Year: 1873




that only when each individual had reached the
maturity OF his Judgment should he have the ques-
tion whether there was sufficient evidence for
revelation from God presented for his solution.
Where they have had influence they have, through
contempt OF revelation as a superstition. excluded
all religious instruction founded on 1t from the
educational institutions, and have been SO tyran-
nical as to deprive those whose profession Is IN
timately allied with religion. however otherwise
able, OF the right to teach.


As matter OF course, the pastors or
the faithful, the bishops especially, under
the guidance Of their Chief the Pope. have strenu
ously opposed all such endeavors on the part Oh the
opponents OF revealed religion, and have inculcated
the absolute necessity OF nstructing the minds ana
the hearts OF children in the truths positively
taught to men by Cod and more especially IN the
practice OF the virtues which Jesus Christ wishes to
be mark Of His disciples. The present Pontin has
been foremost in giving encouragement to
the bishops Wherever they had TO struggle
against the rationalistic spirit that made war
against institutions In which religious or
ders had charge OF The education Oh YOUTH
anu deprive the Church OF the great aid she ue-
rived from them for tins Proclaimed tnat tne otatc
alone would take charge OF education out as tne
State was not competent to teach religion, TINS
would be left out OF the in the State insti-
tutions. Many Catholics were led astray Dy the
specious arguments brought in favor OF the state
and the bishops found 1t hard TO convince some OF
them that tney were WORKING against the true IN,
terests OF the Church until the Supreme Tribunal
of the Church had passed judgment on the new
theory that was endeavoring TO supplant the time
hon0red practice that the Church should nave
constant supervision OF the subjects taught and OF
the teachers of youth. We find clear expression
OF the Pores Judgment IN letter TO the Arcn, n
bishop OF Friburg dated July IA, 1864 In which ne
reprobates the idea that a Catholic may approve
the system OF educating youth which is sepa-
rated from the Catholic faith and the au-
thority OF the Church, and which has IN view
only, or at least primarily. the knowledge OF
natural things and the objects of earthly social
gle in which the swiss bishops had been long
engaged for the defence OF the right OF the faithful
to have their children educated in institutions
under the control OF religious orders or the bishops
which were being rutnessly done away with by
lies, unconsciously imbued with the rationalistic
spirit, had even helped, by their votes the over,
M Of tse Saafe naa
control over education not remembering that
they were depriving the Church OF long vested
rights The words OF the Holy Father quoted above
were to warn such Catholics OF their folly IN aiding
the schemes OF the opponents OF the Churcn and OF
revelation, and were afterwards adopted into the
celebrated syllabus, to be applied wherever similar
circumstances were found. The similar clrcum-
stances must be the refusal to Catholics TO have
their educational institutions under the control or
the Church, the exclusion OF religion IRON state
institutions, through hatred OF It, and the deprlva
tion OF the Church OF her vested rights.


II the State has been the first in the field to un
dertake the education OF youth, II in the State so





the Christian churches as to render it utterly I'M
practicable for the State to establish schools TO be
under their various control, and If to Catholics Is
granted freely the privilege OF establishing schools
to be confded to the control OF whomsoever they
may choose then the circumstances are entirely
different from those to which Is apph-
cable the proposition enunciated by the
Holy Father. The State here was first in
the field with regard to education, at any
rate before the Catholics had the chance to under
take the education OF their own children here.
am well aware that the first organization IN New
Nnrk for fha adn n q
exclusively State control, but was an Incorporated
organization aided by State appropriations, which
when the Legislature undertook the task OF estab-
fishing our present common school system. Our
State Legislature understood that 1t was not COM
petent to decide which was the true Church, and
that the only practical principle Tor II to
follow was to adopt none On church
have the privilege OF disagreeing without politi-
cay suffering for the exercise of our privilege,
and hence the Legislature thought 1t wise not to
have the influence OF any church organization to
control the education OF youth.


Unfortunately, through want Of apprehension OF
the views OF Catholics, who were not numerous
enough to make their voices sufficiently heard in
the halls Of legislation, pracuce Of reading the
Protestant version OF the Bible was introduced,
which has given Professionalism the appearance Of
an irksome ascendancy in schools in which Catho-
lies and Pr0testants are avowedly on an equal
footing. Catholics are convinced that the Protes-
tant translation Is tainted with Protestant opinions
Catholics have opposed the reading OF tne bloIe IN
consider 1t unfair to force their translation on the
Protestant scholars. The keeping OF the Protes-
tant version Ii the schools must continue to be q
constant source OF irritation to Catholics, as every
slightest assumption OF ascendancy in any State
institution OF this country on the part OF any re-


gious creed church, reasonably, is distasteul to
those protesting another creed or belonging to an
other church. Beyond tins reasonable irritation
into the public schools OF sectarian prac-
tice-ior anything Protestant, in the eyes
OF Catholics Is sectarian-is not deemed
by very many Catholics sufficient reason
for denying themselves the advantages to be had
their children properly educated in their reng-
lous duties and 1t is the business Of the pastors OF
the churches to provide % religious instruction l on
| days. for this portion OF their flock. Very many
| Catholics have, however, adopted better plan for
the education OF their children, which Is to COM
| bine the secular and religious instruction. These
schools are not necessarily In the hands OF "Chrls-
the charge OF laymen or women. II by reasonable
agitation and lair arguments we can convince the
Protestant majority that we give IN these
| required, and that we wish our share OF the
taxes only TO be directed to the support OF the
! schools, whilst wish that the proper inspec-
tlon be made OF them, and the due accountability
OF the distribution Of the moneys or this fixed pur-
! pose be recognized 1t would be OF immense advan-
tage to Catholics and turn also to the real good OF
| the State.


II Catholics, however, are to obtain money for
! this purpose by underhand means-if Protestants
are left under the impression tnat their purses and
| not ours are wanted-if false pretences are given
by our wouldpe political representativ to obtain
the funds for the support Of our schools-the good
| obtained Is purchased at too dear a price,
| viz. The sacrifice OF our honor and OF our con.
science. and the alienation from uf our Protes.
| tant fellow citizens II has been shameful to find
some OF our would-pe political leaders ask for aid
| for these Catholic parochial schools On the plea
| that they were for ragged children. when 1t Is
notorious that, If not the wealthest at least the
| wel-to-do Catholic children are there in the ma
| jority. am sure that agitation for State aid
| for our Catholic schools has been premature, and
has had the effect OF alternating from US many mill
ions OF Protestants who were forgetting their pre-
| JUDGES against the Catholic Church, by making
them think we were seeking State aid for the sup
port OF our Church and relgon-a thing utterly at
| variance with the recognized spirit OF our ma.
tiona Institutions. We had better wait, sacrificing
even little OF our money, till, by the grace OF
God, we shall have gained the favor, perhaps the
conversion, OF the majority, and then we may OBJ
while we must be determined then not to force our
ideas on the minority.


Meanwhile let those pastors who have done In
their parishes what Is more necessary 60 on build.