OUR GODLESS SCHOOLS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1927, 24 August 1888, Page 3

OUR GODLESS SCHOOLS

AN IMPORTANI DEGREE. In connection with the promulgation of the Decree of the Plenary Ooano'l at Sydney respecting tho eduo+tton of Catholic children we subjoin the followlog information on the "Auckland Herald " of (Monday, 20th August. The Roman Catholic Synod In this diocese haa concluded Its sittings, and the important decree passed by the Sydney Plenary Council, forbidding the reception of the cuoramentß of the Church by thoee Oatholto parents who sent their ohtldten to seonlac schools, hta reoelved nanotion, and been promulgated m the Roman Catholic diocese of Auckland. On Tv -sday the Synod wa» opened by Bishop Luck at St Patrick's Cathedral, mass having been previously offered, la tho afternoon, the session was held at the TTobson street School, and continued ou Wednesday and Thursday. The following is tho deoree m respect of the education question : — " All parents who neglect to impart to their children the necessary Christian training aod edacftUon or allow them to frequent such schools Id which It Is possible to hinder their eplrltaal ruin ; or all those who, notwithstanding the existence m their neighborhood of a competent Oathollo school, suitably famished and fitted ; or again, thooe who, although they have the means of giving their ohlldren » Oatholio adaoatlon elsewhere, nevertheless send them to the public schools without suffioent reason, or the necessary precaution to take away all danger of perversion ; suoh as these oannot, If they obstinately persist m doing bo, be absolved (n the saorement of penance, as is clear from the torching of Catholic theology.' 1 At the nine o'clock masa at St Patrick's Cathedral yesterday . morning, Bishop Lnck referred to this BUbj-iOt. Ha said this deoree was not something which was first promulgated In Anoland — it was a deoree of the Sydney Plenary Goanoll of Bishops, who felt that those parent* who were negligent m the education of their children were not fit snhjeota for the recoptlon of the Snorameota. There would be doubtless exemptions under this as lav», there was under other rales of the Oharoh , Under the law of fasting, and the law whloh obliged Catholics to hear mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, there were exemptions, and persons who oould not observe these preoepts were not guilty of sin. So there would probably be peraqns who oould not observe this rule. For Instance, lot them take the oase of a mixed marriage, where the wife was a Catholic and the husband a Protestant. Supposing the wife wished to send the children to a Catholic school, but was prevented by the huaband from doing so, no blame would attach to the wife, because ahe could not carry out the law. She did wrong m the first instance m marrying the Protestant, but being now married, there wan no help for it if her hußband would not permit her to send tho children to a Catholio school. But to those who could observe the law, the religious education of their children was a sacied duty which none could shirk. VViahiog to ascertain how this law, which was now promulgated here, had worked m other places, he had written to his veneratod brother Bishop of Dunedin, t>r Moran, and also m the absence of B is Grace Archbishop Redwood, to the Vicar-General of Wellington, and their replies were to the_ effect that the law had worked m their diocese with great benefit. Some people would not do their duty without pressure, and the pressure had had a good effect. All through the colonies and throughout the Catholio world, the Catholic Church had taken its stand against the system of soculur, God, lees education. Not only m this colony, but throughout the world, it was m respect df oduoation that the enemies of the Churgh had planned tho undermining of religion, and if the Bishops and Clergy stood by and calmly looked on, they would be to blatne; Auckland bore a bad namo throughout the colony because of the number of Catholics who uont their children to tho public uohools. If there web one reckoning which parents would have to answer at the judgment seat of God, it would be m regard to the religious education of their children ; and this education should not end with the school. There was nowadays too lax a discipline m the home, and children were excesßively indulged, and were permitted to mix with bad company, and pick up bad language and vicious habits, It might be Baid, " The Government schools are open, and we pay nothing," but ho pointed out that they paid taxeß, bo that they paid indirectly for the pystem of education. Putting aside altogether tho religions views of the question, the Government of this colony treated the people as if they were no many paupers, It was all very well for the State to support those who were destitute, but it seemed disgraceful that the State should educito even up to the fifth and sixth standard the children of those who were well able to pay for education. Parents gave their children all sorts of pleasure—sent them to the rinks, and so on, and then a aid that they could not pay for their education H,ib Lordship also addressed the congregation on the question At eleven o'clock masa;