Evening star., 1928-11-14
POPE STRESSES IMPORTANCE
OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
Pontif Addresses Letter to American
Hierarchy Requesting Adequate FL
nancial Support for Institution

of higher learning Wherefore, as you
yourselves. beloved sons and brothers,
fully understand, it would bring dis
credit on the church if your university
did not attain the degree of perfection
which it needs in order to realize its
aim; all the more so because in your
country there are so many universities
richly endowed and supported by nom
Catholics, through the generosity either
of private individuals or Of associations.
Benefits Recalled.
"Let not the fact be overlooked that
during the past 40 years your university
has been the source of great and various
benefits-to your diocescs and your
schools, to the religious orders, to your
clergy and your laity. Hence you can
easily infer how many more and how
much greater benefits would be de-
rived from it if it were provided with
all the means which it ought to have
in abundance for the achievement OF
its purpose.
LAS to the faithful, there can be no
doubt but that nthis matter of the uni
versity, as in everything else which in
wolves the welfare of religions, they will
gladly follow the lead of their pastors.
Only one thing is required-the people
must be taught that the university at
Washington is intended to educate both
the cleric and the layman, to equip them
with higher learning in such wise that
they not only will be thoroughly fitted
should occasion arise, to serve as teach
ers of the pupils in Catholic schools,
but also that they may be trained i'll
such knowledge of Christian truth as
will enable them to champion, vigorous
ly. the rights of the church and to win
both for themselves and for the Catholic
cause the respect of those who are cut
side the fold.
do not for a moment imagine, be-
loved sons and venerable brothers, that
you can keep your Catholic students
from attending non-Catholic inStitu-
tionS of learning unless your own uni
versity be so organized as regards the
number of its faculties and the ability
of its professors, that it can compare
favorably and compete successfully with
those others to which we have just re-
ferred.
Therefore, to make a success of this
most holy work, it is evidently neceS-
sary to gather, by annual collection, a
| large amount of money. The task OF
getting these funds you must not leave
/ to the trustees and much less to the
TeCCOI, YOU IIluSL Idhc ~ uDOll yourselves
and perform it with the aid of your
clergy. For you must be thoroughly
convinced that whatever goes to the
upbuilding of the university is not
taken away from your diocese or par
ishes; on the contrary, the money which
they contribute will come back to them
enhanced with a spiritual interest that
will be to the great advantage of the
nIprUU and nn0n1o alike
This very point we put before you
at the beginning of our pontificate
when we wrote: If, as must needs be,
the government and administration of
the university is intrusted to few of
the bishops all should nevertheless
have at heart its development, since
it was established for the benefit of all
the dioceses of America
In this connection, we think it would
be of the utmost utility to the uni
versity If some Sunday, one and the
same for all America, were set apart
to be known as Catholic University
day. On that day let the clergy in
all your churches explain the scope
and needs of the university, urge the
faithful to contribute to the utmost of
their ability and see to it that the COL
lection Is taken up in such manner as
the bishop may determine.
"This does not mean that the ques-
tion of aiding the university is to be
dropped for the rest of the year. What,
after all. is to hinder the formation in
each diocese and in each parish of
priests and lay people who would be
willing, so far as their means permit,