RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 56, 23 May 1874, Page 10

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

The following impartially writ'en lett°r hn<i been addressed to the New York ' Independent,' a journal of which the Rev. Henry Ward Beeeher wa« nt one time— if not at present — the editor, by an American Methodist, on a visit to Ireland. It will be seen from tho clear manner in which the question U treated, the gross injustice which Ireland labors under with regard to education. We have little doubt there are but fpw who will not coincide with the writer, and express indignation at the tyranny which perpetuate* a system so manifestly unjust ; but it must not be forgotten that although the number of Catholics in this colony is not so disproportionate, the injustice ther labor under ia exactly of the same nature. 'It will be seen, also, that the Catholics of New Zealand seek no more than has been granted to their co-religionists in England, and demanded by Cardinal Cuilen for his Irish schools :—: — " In round numbers there are five and a half millions of a population in Ireland. Of these nearly four and a half millions are Catholics. Then about half a million are Episcopal Protestants, and the other half million Presbyterians and \fethodi«ts, with a very fewBaptists, Congregationalists, and Qualer». Now the Episwunl Protestants never yet joined in with the National School System of Ireland. They have "the Church Education Society Schools," ju«t aa the Catholics have in the Un"ted States the Christian Brothers and the Jesuits' schools. It is only twelve years since the Wesleyans of Ireland united with the National Education System. Prior to that they and Cardinal Cuilen were in the same boat on this question. The Primitive Wesleyans are still the very bitterest opponents of the national school*, and would not send their children to them, because the bible is not allowed to be read at all hours or any hour each daT< Th* entire Orangemen of the Worth of Ireland are opposed to the national schools, as one man, and -srint denominational ecbooK These 1 Northern Protestants,' then. wouM not dread a change to denominational schools for them. Their objection is to allowing any other school', in the entire of Ireland, ' than intensely Protestant school? where Papists should bo whjp-and into learning passages of the Bible by the yard ; beiisr daily pointed out therefrom ' the errors of Popery.' " \]l that Cardinal Cuilen has ever demanded has been a division of the public school funds amonjst each religious denomination prorata; and e-tch church or sect to have entire control over their own schools with general jovernment inspection in seoular branches This is about what the Catholic hierarchy demands also in Ame-ica" This is the system, too, which practically exists in England, find ro which the Cardinal always points as an illustration of all that he desires."

The Order of the Christian Brothers' is now the" largest male religious Order in the Church. They have in England 80 house* comprising uUhe aggregate 1000 Brothers. These houses are divided' into five provinces, each under the supervision of a provincial. This mode of division and government is practised throughout the world The headquarters of the Order are in Paris. The Superior General of v , r 18 '" con stant communication with the Order in all pirr<? of the world by means of the provincialists of the various provinces. In this manner the workings of the entire body, numbering 13,000 men are made known t o him. The Order has flourished in its own quiet way during the last few yeorg, in a most remarkablo manner. Their numbers have been increased, as h*ve also the schools under their care. On the I2th February, his O-rirp the Moot Rev Dr McG-ettigan *Sr- ™ P Armn «f n - PrimnteofAll Ireland, receive 1 the profession of Miss Nano KavanagM, in relieion Sister de Sales in the Presentation Convent, Drogherta, The young lily n third daughter of Professor Kayanagh, Catholic University, and, it is a remarkable coineHeneo that, a full namesake of hers, Nino Kavnnagrh, was, -with Nano Nagle, one of the first members of the Presentation order at its foundation, jnst a century ago, in Cork. Tho solemn ceremony took place in the Convent Chay>el, the assisting priests being the Rer J. Moonan, C. C and the Rev Thomas Murphy, C.C. Ovee 11,000 tons of copper ore have been raised from tho Moonta Mine during the half-year, realising £122,009, while the expenses amounted to £90,000.