The San Francisco call., 1910-03-14


cient to induce the church to work
in a special manner here. A uni
versity is place of teaching uni
yersal knowledge. Now, if the
Catholic faith is true, as we believe
il is, a university can not exist ex-
ternally to the Catholic religion;
for il can not teach universal
knowledge if it does not teach
Catholic theology. A complete cur
riculum should have a place for re-
ligion.
Professor Butler says: ''The
growing tendency toward what is
known as the separation of church
and state, but which is now ac-
curately described as the inde,
pendence of mans political and
religious relationships, and concur
rently the development of a public
educational conscience which has
led the state to take upon itself a
large share of the responsibility
for education, have brought about
the practical exclusion of the re-
ligious element from public educa-
ton. Yet the religious element
may. not be permitted to pass
wholly out of education unless we
are to cripple IT and render it
hopelessly incomplete. The reli-
gious element is essential and by
some effective agency it must be
presented to every child whose ed
ucatioH aims at completeness and
proportion"
This club. then, aims to supply
the students with. that religious
which, from the nature of things,
the university can not undertake to
give. It is not intended to give
courses in theology; for the club is
that measure of instruction which
the university student requires
instruction in Christian doctrine,
Christian ethics, Christian history
And, besides thus supplying a
complement which is wanting in
the scheme of universal knowledge,
a place like this is needed for an
by its Catholic influence a neces-
sary correction to the natural ten
dencies of liberal education.
Liberal knowledge has a special
tendency, not necessary or rightful,
but a tendency in fact when cultf-
waited by beings such as we are to
impress us with a mere philosophi-
cal theory Of life and conduct in
place of the revelation which the
church has been charged with
teaching and preserving Knewl-
edge viewed as knowledge exerts
a subtle influence in throwing us
back upon ourselves and making us
our own center and our minds a
measure of all things 1t tends to
round out the mind and make itself
sufficient. And If religion has had
no part in that process the mind
will be rounded out without it.
These effects are shown by the fact
that an intellectual man, as the
world now conceives him, must be
full of views. People expect them.
and he is ready to give them on
every conceivable subject. from
Women'S suffrage to the trusts. In
consequence of the liberal tendency
it will be easy for those who pur-
sue it to ignore theological truth
and religion altogether under a pre-
tense of not recognizing differences
of religious opinion.
The second reason for the need of
a correction arises out of the sub
ject matter with which education is
usually concerned. There are three
great subjects on which human rea-
son employs itself-God, nature and
man-and theology being put aside
in the present argument, the physi-
cal and social worlds remain. A
study of these gives the book of
nature and the book of man; one we
call science and the other literature
There can. of course, be no real col
lision between physical science and
Catholicism. Nevertheless, it can
not be denied that there has always
been a sort of jealousy and hos
tility between religious and physi-
cal philosophers. The scientist in
his studies and Investigations sees
everywhere the reign of law and or
account for everything, from his
point of view, and his deep salts
faction in the laws of nature indis-
pose him toward thought of moral
governor who rules nature by a
providence and will.
On the other hand, the history of
man is not the history of Christian
man, hence literature in a broad
sense can not be Christian 1itera-
ture. And as we educate young men
to prepare them for the world. we
can not avoid teaching them that
ature which is necessary. The
is not TO exclude them from a
knowledge of this history and of
the world but to interpret 1t for
them. And thus the church exer-
cises the function of safeguarding
against the natural dangers which
beset the acquisition of knowledge.
This hall has also an Important
function in keeping the students in
touch with the living source of
spiritual life. Here the mass will
be offered; here the sacrament ad-
ministered: here deyotions will be
carried on. May its future realize
the splendid promise of the present.
and may the generations of Catho-
lie students who shall benefit by
its service ever remain worthy sons
of that mother church and devote
their riches of mind and heart to
the interests of spiritual truth and
life.