The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-08-27
The Right and Duty of Parents.

Al the InlfQ Plendfy Council, con
vened on November 9, 1884, the sixth
little" was devoted to Catholic educa.
ton. The first chapter, opens with a
dissertation on the supreme impor.
i tance" of the parish school; and from
this chapter the following extract is
taken:
i IF in any age, surely in ours. the
i Church of God and the spirit of this
world are locked in an awful and hot
ly contested combat over the education
youth. For many years, men wholly
inspired by worldly spirit, have left
no effort untried to usurp the Church s
office, received from Christ, of teach
ing Catholic youth, and to deliver it
into the hands of civil society or sub
/ ject it to the power of the secular
government. Nor is this to be Won
dered at. For since the horrid spirit
OF indifferentism, naturalism and ma
teria1ism has so far dominated the
minds of many, that they fancy mans
end and happiness is to be sought and
can be found only in this temporal
life and material world it follows that
a system of education which tends tG
future life and everlasting beatitude,
to some appears foolish and futile, I'd
others positively pernicious and abom-
Unable. But the Church, whose chief
mission on earth is to lead from the
very dawn of reason each and every
| tnI hu tI,r
path of truth and justice to a super
natural goal, can in nowise permit
Catholic parents, whose natural and
Divine right and duty it is to provide
for the Christian training of their chill
dren, to be satisfied with a mere world
ly education which cannot at all sup
ply youth the means necessary to rec.
ognize and attain their last end.
An Order, Not a Counsel.
Among those who strenuously ad
4 lYocate this purely secular education
not few are found who profess to
have no idea either Of gripping reli
gion or of laying snares for the young
But it follows from the very nature oi
the case, and the saddest experience
proves, that a merely secular educa
ton will by degrees degenerate into
an infidel and goddess education, thar
which nothing is more destructive o1
the faith and morals of tender chill
dren. . The spirit of the world
opposes the followers of the spirit OF
God 1t is therefore next to impossible
| 10 no
of this profane spirit from infancy
should not generally become little by
little not only blind admirers of the
world, but in very truth contemners
of Christ and enemies of His Church.
"But we are taught by the most
convincing testimony both of the
friends and adversaries of the Faith
that the number of those who have
fallen away from the Church. chief
ly because they were trained in State
| schools, is so immense that they af
ford most abundant cause for grief
to US and Joy to our enemies.
ii Therefore, we not only exhort Cath
Ollie parents with paternal affection
but we command them with all the au
thority in our power, to procure q
truly Catholic education for their dear
children, given them by God, reborn tC
Christ in Baptism and destined fol
Heaven; and further, to defend anC
secure them from the dangers of secu
lar education throughout the whole
time of infancy and childhood; ant
finally, to send them to the parish OF
other truly Catholic schools, unless in
deed, the Bishops of the diocese Judge
in particular case other provision:
may be permitted.
After all consideration of these
matters, we conclude and decree
that all Catholic parents are bound tc
send their children to the parish
school, unless it is evident that suf
ficient training in religion is giver
: either in their own home, or in othe
Catholic schools; or when because O
a sufficient reason, approved by the
Bishop, parents have been allowed tt
send their children, with all due pre-
cautions and safeguards, to othe
schools. What constitutes a Catholi,
school is left to the decision of th,
Bishop"
The Present Canons.
The DEGREES of this Council were ap
proved at Rome by letter of Septembe
21, 1885. On May 81, 1893, the Sover
eign Pontiff, Leo XIII, reaffirmed tn,
binding power of the school legisla
ton, adopted by the three Councils
"That, in a matter of such grave i'm
I portance, there may remain no furthe
, room for doubt or for dissension o
, opinions, as we have already declares
; in our letter of 23d of May last yea
to our venerable brethren, the Arch
5 bishop and the Bishops of the Provinc
| of New York, so we again as far a
7 need be, declare that the decree!
!, which Baltimore Councils, agreeabl
: to the directions of the Holy See, hav
; enacted concerning parish schools, an
: whatever else has been prescribed b.
5 the Roman Congregations, whether d
: lrectly or through the Sacred Congrega
! Ltions concerning the same matter, ar
to be steadfastly observed"