The sun., 1916-08-27

TINE ROOT idea Of Catholic edu-
cation Is the intimate binding
Of the human individual with
God. God Is our maker, ruler and
Judge. end and reward. We
cannot escape this primal fact Of
existence. SO deep and original, 90 all
p%ervading that IL overshadovs and
conditions the whole range Of being.
and alone furnishes the key to the
endless problems Of nature, his.
tory and life. 1t Is quite true that
man has other relations. e. &. social
and political. but II Is also true that
they are the creation Of the Individual,
shaped and colored by his early train
Ing and it, consequent temper or
bias.
The Catholic Church has always
bravely and successfully faced this
issue. the recognition Of Gods supreme
place in the Individual life. His rights,
law. honor. service and worship. Her
entire career IL . commentary on St
Paul's brave and lucid discourse to the
men OF Athens. Since then no human
considerations have EVER sWayed her
from teaching mankind the existence
Of God. the attributes Of His divine
nature and His loving 10 for
mans welfare. temporal and spiritual
When the little Catholic child learns
the opening lines Of the catechim ana
grasps the great fact that he y Gods
beloved creature. made to know. love
and serve his Maker, he has acquired
. working philosophy Of LIE. . com.
paA on il stormy ~, which wfn IN.
sure his spiritual safety where others
perish unhappfly tor lack e right
knowledge OF The nature and purpose
OF. human life.
While the social order was generally
religious. this peculiar once Of the
Church needed NO i~nsistence, NO de-
fence or protection. But modern con.
ditions. 1 o, profound errors In philoso.
ply. the natural guide Of life. coupled
with injustice. persecution. suspicion
and hatred. operating on a large scale
and with conscious persistency. have
compelled the Catholic Church every.
where to look carefully into the foun-
dations Of her life and her probable
state In the future order Of the world.
In other words. the education of every
Catholic child becomes q principal pre-
occupation Of Catholic authority. In q
dim and latent way the idea of God n
ever present to the young mind. az II
were q haunting echo OF its origin. but
this vague sense needs development,
correction. protection. 1t needs to grow
Is the body and mind Of tho child
grow. In other words. gradually. the
object Of sympathetic care and intelli-
gent formation. 1t needs proper nu.
triton. and adverse influences must b
co~unteracted and II possible nullifed.
The healthy germs Of q religious phi
losophy Of Life must be wisely planted
and sedulously tended. lest they decay
and die on poor soil or amid noxious
o~vergrowth.
The right knowledge Of God. or true
religion. - the best moral panacea for
tho iIls Of Life. and or II the child must
n day depend amid temptation. tall
ure. disillusion. poverty. sorrow: In
Justice and oppression. ailments bod
ny and spiritual II no b not ven
grounded In the knowledge a God,
above all II he be unconscious Of Gods
love and mercy. Of another and Q per.
feet world. Of redemption and Inn.
mortality. no Il likely to become Q
castaway. . drifting peril 70 himself
and to otherA
Catholic education. permeated with
the spirit Of religion. Ii Indispensable
from another very practical point Of
view. affecting closely tho Individual
Ignorance Of God has become almost
universal In modern society. honey.
combed a. It is with materlalism end
naturalism. The old bases Of law and
order have been moved o. rudely
shaken, and the inherited social super.
seems threatened on several
sides. That the frivolous modern !.
portunism u helpless ought to be clear
from the actual condition Of Europe,
whore brute force alone seems destined
to be the arbiter Of q gigantic con.
n!ct and to inaugurate some new and
htolerable Casarism. whatever way
lie the issue 1t Is q chief concern Of
tho Catholic Church to restore to the
social order the true knowledge Of
God, hence her u~nceasing efforts Tor
the religious education of tho young.
II We are to escape an era Of GRO.
found pessimism. II the social forces
shall remain suffused with Q certain
Joy and hope. II life shall retain it,
Christian dignity. the Individual soul
must exhibit new the great virtues
by which mankind arose through
Christ from it, ancient slough Of