CHAPTER XXIV. EDUCATIONAL POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES. "The Acts and Decrees of the 2d Plenary Council of Baltimore," which was held in 1866, having been sanctioned by the authorities at Rome, are the law for the Roman Catholic church in the United States. Title ix. of these decrees, is "on the training and pious instruction of youth: " and from its first chapter, "on parochial schools to be everywhere founded," we make the following extracts, the 1st and 2d paragraphs being repetitions of decrees made apparently in 1852, and the others being first enacted in 1866: "§429. Since it is evident that a mode of public education has been so entered on in most of these provinces, that it is serviceable to heresies, the minds of Catholic children being gradually and imperceptibly imbued with the false principles of the sects, we admonish pastors to provide with their utmost exertion for the Christian and Catholic education of Catholic children, and to watch diligently lest they use the Protestant version of the Bible or recite the songs and prayers of the sects. Thus must they watch lest books or exercises of this sort be introduced into the public schools with danger to faith and piety. But with constancy and moderation must resistance be everywhere made to these attempts of the sects, the aid of those who are in authority being besought to apply the proper remedy. . . . "We exhort the bishops, and, in view of the very grievous evils which are wont to follow from youth not rightly instructed, we beseech them by the bowels of Divine mercy, to take care that schools be established in connection with every church in their dioceses; and, if needful, and circumstances permit, to provide that from the revenues of the church with which a school is connected, suitable teachers be kept in it.'. . . "§ 435. But since, on account of poverty, schools exclusively Catholic can not yet be kept in all the parishes, and there is no place for the daily and needful instruction except in public schools, the more precautions ought to be taken that Catholic youth may suffer from these the least possible harm. To this end let catechisings and schools of Christian instruction be established. Let the pastors assemble the boys and girls at their own church on Sundays and other festivals, and sometimes even oftener, to teach them studiously and diligently the elements of Christian learning. .... 66 "§ 437. Let him [the pastor] in all possible ways induce parents to do their part. Let him rouse them by encouragements, terrify them by threats, move them by entreaties, to send their children to church at the stated time of catechising. But these let him allure by little gifts and rewards to a more eager attendance and learning. For what the teachers of heresy do daily, in order to draw Catholic boys to their own schools, imbue them with the poison of error, and sacrifice them to everlasting misfortune; that shall not the minister of God and of her most holy religion studiously and diligently perform, that he may save them that belong to him, and not lose any of those whom the Father has given to his own Christ?.... "§ 440. Let the pastors of souls sedulously labor, that the parents, 1 These paragraphs may be fitly supplemented by an extract from the pastoral letter of the Baltimore council of 1852 : "Encourage the establishment and support of Catholic schools; make every sacrifice which may be necessary for this object: spare our hearts the pain of beholding the youth whom, after the example of our Master, we so much love, involved in all the evils of an uncatholic education, evils too multiplied and too obvious to require that we should do more than raise our voices in solemn protest against the system from which they spring. In urging on you the discharge of this duty, we are acting on the suggestion of the Sovereign Pontiff, who in an encyclical letter, dated 21st Nov., 1851, calls on all the bishops of the Catholic world to provide for the religious education of youth. We are following the example of the Irish hierarchy, who are courageously opposing the introduction of a system based on the principle which we condemn, and who are now endeavoring to unite religious with secular instruction of the highest order by the institution of a Catholic University, an undertaking in the success of which we necessarily feel a deep interest, and which, as having been suggested by the Sovereign Pontiff, powerfully appeals to the sympathies of the whole Catholic world." who are intrusted to their charge, bring forward their children, who have arrived at years of discretion, well-prepared for receiving the sacraments of the holy eucharist and confirmation: and, to accomplish this end, let them oftener through the year, especially when Easter approaches, publicly in the churches admonish the people in respect to this most weighty duty, through the non-observance of which parents expose themselves to the greatest danger of losing salvation, and therefore are to be driven from the sacraments, until they come to themselves and give satisfaction for their duty." The 2d chapter of the 9th title or part of the Baltimore council's decrees is "on establishing schools of industry or reformatories." It opens with a lamentation