will go to the city hall and say to the
politicians: Give US what we want.
what our conscience demands. or we
will gather the Catholic voters in the
city and smash your party; send 1t
to oblivion. But. no; we won't do
that, we are content to receive sops
from the civil government. What
brave men we are!
The power of the Catholic element
in New York is gone. as far az polt-
tics is concerned. We can use our in
fluence to get newspaper stands or
blootblack stores. and that Is all.
Politically. Catholics don't count a
rap in New York. The Catholic Of
ficeholders are afraid of being found
out If they give us favors. Besides,
they are busily engaged In looking
after the interests of the rich men.
Il ask why should the young men
cf the country who contemplate the
Catholic priesthood flock to Yale and
Harvard and Princeton. while tho
Catholic seminaries stand half empty?
Is 1t because the schools where
the tenets of Catholicism are said to
he taught do not fulfill their prom
ises? Are we sure that they stand
for all that is good in the Catholic
lie?
"In this country at this time we
are challenged to d duel to the death;
the old religious denominations are
slowly breaking up; most of the Epis-
copal churches are on the road to
Unitarianism, which means the denial
Of Christianity. So here we have on
one side Unitarianism-no Christian
ity-and on the other Catholicism,
which is losing its children by the
thousands of thousands because 1t
makes no provision for education in
Catholic principles.
"rhere is as much self advertising.
| dS uiuCII uypOCTiSy Ill our cnuFCn as
outside it. Many believe that any,
thing bearing the label Catholicism
is acceptable. I beg humbly to dis
agree with that view of the matter.
Some Of our unfortunate brethren
who live only in the supplement of
the Sunday papers, or in the ten
cent magazines, look with disfavor on
the Holy Fathers attack on modern
ism.
"rhey call the Holy Father the
peasant Pope, but he has put his fin
ger on the shameful weakness Of the
Catholic clergy. He has pointed out
that our greatest danger lies in our
ignorance of Catholic ideals and be-
liefs. Speaking to a deputation of
journalists at Rome recently, the Pope
said that until an influential Catholic
press. aiding the work Of the Church,
could be built up in America our re-
ligion cannot expect to lead"