The Irish standard., 1910-05-28

ing in Columbus, Ohio. Rev. Francis
| church, and secretary general of the
Catholic Educational Association, gave
an address on "rhe Catholic Position
in Education" About one hundred of
the Protestant ministers of Columbus
were present. The address was in
part as follows:
The lines of our Catholic educa-
tional policy in the circumstances ex-
listing in this country have been laid
down for us by an elder generation,
and experience convinces us that it is
we'll to continue our work along these
lines. Many of us who are engaged in
educational work feel that clear
statement of our position should al
ways be kept before the public so that
there may be no misunderstanding in
regard to it, but we also feel that
while maintaining our rights, we do
well to avoid unnecessary offense and
IIullleSS controversy.
We all know that this subject has
been debated with some acrimony in
aroused much feeling. We have ac-
commodated ourselves to present cir
cumstances, we have accepted the in
evitable but we have not fallen in love
with it. l am inclined to believe, how
ever, that there has been change,
to some extent, at least, l know that
the Catholic position is better under
stood and it has enlisted sympathy
and, in certain cases, even positive APP
prevail from eminent Protestant divines.
or course, | do not know your own
sentiments in regard to the matter,
but your candor in extending this in
Vltation commands my sincere re-
spect, and my purpose shall be mere
ly to give statement of the Catholic
position in education presented as
matter of information.
One Common Interest.
We cannot exaggerate the import
ance and the value of sound educa-
ton. Every citizen who loves his
country, every father who loves his
child, every one who has any regard
for the future must feel an interest
in it. 1t is the great American in
terest which we all have in common.
Society may be saved or society may
be lost through it's system of educa-
ton. The present situation in public
education in this country is the re-
suit Of a fortuitous combination of cir
cumstances. 1t is not the product of
any we'll thought GU. plan, and, in
fact, our public educational system has
been wholly diverted from its orig
inal aim and purpose The proposition
Of the American population growing up
today without the influence of any
kind Of religious teaching or training
is greater than it ever was before. We
Catholics think that this is the great
est--the gravest of all our national
problems.
1t is not necessary for me to rehearse
the circumstances that led up to the
establishment of the Catholic educa-
tional system in this country. The
Catholic Church holds that religion is
the supreme interest of life and it is
an integral element, in reality the
not be set down in the school curricu-
lum as a formal discipline like arith-
metic or grammar, and the teaching
of the catechism is not the teaching
Of religion.
What Religion Includes.
Religion includes doctrine, morals,
worship. The surroundings of
child's life should be such that all
these may be learned, consciously or
unconsciously. AS a mothers love is
learned so should religion be learned.
1t can happen in exceptional cases
that good home and the Sunday
school may supply the lack of reli-
gious influence in the school, but in
the vast majority Of cases where there
is no religious teaching and influence
in the school the children will have
none at all, and the ignoring of reli-
gion in educational work is the same
as eliminating it as a factor in educa-
ton. When you eliminate religion
from the school there is great likeli-
hood that it will in time lose its influ-
ence in the life of the nation.
The Catholic people of this coun-
try have not been able up to the pres
ent time to convince the majority of
the American people of the justice and
pertinency of these views, and we
have felt ourselves compelled as
matter of conscience to carry on our
educational work unaided by the
state. These, in brief, are the reasons