ROMAN CATHOLIC VIEWS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1033, 25 July 1930, Page 9

ROMAN CATHOLIC VIEWS

ARCHBISHOP'S STATEMENT Prc3a Association WELLINGTON, Thursday. In a statement issued this evening, Archbishop Redwood says: ‘‘We have stated publicly over and over again, not only in joint stateaments made by the Bishops of New Zealand, but frequently through the late Bishop Cleary, who was the official representative of the hierarchy whenever this question came up, that altogether apart from question of State aid to our schools, we were willing and anxious that some religion should be taught to Protestant children in schools. It was provided only that rights of conscience of Catholic teachers and pupils and of all others concerned were adequately protected, and that Catholics were not obliged to contribute anything toward the cost of such Protestant teaching. “Recently representatives of the Bible-in-Schools League have approached us with the desire to come to some kind of agreement on the matter. “The proposals are the outcome of our conversations. If' the Bill containing exemptions and safeguards for consciences of Catholics and of others already mentioned is* introduced into Parliament, it will not be opposes by us. * “Of course I repeat that in adopting this attitude we do not for a moment mean to give up our just claim that Catholic schools are entitled to receive

j for secular instruction gi\ en in tr.ir.-.i J a fair share of the money contributed j by the Catholic taxpayer toward tl.a cost of educating children of the.E>oj minion. This claim we cannot in con- • science surrender, but any proposal* j for reliadon in schools that fulfil tli-a : conditions we have so often insisted ! on for the protection of consciences of Catholic teachers and pupils as well | as of all others who cannot accept the proposed religious teaching, and which will exempt Catholics from contributing toward the cost of such teaching, will not be opposed t: • us. “To use the words of the late Bishop Cleary. 'The more religion in school?. • th“re is, the better we shall like it.’ “We will wish our non-Cathoh«-friends God-speed in carrying out thev • proposals."