Evening star., 1952-11-16

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|tegy first to secularize completely
the public school and then to claim
for it total monopoly of edu-
|cation."
Let it not be said that we are
enemies of public education" the
bishops stated. 1--WE recognize that
the state has a legitimate and even
necessary concern with education.
But if religion is important to good
citizenship-and that is the burden
of our national tradition-then
the state must give recognition to
its Importance in public education.
''The State therefore has the
duty to help parents fulfill their
task u religious instruction and
training"
4OOO-WOrd Statement.
The bishops issued a 4,00O-word
statement, entitled Religion, Our
Most Vital National Asset" fol-
lowing their annual meeting at
Catholic University last week. 1t
was made public by the National
Catholic Welfare Conference.
The bishops touched on the
problem of tax-financed auxiliary
as bus transporta-
ton for parochial school students.
When the State fails in this
help (of religious Instruction..
when it makes the task more diff
f1cult and even penalties parents
who try to fulfill this duty accord
ing to conscience, by depriving
their children of their right under
our Federal Constitution to auxili-
ary services. this can only be re-
garded as an utterly unfair and
short-sighted policy"
During 1850 and 1851 legisla-
tive proposals for Federal aid to
state school systems led to pro-
longed controversy in Congress.
especially on the question whether
Federal funds could be used to
provide auxiliary services to pa
rochial school students. The legis.
lation has never been enacted.
The Supreme Court has ruled
that tax money may be used for
such auxiliary services as trans
portation of pupils and cost Of
textbooks. but many states do not
provide such aid to church or pri-
vate schools.
Comments on Public Issues.
The statement commented as
follows on other public issues:
Corrupti0n-The state in it's in.
ternal and external affairs will
expect its citizens and officials to
uphold that standard of morality
which flows necessarily from be-
lief in God and Gods law"
Policy towards Economic Groups
Employers will find religion a
guide and inspiration in fulfilling
their duties towards their en-
ployes" in the spirit of justice and
charity"
Foreign Religion will lead
a nation not only to hold forth its
bounty to the needy Of other ma
tions but also, in spirit Of
charity and justice, to do its part
to alleviate the plight of the
homeless and dispossessed of other
lands"
Divorce and Family Life-"With
the decline of religious belief, the
increase of divorce and family dis
integration has become a national
scandal. With the breakup of
the family, juvenile delinquency
has shown an alarming increase.
+. The imminent threat to our
country comes not from religious
divisiveness but from irreligious
social decay"
Signers of the statement were
Edward Cardinal Mooney Of De-
troit, Samuel Cardinal Stritch Of
Chicago and Francis Cardinal
Spellman Of New York.
Also, Archbishops John j. NIFTY
OF San Francisco, Richard j.
Cushing of Boston, Joseph E.
Ritter OF st. Louis. Karl j. Alter
of Cincinnati, Patrick A. O,Boyle
Of Washington and Francis p.
Keogh of Baltimore.
Also Bishop John F. Knoll of
Fort Wayne, Coadjutor Bishop
Emmett NJ. Walsh of Youngs-
town, Coadjutor Bishop Thomas
<. German Of Dallas. and Bishop
Matthew F. Brady of Manchester.