The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-08-01
CONTINUED from page to.l
CATHOLIC CHURCH AND LIBERAL
EDUCATION.

fruits ye shall know them" Argu-
ments in favor of the Church, drawn
from the story of the past, fall with
little effect upon the ears of Ameri-
cans. The; argument to which they
readily consent to listen is the present
manner of life of Catholics.
What magnificent opportunities are
now offered to the Catholic 1aity! It
is a period of disintegration of doc
trine and of weakening of morals; it
is a period of great social changes,
which disturb long-estabhshed princi-
pies and awaken angry passions.
Thoughtful men are casting around
for means to preserve society. Such
means the Catholic Church possesses
in the truths and graces given to her
in rich abundance by her Divine Foun-
der; and if Catholics are true to their
duty, the Church will be hailed as the
savior of men and of society. But for
this they must live a true Catholic
life, and by their fruits give public
evidence of the divine power of their
faith.
The Leaders of the Catholic Laity.
In the fulfllment of their mission,
the chief need of the Catholic laity is
leaders men of elite, well-trained in
faith and morals, reso1ute and. relia-
BILE, model men, who will form after
their own character the mass of their
fellow Catholics, and will be the repre-
sentatives of the Church before the
country in all movements making for
truth and moral goodness. Model men,
assuredly, must they be who are to be
the standard bearers Of the armies of
the Church. They must be second to
none in the power and the accomplish
ments of superior education. Author
ity and influence, such as nothing else
supplies, issue forth from rich and
well-developed mind. Wherever in
telligence is at work, in literature, in
scientific inquiry, in. the management
of large enterprises, in craftsmanship,
Catholic leaders must occupy distin-
guished places. In private life they
must be stainless and above reproach,
distinguished by their sobriety, their
pure morals, their probity in dealing
with others-the most honest and the
most honorable of men; in public life
they must be the best of citizens,
marked by answering loyalty to pub
lie duty, by generous and unselfsh
love of country and it's institutions
the most faithful, the most ardent of
Americans.
Whence will come Catholics fit to
be models and leaders? I answer,
from Catholic colleges and universi-
ties. If they do not produce such
Catholics, and in large numbers, our
Catholic colleges and universities will
have failed in their work.
How Those Leaders Are to Be Edu-
Gated.
The mission which awaits the pupils
of Catholic colleges indicates the lines
upon which they should be educated.
Their intellectual training should be
the best the country can afford. We
do them an injustice, as we do country
and Church an injustice, if we send
them out into the world a whit in
ferior in intellectual equipment to
pupils from state or other nome Catholic
institutions. We have no right to
stamp with the seal of religion an in
ferior instruction, and expect it to
pass current among Catholics. And
how lot xyho oil
ready said &on the subject of liberal
education. The useful cannot be neg
lected in the programme of our Cath
Ollie institutions. But the Importance
assigned to it must not be such as to
Illustrate the main purpose of educa-
tion-the development of mind for
minds own sake. Without this, col
leges serve only as places of appren-
ticeship to trades or professions, and
not as schools for the formation of
superior men.
In Catholic colleges there must be
such dogmatic teaching as not only
enunciates principles, but sets forth
all the objections raised against them,
and furnishes answers to these ,objec-
tons. From all sides fierce attacks
are today made upon the Christian
faith. 1t is not when our soldiers are
already in the field that they should
become aware of those attacks. it is
while they are arming for the strife,
so that when the conflict does come
they may be found prepared. Col
leges that conf1ne their religious teach
ing to the ,catechism, occasional SER
mons, the reading of pious legends,
are not preparing soldiers for the
Church's battles: 1t is not sure that
the pupils of such colleges will even
hold fast throughout life to the faith
of their holy baptism. In every Cath
Ollie college there should be a thorough
course of Christian apologetics.
The training in Catholic life given
in our colleges should aim at endow-
ing the pupils with robust, manly
piety, such as alone suits strong
minds, and is likely to keep its hold
on the men of our. time and of our
country. Too often we rear youths in
religious hothouses, nourishing them
overmuch on the accidents and lux
uries of religion, which they mistake
for the essentials, and which they
afterwards are tempted to lay aside
together with all religious practices.
Form in them the bone and sinew and
the strong. living flesh of religion.