The Catholic bulletin., 1920-10-23
Protection Of Catholic Schools

IfOlecIl0n Oh
NO DESIRE ON PART OF CATH,
oLics FOR STATE RELiGl oN--
s BUT clTtzEAsl,iP VILE FALL
WITHOUT RELIGIOUS MORAL
sANcTioN--WE MUST PROTECT
AND EXPAND OUR CATHOLIC
SCHOOLS.
Archbishop Glennon of st. Louis,
speaking at the last convention Of the
Catholic Educational Association,
said:
In war and peace, it is admitted that
militarism has seen its day; and that
though some preparedness in arms
must be insisted on, yet our chiefest
efforts must be directed to the build
ing up of that moral force among our
people that will make them uncon.
querable. @ .
Hence all that went to make up the
morale Of our trOOps-all the inspira-
tion that obtained, all the high pur-
poses that were set before them, all
the fdelities that were taught them,
all the sacrifices that were demanded
of them, must now in their perpetu-
alton become our chiefest labor. so
that our nation may arise to the
heights, and give in action to the
world the fulfillment of that gospel Of
exalted justice and mercy and truth it
has been preaching to the nations.
But how may this be done? To
train in moral life, to set before the
public q code of morals, to give to that
code a sanction, and to vitalize it38o
it will be a reality and not dream,
1t is necessary that that code should
have religious basis. 1t is necessary
that in the teaching of it, the teacher
will be able to bring the explicit sane.
ton Of religion to it's acceptance and
it's faithful performance. Moral teach.
ing must be accompanied by and
based on definite religious dnstruc
tion. For proof of this we have his
tory, experience and reason showing
that neither the teaching nor the prac
tice of morals can long survive when
separated from a religious belief.
On Moral Teaching.
And now the difficulty presents it
self in this: the majority OF
our people appear to think differently
They have come to, the conclusion
but. by what process of reasoning We
know not, that moral teaching is
something that can stand alone ant
can be impaired excluding at thu
same time any definite religion. They
set against the dictates of reason, the
data of experience, and the teaching
of history, this current and prevailing
public sentiment. How this senti
ment grew.what prejudices are in
terwoven with it, they refuse to con
| slider. It is American; therefore it il
good enough. 1t appears broad ant
liberal; but what is better, it is fav
ored by majority of voters; and s.
| endorsed must be in their opinion
necessarily right.
| What astonishes us and is some
what disappointing is the fact tina
while we have in public life many mel
of courage and intellect, many VIII,
profess to set principle above part!
and the defense of truth above polit
ical success, SO few if any of then
! are sufficiently courageous to face tht
situation here presented-Who ar,
willing to discuss it calmly, and ad
nit the conclusion that logically fol
lows. s s
1t may be said (although this doe
not fiatter their intelligence) tina
they are unaware of the existence o
the difficulty; but this is scarcel.
true. IT. must be rather that fore
seeing the difficulties in the way the.
are anxious to avoid the issue ATTIC
4 gether. When spoken to, they urg
{ that discussion would be inOpportun
that anyhow the system obtaining
at present must not be changed, AM
may not be modifed-that it is bette
ito let sleeping dogs lie." They poin
out to the immediate danger Of relig
Gus strife. And lastly, and as If t
set the seal of finality. they urge tn
constitutional inhibition to any uniol
Of Church and State which they sus
| pect to be back of the plea that mora
and religious teaching should go tc
Igether.
1 No State Church.
On this point, let me say that the
need have no fear: for what the Cor
| stitution prohibits, namely. the es
tahlishment or support Of Stat
Ichurch or religion IS the very las
4 thing that Catholics, at least, desire
i Never once in the course Of our his
4 tory has there been q movement o.
the part of our people, priests 9
i Bishops, to seek to amend this Articl
j of the Constitution; never once hav
! we asked for financial support from
i the government for our Church or on
religion; and we never will. We ar
4 not only satisfied with "asfree Churcl
in free State" but we would oppos
z FL - - - -