The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-02-22
POLITICIANS SEEK ONLY own
SUCCESS, NOT COMMON GOOD

hierarchy, and all its priesthood, al.
ways the church is the primary con-
sideration. Even today in America
hundred and thirty-five years after
the adoption of our constitution haC
that government should not interfere
with religion, nor religion with gov.
eminent, neither in the pulpit mol
in the press Of Catholicism do you
ever find country mentioned apar,
from the church. 1t is always "churcf
and country" with the "church" com.
ing first. That is their idea, not tc
have the church auxiliarate the
state, but to have civil authority anC
political power serve the church.
do not criticise those who adhere tc
that doctrine. / only state the truth
as ii is, in the conviction, as FIRMLY
founded as their opposing belief car
possibly be, that no religious organi
zation can even seek, much lees at.
tain, temporal character without ir.
reparable injury both to church ano
state.
Church Control Of Education
Throughout the domain Of educa
ton, it is the theory of the hier
archy, as it is their practice, t.
teach what to think. We desire tina,
the young be taught how to think
that they may be encouraged tC
delve deeper and deeper into all the
hidden mines of information, in the
hope and assurance that the result
will be an ever-increasing output OF
helpful human and divine attain.
ments; that it will bring, at leas,
within the range of possibility, har.
monizing of humanity upon the rocl
Of eternal truth; that finally peace
on earth, good will to men" may be
come glorious reality, to atone foi
the long darkness of misery anc
strife.
Not even in matters Of religion
does the hierarchy encourage it's sub
jects, either innocent children, or hab
ituated adults, to exercise real indie
pendence of thought or action. Bi,
ble-reading by the laity is discour.
aged. / have here flippant ano
rather offensive reference to this ira.
ditional attitude, by the Catholic
News, as follows:
"We Catholics have no, apollo
gies to make for our church's OPP
position to private interpreta-
tion of the Bible. Every Tom,
Dick and Harry isn't allowed by
the United States government to
interpret the Constitution as he
sees fit. The U. S. Supreme Court
says the Constitution means thus
and so. But TO minister de-
L. ~
that fact. And the Constitution
of the United States is much cas-
Ter for the ordinary mortal to in
terpret than the Bible. II Prot
estantism had a supreme court,
there wouldn't be so many vari-
cites of religion among the breth-
rem"
Catholics regard education as the
prerogative of their religion. We be.
lieve that the agencies and objects
of education should be publicly spon-
sored and controlled; that the train
ing Of the young is the first duty
the most fundamental function OF
the state.
Here in another statement of it:
"The Catholic church towers
above the ages, above nations,
above men, mistress of all the
forces of educ alton morality"
Those are the words of Clare Ger
aid Fenerty, from an address before
the Knights of Columbus Dining
Club at Philadelphia, as quoted in
the Catholic Standard and Times.
But there is something far beyond
the ethical and moral in the Catho-
lie attitude. Just as the hierarchy
seeks political influence in order that
more recognition and greater bene-
fits may accrue to the church, sc
does it have no identical motive in
demanding church-controlled educa-
ton. Here it is, as given expression
in the magazine called Ave Maria:
Every Catholic school today
means a dozen fourishing par
ishes thirty years from today"
The Hierarchy, as a religious or
ganization, demands the Temporal
right to dominate education, high
and low, because that control would
facilitate the spread and acceptance
of it's own sovereignty in every coun-
try affected and finally throughout
the world.
The assertion of that attitude /:
tempered only by the measure of its
present power to enforce it. The
hierarchy in America today does not
make an open stand against all non
religious instruction because it does
not at this time dare to go to battle
on that issue. What the hierarchy
does seek to accomplish, through
camouflage, is the prevention of any
further advancement of public school
education and of any curtailment of
the privileges of parochialism. With
the first opportunity, having recruit
ed the necessary prestige and power,
the Catholic hierarchy of this coun-
try would dethrone democratic edu-
cation entirely. They would do that
here, as certainly as the process is
now going on in church-and-state
countries, because the Vatican desires
it, and to them all that is good and
holy is inseparably associated with
papal desires and DEGREES.
The MOnarchist Idea
There is another fundamental diff
ference, the most basic of all. Catho-
lcism is built and maintains itself,
in all it's temporal and religious ra-
indications, upon the monarchical