Part 14 (1/2)

The clergy, syy, with the sentis not strictly of faith, had little disposition to labor to keep alive the spirit of freedom in the hearts of the people, and would not have been permitted to do it, even if they had been so disposed Schools were sustained, but, affected by the prevailing despotisht was prohibited; and it is hard to find a literature ta, than that of Catholic Europe all through the eighteenth century, down alion was professedly patronized by the sovereigns, the Church, in superficial y, because they preached peace, and thought to fulfil theirthe State, caarded as the chief supporters of the despot

They who retained some reminiscences of the liberties once enjoyed by Catholic Europe, and the noble principles of freedoes by the monks in their cells, and the most eminent Doctors of the Church from their chairs, became alienated from Catholicity in proportion as they cherished the spirit of resistance, and, unhappily, imbibed the fatal conviction that to overthrow the despot's throne they htly interpreted, the old French Revolution, although bitterly anti-Catholic and infidel, was not so ion, and inant uprising of a ainst a civil despotism that affected injuriously all orders, ranks and conditions of society

The sovereigns had taken good care that an attack on theion, and to have it deeply impressed on their subjects that resistance to theainst God The priest, who should have labored publicly to correct the issue ns in accord with unbelievers, would have proood; besides, he would have been at once reduced to silence, in some one of the many ways despotism has usually at its command

The horrors of the French Revolution, the universal breaking up of society it involved, the persecution of the Church and of her clergy, and her religious, which it shamelessly introduced in the naion, virtue, all that wise and good men hold sacred, not unnaturally, to say the least, tended to create in the y and the people, who reion as the first want of man and society, a deeper distrust of the practicability of liberty, and a deeper horror of all ain, as naturally tended to alienate the party cla for political and social reform still more from Catholicity; which, in its turn, has reacted with new force on the Catholic party, and made them still more determined in their anti-liberal convictions and efforts These tendencies, on both sides, have been aggravated by the European revolutions and repressions, till now almost everywhere the lines are well defined, and the so-called Liberals are, alns see the issue: The Church and Caesarision is of the highest necessity to man and society, infinitely , I am unable to conceive how the Catholic party, under the circumstances, could well have acted differently Their error was in their want of vigilance and sagacity in the beginning, in suffering the political Caesarism to revive and consolidate itself in the State, or the sovereigns, in the outset, to force upon the Catholic world so false an issue, or to place the a position

The truth is, the Catholic party, yielding to the sovereigns, lost, to sohteenth century, the control of the ence--they who should always be first and foreht and activity

That the struggles in Europe have an influence on the Catholic clergy and laity in this country, cannot be denied As yet n-born or native-born, seem scarcely to realize the fact that they are freehts with their fellow-citizens of every other deno been an oppressed people, that their freedoy see boldly and publicly those doctrines of our holy faith which are opposed to the popular errors of our infidel age So far we have, thank God, been enjoying full religious liberty; but it will depend y to ious principles upon which all true liberty is based In order to maintain these principles they must defend liberty of education to the utmost, and must not cease to reovern a free Christian people in a Christianto the Constitution of the Republic; and that, under no pretence whatever, can it violate this Constitution in so vital a point as is the education of our children; and that it is a constant and crying injustice to tax Catholics for the support of Godless schools We hts; if we do, the Church will be ile which is now beco so serious in Europe

Now in order to meet with success, let us take up the press In our country, unfortunately, an unchristian press is guaranteed the fullest liberty, and the evils that flow from that liberty are widely spread It is certain that this unrestricted freedom of the press, which every one is ready to abuse, and which allows every one to constitute himself a teacher of the public, can be defended neither on principles of reason nor of faith It becoe, but our solemn duty, to combat the unchristian by a really Christian press--a matter on which the Church, and the Head of the Church, have spoken in an unh Catholic papers, they will take periodicals which are not Catholic To have even one good paper, through which we can give expression to our thoughts, is a great blessing and a great gain; but that certainly does not enable us to give our voice that weight in the questions of the day to which it is entitled A great deal has, of late years, been done for the establishood has been accoht have been done had the Catholic press received y and laity It is so easy for the clergy to give this support by encouraging the Catholics in general, but especially the members of so many excellent Catholic associations, to subscribe to such periodicals One word froood Catholic paper and azine in the family, will induce a hundred tiest appeal of a newspaper editor The stronger the Catholic press becomes, the more the attention of the nation is called to it, the ion Yes, it is absolutely necessary in a country like ours, where religious tracts from Protestant societies, and pamphlets and periodicals of theover the land like leaves before the autumn wind, that Catholic journals should be called into existence on every hand, and that no sacrifice should be spared to do so, and to encourage those already in existence If the clergy only take theand able to carry the rant us grace and ability, that we may, by so powerful a means as is the press, disseminate the principles of truth, in order to contend with error The light of truth is far ht of the sun is to disperse the darkness of the night Why are there sous? Why sowith love for God, and for the welfare of their fellow-ht, day after day, preach the good tidings of the Gospel of Christ? Let us rest assured God has given to us, to every man his vocation, his sphere of action and holy influence, wherein he can proclaim to those around him that faith which maketh wise unto salvation Let us not be cowards,--let us show as e, let us sacrifice as ation of truth as its ene, however, always in ht to be charitable; for otherwise it is not calculated to command respect, and make a salutary impression It is thus that our fellow-citizens of other denominations will come to understand that we appreciate our liberty, and kno to use it for the benefit of the public

