The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-12-19
HAVE CHRISTIAN TEACHING
Lack of Moral Training in the Public
Schools Makes Necessary the Build
ing of Parochial Schools Catholics
Not Against School System.

A"oAAiSsA- S"OAoAANof eAA-
Wisconsin diocese are showing deep
interest in lecture recently deliver
ed by Archbishop Messmer in which
he discussed the important question
of the church and the school. The
address is considered a statement Of
the stand Of the Catholics of Wiscon-
sin on this great problem. Bishop
Messmer said in part:
Education is large subject, =
said the archbishop, in opening his adj
dress. "Ohristian education is also
very important subject. But why
make this distinction? For the sim
pie reason that it is a question wheth-
er education shall be education in the
general acceptance Of the term OF
Christian education. Education is of
no account if it is not Christian edu-
cation. 1t is Of all Importance, not of
more Importance, and there is no
more vital question before the Ameri-
can people today than the problem of
religious training.
Every often Roman Catholics have
been charged with being enemies of
the public schools. This is true in
one sense but not in another. We
are not satisfied with the public
schools because their training does
not go far enough. It's appeal is ex-
clusively to the head, and it does not
touch the heart; it is neutral, not
Christian education.
THE Catholic church is the very
mother Of education. Practically all
European education owes it's origin to
the Catholic church and the church
was the first to establish public
schools. In the very earliest cen
lures of the Christian era, in the
fourth and fifth, schools sprang up
wherever the church obtained a foot
hold. Bishops, popes, and church
councils made it obligatory for par
ishes to establish schools, and these
schools not only educated their pupils
in secular learning, but always gave
them Christian education.
Christian schools were the only
ecbOoIs ,In n oho,+ n b,y,d poJ x,o,,.
ago. Even after that unfortunate di-
vision in the church, the seeding pro
testants maintained their schools and
persisted in the belief that their edu-
cation must be Christian education
| The idea Of neutral schools in which
religion should have no place dates
back to the noted French infdel writ
er whose teachings are largely re.
sponsible for bringing on the French
revolution. AS infdelity spread, the
idea of such neutral schools spread
1t is one of the very doubtful accom-
| plishments of modern times that we
have public schools altogether silent
on the matter of religion.
The first schools in America were
Christian schools. 1t was the common
~ accepted belief of the Puritan set
tiers Of New England that religion
must be taught in the schools. They
could not conceive of education with
out Christianity having a part in it
nor would they have tolerated it. The
same was true of the southern anc
middle colonies and it is in only com
paratively late years that the idea Of
non-secta1ian education came into be
ing and application
'One of the neutral causes thai
brought about the establishment d
public schools in which religion is no
taught was the settlement Of th,
country by people of many differen
nationalities and religious faiths
"Large numbers of protestants ar,
in favor of religious education in tn,
public schools. There has beer or
ganized in this country Religious
Education Association, numberint
some 5000 members, whose purpose i
to spread the idea that the teaching
of religion in the public schools i
necessary to the proper education 0.
children.
| The question before us is: Wha
is real education9 Can the so-calleC
neutral education be called education
in the fullest meaning of the word
On this point opinions differ, but til,
Roman Catholic church has alwav
taken the position that religious edu
cation is necessary if secular educa
| ton is to be of any value.
There has been tremendou
change in the opinion of the American
people on this question and the cor
rectness Of the Catholic position is be
ing more and more clearly recognized
Present moral and religious condition
point to a radical defect in our publi
school education, and that is tn
neglect of moral and religious train
ling. When we consider what man wa
made for, what he is, and what Go,