BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19139, 24 October 1927, Page 10

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

BISHOP CLEARY REPLIES TO HON. MR ISITT. APOLOGY REQUESTED. (PHESS ASSOCIATION TF.L2GBAM.) AUCKLAND, October 23. At the opening of the second Catholic school in the Good Shepherd parish, Auckland, to-day, an occasional discourse was delivered by Bishop Geary. In the courso of his remarks he referred to the recent attack made upon him by the Hon. Mr Isitt. He said the zeal of Catholics for Christian education jointly with broad charity moved their prelates to make friendly offers to meet representatives of other denominations in conference for the purpose of restoring religion to State schools on a basis of proper ■ equality of. religious consciences before law. At such a conference they would leave' to their friends of other faiths the fullest freedom of choice in the matter of religious exercises for their own children, the rights of objecting taxpayers' pupils and teachers to be respected. Bishop Geary reviewed the procedure by which he had made repeated suggestions for such a conference, but declared that none of them had been acknowledged. "Under cover of Parliamentary privilege," said Bishop Geary', "the League's champion last week flung the following imputation in his evidence before the Education Committees: 'Bishop Geary was making much of the Bible League's non-acceptance of the invitation to confer with Roman Catholic ecclesiastics. The League regarded that offer as the veriest propaganda made only, for the purpose of misleading the members of the Catholic Giurch and such people as were, unfamiliar with tho facts.' - '

Bishop Geary has written to Mr Isitt: "The last sentence contains a charge that admits of only one construction. It imputes conduct on "my part amounting to wanton and deliberate deception. Such imputation is absolutely unfounded. I have, therefore, to request that you will adopt the course that is adopted by an honourable gentleman when lie finds 'that he has traduced another, that is to say, that you publicly withdraw the accusation."