But all rights and liberties avail nothing, in the end, if Catholic education itself is not what it ought to be And the great battle that is waging, that education may not be deprived of its Christian character, can be won by us only on condition that teachers, and educators they, understand precisely the full bearing of the question

To-day, h Catholic education The eneenerally and craftily than at any for wily and concealed, are all the e of a Voltaire, or the ”soleerous than this insidious warfare They disguise their designs under the appearance of devotion to progressive ideas, and hatred of superstition and intolerance, all the better to instil the slow but deadly poison By honeyed words, a studied candor, a dazzle of erudition, they have spread their ”gossamer nets of seduction” over the world The press teems with books and journals in which doctrines subversive of religion and uarded reader is very apt to be deceived by the fascination of false charerous object for the very type of beauty The serpent stealthily glides under the silken verdure of a polished style Nothing is omitted The passions are fed, and the morbid sensibilities pandered to; firmness in the cause of truth or virtue is called obstinacy; and strength of soul, a refractory blindness The bases of morality are sapped in the name of liberty; the discipline of the Church, when not branded as sheer ”mumas, with one or two exceptions, are treated as opinions which may be received or rejected with like indifference

Nor is this irreligious tendency confined to literary publications; it finds numerous and powerful advocates in men of scientific pursuits, who strive to make the worse appear the better cause The che which men call spirit; so, in the name of science, he pronounces it a myth The anato to meet the immaterial substance--the soul--he denies its existence The physicist has weighed the conflicting theories of his predecessors in the scale of criticis e of atoist, after investigating the secrets of the earth, triu ony, and thus subvert the authority of the inspired record The astronomer flatters himself that he has discovered natural and necessary lahich do aith the necessity of ad that a Divine Hand once launched the heavenly bodies into space, and still guides therapher has studied the peculiarities of the races; he has met idely-different conformations, and believes himself sufficiently authorized to deny the unity of the hu exists but matter, that God is a myth, and the soul ”the dream of a dream”

Thus do men attack these sacred truths, which cannot be shaken without greatly injuring, and finally destroying, the social edifice

Noe see the snares so cunningly laid to entrap our youth, can onder that soes, are caught in theentle, and a celebrated convert to our Church, told reatest trouble to keep his son froh he was naturally inclined to piety He said that he had hies in the country, and that he felt surprised at the fact that somen educated there had become infidels ”I cannot,” he said, ”account for this, otherwise than by presuh; that the heathen world is too much read and studied; that principles soion are taught too superficially; that the principles which underlie the dogmas are not sufficiently explained, inculcated, and itheion, which is based on divine revelation, and invested in a Body divinely commissioned to teach all men, authoritatively and infallibly, all its sacred and immutable truths--truths which we are consequently bound in conscience to receive without hesitation

”Nohat I have said of certain colleges applies also, unhappily, to many of our female acade to the spirit of the Church; they conform too much to the spirit of the world; they have too many human considerations; they make too many allowances for Protestant pupils at the expense of the Catholic spirit and training of our young Catholic ladies; they yield too e; in a word, they attend more to the intellectual than to the spiritual culture of their pupils

”But what is eventhan all this is, that so thehting for sound religious principles, and seeing that our youth are carefully brought up in them, are too e--to the so-called liberal views on Catholic education, which have been clearly and solemnly condemned by the Holy See They tell us poor people in the world, that, if we are careless in bringing up our children as good Catholics, we are worse than heathens, and have denied our faith! that, if our children are lost through our neglect, we also shall be lost I would like to knohether God will show Hiy who take so little interest in the religious instruction of our youth; who make little or no exertions to establish Catholic schools, where we could have our children properly educated; hen they condescend to instruct thee, in scholastic ter no pains to give their instructions in plain words, and in a manner attractive for children

”As the pastor is, so is the flock We enjoy full religious liberty in our country All we need is good, courageous pastors--standard-bearers in the cause of God and the people We would be only too happy to follow thee them by every ood could thus be achieved in a short ti of its efficacy upon the minds and hearts of ht to bear upon theument, but instruction and explanation

”I can hardly account for this want of zeal for true Catholic education in so y, who are otherwisethe fact that their ecclesiastical training must have been deficient in many respects, or that they must have spent their youth in our Godless Public Schools, where they were never thoroughly imbued with the true spirit of the Catholic Church--the spirit of God

