DR. MORAN IN EXPLANATION.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2550, 20 April 1871, Page 2

DR. MORAN IN EXPLANATION.

Dr. Moran visited Tokomairiro last week, and in addressing his congregation there, took occasion to refer to his address at St. Joseph’s on Education, and the attacks made upon him by the Dunedin Press in connection witli the subject. His Lordship said he could only say this matter had not been taken un by him in a spirit of opposition. It had been forced upon him, and it could afford him no pleasure or gratification to find himself the object of attack in the public newspapers. Everyone must see that it could be ro source of pleasure for him, so shortly after his landing here, where he had been sent against his own inclination, among a sect numerically small, and not of the most wealthy class of the community, to find it big duty to make an attack upon any existing public institution. Still, for the sake of keeping peace with other religions, he could not tamely allow errors to exist, and must make everything subservient to that purpose for which he had be n sent among them. If, for the sake of ppa’c, he were to allow anything opposed to the spirit of Cathol cism, he would be guilty of criminal disloyalty to the oly See. He had not intended interfering with educational matters for some considerable time, but they had been forced upon him ; many complaints had been placed before him regarding the Benevolent Asylum, so that they were not of his seeking. For their opponents to speak of liberty and constitutionalism was simply ahsu'd. Why should they teach their children one religion on Sunday and another religion on Monday ? Their baptismal and other sacraments differed from those taught in the schools and benevolent institutions, and the children must early be trained into the truths of Catholicism. If the priest went to the I'enevolqit Asylum only a few minutes after the hour appointed for his visits, 11 o’clock on Thursday or Sunday, he would find that the Catholic children had been sent in amongst the Protestant children to be taught a religion different from their own. It was simply absurd, simply ridiculous that men should be allowed to conduct such public institutions, who thus proved themselves to be unfit for the trust. As to the books used, they had no doubt read the report in the Daily Time <; he had nothing to compl un of in that report, which was on the whole correct, although had it been fuller he would have been better understood. It was a curious idea that children who bad been brought up Catholics, should thus be placed under Protestant influences, and this having been placed before him, it became his (■imp’e duty to do all in his power to prevent it. It was a sad state of things that, their children should be taught that their most holy faith was nothing less than lies, and the religionfanaticism—their religion which had not been originated by man, but Christ, when on earth, gave it in its essential character, and since that time there had been no division or change made in the faith then taught. In that constitution there had been no change from the first moment, and no one could make any change. We therefore believe that the Church as it is eame from God, and salvation is not to be obtained out of the Church. If he were to allow the children to be thus knowingly taught a religion contrary to their own, he would justly be considered by the Holy See—who would be sure to hear of it—perfectly unworthy of the sacred trust confided to him. What he had done was therefore simply in selfdefence ; as, had it been possible, he was anxious, for a time at least, to work with •the Government institutions;, In the first place, the people under his charge were

not numerous r, or rich, and under these circumstances not very well able to go into the large additional charges incurred by the change. His desire, therefore, was and nothing would have given him greater pleasure — to work harmoniously with existing institutions, as he deprecated changes if they could possibly be avoided ; but be could not stand idly by and permit these things to he done, although at the risk'of inclining considerable opposition. He was now trying and begging for the establishment of Homan Catholic schools in each place, as it would be a frightful thing to deprive them of existing schools, and deny them the benefits of education by failing to supply other schools in their stead. Education was necessary, and, in fact, indispensable. He hoped’ to have Jopportumtics of speaking to them on many occasions. As he had taken this Church into his parish he was their parish priest as well as bishop, and would occasionally visit them ; only he could not allow the present opportunity to pass without simply saying that he had done nothing from a spirit of opposition, or for the sake of fighting, which he deplored Mill, anyone with a spark of generosity iu his disposition —anyone giving five moments serious consideration—could see that he could have done nothing else than he had done. He could not allow their general faith and morals to be interfered with, as such conduct on his part would be only worthy of a liar or fraudulent person. The whole educational system of the province was antiCatholic, and if their children went to these schools they would be taught what was opposed to their religion belief. The teachers were Presbytei ian, the system was Pi eshyterian, the books were Presbyterian, and the whole temper of the school was against them. Bible reading, and the er« position of the Bible, formed a portion of their daily tasks; and not only the books but the whole tone of tlie schools wa*f such that he regretted to be forced to order all Catholics to be withdrawn from them.