The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-05-23
THE IRISH STANDARD, SATURDAY, MAY s.. 1914.


I STANDARD, SATURDAY. M
chism was rudely and publicly ex
PEELED from the schools of Rome by
Nathan, the Freemason mayor, who
has just been appointed a Roya,
Commissioner to the United States;
last week it was quietly restored tC
them by Roman matron. In the
early days of the Church the Roman
matrons were women who did things
quietly but effectively. They rever.
emily gathered the relics of the mar.
tyrs and provided places of burial
for them, and many of the catacombs
we visit today are still known by the
names of these great Christian wo-
men; they gave shelter to prosecuted
Popes; their houses became the first
Christian churches; they confessed
the faith to the shedding Of their
blood; but their first great duty,
which they fulfilled within the pri-
vacy of the their own domestic walls,
was the Christian education of their
children. 1t was, therefore, quite in
the order of ancient things that the
beginning of the restoration of reli-
gious instruction in Rome should be
accomplished by woman.
I'VE. Catholic journalists, made a
great fuss over the question-for
about a quarter of an hour. We or
ganized a petition of Roman fathers
of families against the exclusion of
the catechism; we got up a, subscrip-
ton of about 10000 francs to defray
the legal costs of the agitation; we
denounced Nathan and his colleagues
of the Bloc for depriving the Roman
children of their daily religious
bread; but Nathan knew us, and,
vulgarly putting his finger to his
nose. defied us and our lawyers and
the Italian law and public opinion.
Then Princess Giustiniani-Ban-
DIM. president of the Italian Union
of Catholic Women, came on the
scene. and when we had almost for
gotten that there even existed such a
burning topic as the question of re-
ligious education she announced that
religious instruction would be re-
sumed. Last Saturday Git was the
first day Of spring. very good day
for such an initiative) she and the
little band Of Christian teachers quiz
city made their appearance at the ap-
pointed time in various Communal
schools in Rome. the Princess herself
undertaking the one which for vari-
GUS reasons was likely to be the most
difficult. In some instances the cate
chists were received with frowns and
shrugs and opposition by the direct
ors, but on the whole the work began
auspiciously and smoothly enough,
and with every prospect of develop
ment.
ut needs development. The Prin-
cess triumph is great and holy one
but it is only beginning, and is
chiefly valuable at present as the as
sertion of the principle that the edu-
cation of Catholic children in Cath
Ollie country should be Catholic. and
as an example to others to go and do
likewise. Already the example is
about to be followed in Genoa and
we may expect within the next few
months to see it followed in many
other Italian centers which were
quick enough to follow the evil ex-
ample of municipal Rome. But it
would be a mistake to suppose that
Donna Giustiniani-Bandini's tri-
umph at present means much more
than this.
THE catechism is still outside the
curriculum of ordinary school stud
les, and will remain outside until
Roman municipality be elected
which will vote to have it included.
All the princess has obtained is this:
every Saturday afternoon, at a time
when the children would otherwise
be free, she and her band of cate
chists Gall of whom must have GER
tificates as school teachers and be ap-
proved for this special work by the
Provincial School Council although
they are unpaid) may occupy the
class rooms of the public schools for
an hour, and teach the catechism
there to such children as are sent by
the parents. That is small founda-
ton for the Christian training of the
youth of Rome-but it is a begin
ming, it is all that can be done for
the moment, and it is at least an in
dication that more can be done in the
future"
CATHOLIC UNION OF MO. PLEADS
FOR INTERNATIONAL
PEACE. ..'....
Resolution to Be Sent to President
Wilson.