The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-29
INCATHOLIC BELGIUM

law. Belgium has been ruled by a
Catholic Government for nearly a
quarter of a century, but there are
still some disabilities remaining as
relics of the anti-clerical Government
which brought about its own downfall
by tampering with the religious teach
ing of the children. The schools are
under the various Communes and
while this has worked well for the last
twenty years, the gradual spread of
Socialism unto municipal life, has
caused some of these authorities to
become anti-Catholic, and to endeavor
to imprint their own character upon
the schools under their charge. In or
der to battle such endeavors, and the
injustice done to the Catholics in such
a Commune, the new education bill
proposes a way out of the difficulty
which might well commend itself to
the British Catholics in arriving at
settlement in connection with their
own school question, which, it is said,
will shortly be revived. This is for
the Government to issue certificates
to the heads of families, one certifi-
cate for every child of school age.
These documents carry with them the
cost of the child's education, and they
can be assigned by the parent to any
school he chooses to select, so that
there is no fear of any Catholic child
being driven to a Socialist school.
The 'bon," as they are called, will
hyip int oHn
tion, which has not so far been the
order, but they will at the same time
add materially to the prosperity of
starve the opposition out of existence.
The Language Question.
With reference to higher education
there is another difficulty, that of the
language question, which is making
itself felt so acutely in more than one
country at the present time. Hitherto
French and Flemish have been used
side by side as it were, the French
tongue being the official language of
the country, in which all documents
were executed. and the higher classes
conversed; while the peasants used the
mother tongue of the Fleming, which
is quite distinct from German or
Dutch, so much so that an intimate
knowledge of either of those language
is little help to the pedestrian lost in
a Belgian byway. 1t is now proposed
at the University of Gand (Ghent) to
Danish the French tongue and to give
all the courses in Flemish with the
exception of one or two, such as phil
ology and literature, etc. The project
which is to be placed before the
Chamber is supported by Catholics,
Liberals and Socialists alike, but it
has reused fierce passions, and is like
ly to be held up for time.
Christian syndieates.
Amongst the useful Catholic institu-
tions with which Belgium is equipped,
one of the most appropriate to the
present day, when there is ceaseless
warfare raging between capital and
labor, is the Christian Syndicates.
These are split up into various
trades, we should call them unions,
but they are more like the old
Guilds. There are some fifty
or sixty thousand workmen in
all connected in this way and their
leaders act, not as instigators, but as
arbitrators and peace makers in Ia
Dor disputes. Just now, at Ingelmuns-
ter, the carpet manufacturers declared
lockout against five hundred work
men, all members of the Syndicate.
The Council of Cancellation presided
over by M. Cooreman came forward,
were appointed arbitrators and sue
ceeded in settling the difference. The
success attending these conciliators
grows daily, and show what an influ-
ence the Catholic religion has for good
in the disputes of labor
I spoke, recently, of the annoyance
caused to the Vatican by the false re
ports of news which are spread abroad
as emanating from the very household
of the Holy Father himself Another
specimen of the same thing is just
being translated into various langua.
ges from German paper, known fo1
it's anti-clerical tendencies. This well
lulOTm0u OTSdu VI COlOSuS C0lAS lIs
readers that the recent incident in the
German Reichstag has had great eff
feet at the Vatican. That. backed by
the representations of the Centre
Party, and an interview which the
Pontiff recently accorded distin
guished member of the Northern
German Hierarchy, it has opened the
Pope's eyes to the bad effects of the
counsels of the Curia to which he has
recently paid marked attention, and tx
Which-not to Plus ks own policy O
restoring all things in Christ-tht
world owes the recent "reactionary de
crees" according to these worthless
. The report goes on to say that a per
iod of calm will follow in which nj
; further measure for reform will b.
taken. So untrue is this rigmarole tina
; at this very moment it is understoo,
in the Pope's entourage, that a yer.
inu0rfanf d0n,,nnnf roIofinr IN +h