over the devil's enmity and his success in transferring baptized Catholic children from mother church to his own camp by the aid of heretics and haters of all religion. It charges these with seizing and shutting up in "houses of refuge" Catholic orphans and other children who have none to care for them, changing their names, and educating them to heresy and hatred of their ancestral faith, under the specious name of philanthropy. It declares that some bishops have established in their dioceses houses for the reception of those children whose religion or salvation is imperiled, "that they may be kept safe from rapacious wolves, and learn the principles of Christian faith and morals." The bishops are earnestly exhorted to establish these "houses of refuge" or "of protection," or "industrial schools," or "reformatory schools or houses," as they are variously called, especially in the neighborhood of the larger cities. Most of these are under the control of some religious order or congregation, and are accordingly noticed in Chapter VIII. of this volume. Chapter iii. of title ix., of the Council's Decrees is "on founding a university of letters." It speaks of the Catholic academies and colleges already in existence; also of the theological and missionary colleges here and in Europe (see Chapters VII., VIII., IX., X.); utters the wish that there might be in this region one grand college or university, comprehending in itself the privileges and advantages of all the colleges at home and abroad, and furnishing instruction in every branch of learning and science both sacred and profane; and closes with submitting to the future judgment of the Fathers the question whether or not the time has come for founding such a university. Such is the general legislation of the Roman Catholic church in this country on the subject of education. Their periodical press and other publications have likewise spoken explicitly. Thus "The Catholic World" for January, 1870, having spoken in defense of "the public grants to certain Catholic schools" in New York, continues: ... "Give us either schools to which we can send our children, or divide the schools equitably between Catholics and Protestants, and we will solicit no special grants of the sort. . . . We are opposed to the common schools as they are, because our church condemns them;.... but if Protestants want them for themselves, they can have them. . . . We do not approve the system even for them, any more than we do their heresy and schism, which we account deadly sins;' but if they insist on having godless schools for their children, they can have them; we cannot hinder them. The system might be modified so that we could accept it; but it depends on them so to modify it or not, for they have the power.... The same, in the number for April, 1870, speaks thus: "The difference between Catholics and Protestants is not a difference in details or particulars only, but a difference in principle. Catholicity must be taught as a whole, in its unity and its integrity, or it is not taught at all. It must everywhere be all or nothing.... The same, in opposing the plan of national education advocated by U. S. Senator Henry Wilson of Mass., and others, says, April, 1871: "... As there is for us Catholics only one church, there is and can be no proper education for us not given by or under the direction and control of the Catholic church." "The New York Tablet" of November 20, 1869, speaking of the vote of the School Board of Cincinnati "to exclude the Bible and all religious instruction from the public schools of the city" (see the account in this chapter), says: ".... If this has been done with a view of reconciling Catholics to the common school system, its purpose will not be realized. It does not meet nor in any degree lessen our objection to the public school system, and only proves the impracticability of that system in a mixed community of Catholics and Protestants; for it proves that the schools must, to be sustained, become thoroughly godless. But to us godless schools are still less acceptable than sectarian schools, and we object less to the reading of king James's Bible, even, in the schools, than we do to the exclusion of all religious instruction. American Protestantism of the orthodox stamp is a far less evil than German infidelity. "" The same newspaper, under date of Nov. 27, 1869, proposes that the prevalent system of public schools for all the children at the public expense be thus modified in respect to the Roman Catholics: ".... Appropriate to the support of Catholic schools the proportion of the public money according to the number of children they educate, and leave the selection of teachers, the studies, the discipline, the whole internal management, to the Catholic educational authorities, and you may, in all other respects, in all prudential matters, let them remain as now, under public control and management, and public boards, regents, commissioners, and trustees, if you will.. It says also, Dec. 25, 1869: ... 66 .We hold education to be a function of the Church, not of the State; and in our case we do not, and will not, accept the state as educator.... 99 Says the Freeman's Journal, Nov. 20, 1869: ".... If the Catholic translation of the books of Holy Writ, |