The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-10-23
THE REASON WHY

. : sa
The following declaration on our
Catholic school system was drawn
up by Rt. Rev. Louis Walsh, Bishop
of Portland, Me. They are statements
| of what we mean by religious sys-
tenn Of education and by Catholic
i System of Education, and give the
reasons for our faith in that system.
The Catholic ParochiaI School System
| in and for the United States
Of America
/. Is founded upon two elementary
gospel truths:
| (a) Seek first the Kingdom of
/ God, and His Justice, and all these
| things will be added unto you.
| (b) Christ is the Way, the Truth
! and the Life"
Hence it puts a positive Christian
religion as the basis of all required
elementary education.
2. It admires and approves the
/ idea that every child has a natural
| and divine right to an education fit.
! ting it for citizenship, for work and
for its eternal destiny.
8. 1t asserts the right and the dut,
of all parents to give or secure such
! education to their children, if it be
!! possible.
/, 4. It claims that the education o.
the children is primarily function of
! the parents, and only secondarily q
function of city, state or nation.
5. 1t claims the right and duty of
the commonwealth, whether city, state
or nation, to aid parents in carrying
out such parental right and duty, if |;
! safe and sane democracy be a rea
ideal and practical aim.
6. 1t claims the right and duty OF
| the municipality, state or nation tc
| fix minimum standard of education
for the attainment of citizenship and
fitness for work; such compulsory
| standard to be reasonable and in &C.
cord with the reasonable demands OF
| parents and citizens.
Z. 1t claims the absolute right and
liberty of parents and groups of par.
ents or citizens to have, to own AZ
to control school houses and schools
| for the education of their children
| provided always that such schools
shall give in the English language
| that minimum standard of education
required by civic authorities for citi
zenship and work.
8. 1t claims the absolute right OF
such schools to have municipal, state
or federal aid, both civic and financial
! whenever and wherever such mini.
mum standard is recognized as an ex.
listing fact in said schools by duly
| elected or appointed school officials.
9. 1t maintains that discrimina
ton of any kind against such schools
on account of religion or other
sciences taught therein, over and
above the minimum standard, is op
posed to true liberty of religion and
liberty of education, according to the
spirit of the constitution of the United
States and foreign to the rights oil
conscience guaranteed by the consti
tutions of the several states.
10. 1t claims that the city, state OF
| federal monopoly of elementary edu
cation under the guise of compulsory
laws is full of dangers for rightfu
freedom in city, state and nation; il
contrary to the best interest of al
education and is a violation of tru,
4 democratic ideals, which respect mi
norities and make for justice anG
equity.
II IL. 1t asks for equality before the
law in every respect for every sehoo
that in buildings, course of studies
teachers, books, discipline and results
measures up to the minimum STANDARD
of education for citizenship and work
agreed upon or fixed by federal, stat,
or municipal authorities.
IL. 1t views with fear and state.
with sorrow that the non-religiou:
system of public school education tina
has been fostered by the states ant
the nation since 1850, contrary to the