The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-10-16

even if Catholic parents do not I'M
derstand why the Church insists so
strongly on Catholic education for the
child, yes, even ii the Church gave no
reason at all for her strict legislation,
every Catholic father and mother
would still be bound to obey her com
mand, because the authority she ex-
ercises in imposing that command is
divine
Reasons for the Church's Attitude.
But the Church, in the decree of the
Council of Baltimore already quoted,
adduces the strongest and most con-
vincing reasons for insisting on Cath
ole education. These reasons are:
I'D The child belongs body and soul
to God, Who created it and entrusted
it to the custody of the parents; (2)
1T has been born anew to Christ in
Baptism; and (3) 1t is destined not
for this world, but for heaven; not
for time, but for eternity. Remember,
then, Catholic parents, your child is
not SO much yours as it is Gods. 1t
10 IlOl yOulO1 W C0uS0IC CD JOu PAOCOOS
but it is Gods to be educated as He
commands, by the voice of His
Church 1t is Gods by right of crea-
ton. 1t is Gods, moreover, by right
of redemption; He bought back that
child at the infinite price of His Pre-
cious Blood, when He died for it on
the cross. Finally, it is Gods by right
of adoption, when in the holy sacra-
ment of Baptism He made it His own
child and the heir of His heavenly
kingdom Just as a king, who would
adopt poor, neglected beggar boy as
his son, and bringing him to his royal
palace, would array him in princely
robes and proclaim to all his subjects
that that child must henceforth be re-
spected as a prince of the royal blood,
destined to succeed the monarch to
the throne; so God has adopted your
child in Baptism as His son and heir,
clothed him with the royal robe of
sanctifying grace, and proclaimed to
angels and men that your child's eter-
nal destiny is to reign with Him in His
heavenly kingdom.
1t has, therefore, a most sacred
right, paramount over all other rights,
to be taught to know its Father, to
love Him and to serve Him and to
strive after eternal, blissful union
with Him in heaven. And you, Cath
Ollie parents, on your part, have most
solemn duty and obligation to ac-
knowledge and respect that right, by
giving your child Catholic education.
Woe to you, it, disregarding this
sacred right of your child, you refuse
to give it a Catholic education and
neglect to instruct it in that most i'm
portant of all knowledge, it's sublime
relationship with God and the man
ner of accomplishing its eternal des-
| tiny! What would you think of par
ent, who would cruelty neglect to feed
his child, allowing it to die of starVa-
ton before his very eyes? You could
not find words to express your abhor-
renee of such heartless monster.
But | tell you, Catholic parents, that
to deprive your child of Catholic
education is to be guilty of cruelty
far more inhuman, for you are starv-
ing not the body, but the immortal
soul, of your child, thatssoul whio}njs
infinitely more precious in Gods eyes
than all the world besides. Now,
then, | ask you, Catholic parents, what
kind of education do you intend to
give your child? Will you give it a
Catholic education by sending it to
Catholic school, where it will learn
to know and love and serve God, its
Father in heaven? Or will you give
it a goddess education, by consigning
it to the public school, in which, by
the law of the land, the very existence
Of God dare not be taught?
The Duty Of Parents.
Will you send your child to a Cath
Ollie school, where it will learn to love
Jesus Christ, who, because He loved
that child, died for it upon the cross
and remains ever upon the holy altar
as its loye-imprisoned Friend, its vic
| tim of sacrifice and the Divine Food
of its soul? or will you send it to that
school, where, by command Of the law,
Jesus Christ, our God and Redeemer,
dare not even be named except as an
| historic parsonage, like Nero or No
manned? Will you, Catholic parents
send your child to Catholic school,
where it will be taught to honor the
| Saints of God, those noblest of all
| heroes, to reverence the holy Crucifix
| and sacred images, and to respect
your consecrated priests and nuns
Or will you, on the contrary commit
| that child to school from which the
law of the state excludes all emblems
of religion, where the very mention
of Gods Immaculate Virgin Mother
would be deemed superstitious and
blasphemous impertinence, where the
sacred character of the priest or nun
would be ignored, If not laughed to
scorn?
The seed of religious truth, sown in
his heart during the receptive years
| of his childhood, may yet produce
| fruit. Those early lessons he re-
ceived, the prayers he learned and
loved to recite, the pious practices, sc
dear to him in the days of his limo
cence, can never be entirely forgotten
Our Blessed Savior Himself, the per
feet Teacher of perfect school, after
three years of Divine training, had to
lament the unfaithfulness OF His
twelve chosen pupils, when the storm
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