”I have quietly, for so spirit of our people; noted the remarks and efforts of a few ecclesiastics, laics, and Catholic periodicals (and, alas! how very few) ation of education, and endeavored to compare the results with the efforts, and the observation _

”Examine the Catholic almanacs, the census of the various States, or those of the United States, and ascertain, first, the number of Catholics in the country; second, the nues of six and twenty-one years; then divide this last nues, academies, convents, parochial and private schools, and the _quotient_ will be what? _Indifference to Catholic education!_ In other words, this siar arithhtened can be found _thirteen millions_ of Catholics with such an inadequate number of schools as we have, or are likely to have, if a policy widely different frourated and steadily pursued It is, indeed, true--and I willingly, cheerfully admit the fact--thatthemselves zealously, strenuously, and with marked success, in the cause of education But _not all_ the priests; _not all_ the bishops are enlisted in the cause; nor are all in _positive_ sy that Catholic education is necessary; but _all are not_ agreed as to the necessity of Catholic schools in which it may be secured Unanimity exists as to the _end_, but not as to the _means_ to that end And this lack or absence of unani those whose peculiar province it is to shape and direct Catholic sentiment, has produced, and continues to produce, the y are _not_ opposed to the Public Schools, nor do they feel reluctant to publicly make known the ”faith which is in them,” when an opportunity presents itself Many are opposed to these schools, but theirs is a _negative_ opposition; that is, they are not in favor of them They believe that Catholic schools are better and safer, but they do not consider it a duty incumbent on themselves to undertake the labor and trouble inseparable from the establishentlemen are simply neutrals; that is, _if ht is free, and it may, perhaps, be impossible to have entire unaniht to be attained by the Church be the securing to each child a Catholic education, it is very evident that the establishment of schools should not be left to the discretion or whim of the several pastors Upon subjects far less important than that of schools, the statutes inIs there any reason for their silence on the subject of education? Our bishops have not only the power, but the will, to enforce such ranted--because too clear to be denied--does it not follow that the establishatory upon pastors? Let discipline be made uniform, and ill not witness such an anos as exist at present Duties are never in collision; obligations never clash There is but one right thing to be done, but one right cause to pursue, all things considered; and whatever is in conflict with this cannot be a duty, whatever may seem to be its claim In some parts of this country, the sacraments are refused to those who decline to have their children attend Catholic schools where such are convenient; but there is not, so far as I aatory upon pastors to establish such schools In other sections, to withhold the sacraht of The consequence is that many Catholics are at a loss to understand why it is that an act which subjects them to such severe punishment in one diocese should in another not call forth even a mild reproof--pass unnoticed In actions indifferent in themselves, it may be wise, ”when in Rome, to do as the Romans do”; but where _principle_ is involved, such an easy adaptability cannot be encouraged

”In this laxity of discipline, and in this want of uniforive direction to Catholic sentiment, and who speak, as it were, _ex cathedra_,a our people on the question of Catholic education

”But it is so convenient to allow things to go on in the old way, and so hard to establish anything new Yet a thing which, in the great struggle between the Church and antichrist, is one of the hest sacrifice Indeed, the establishh Catholic schools is the y to solve certain social questions, and which can be solved only on Catholic principles The greatest social danger of the age, is the dechristianization and deeneration This dechristianization and dereat extent, the cause of the wretchedness of society, and make that wretchedness almost incurable What enormous dimensions has this evil assumed under the present Godless system of education in the Public Schools! But even the evils resulting froreat extent, be healed, if the clergy labor, with the zeal and fire of apostolic tiood schools, and ie, with fervent piety and earnest devotion Oh! if the children of light were only as wise as the children of the world, we should witness wonders It is true that evil oodness does, but it is also true that goodness does not prosper, because those who represent it take the o about it as they should More is often done for the worst cause than reat deal has of late years been done for the establishment and maintenance of Catholic schools Let us sincerely hope that a great deal more will be done, and more universally; and need requires us not only to pray, but to ith all our strength, with inexhaustible patience and devotion, at the establishment of Catholic schools, and enerous than those made by infidels in behalf of Godless education”

It was thus that the good old gentlee is that of all good Catholics in the country I have often heard it It is no exaggeration to assert that the salvation of those of our clergy who have charge of congregations depends, in a great h Catholic education of those children who are confided to their care

”Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I Myself come upon the shepherds, I will require My flock at their hand”--(Ezek xxxiv 9, 10)

If our Lord will require His flock at the hands of their pastors, He will undoubtedly require from them a stricter account of that part of his flock for which he has always shown a particular predilection, that is, for children It was to children that He gave the special honor of being the first to shed their blood for His naiven them to us as a model of humility, which we should imitate: ”Unless you becodom of heaven”