CATHOLICS ORGANISE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 152, 29 June 1914, Page 9

CATHOLICS ORGANISE

MEETINGS OF THE FEDERATIONS. CALLS FOR UNITY. The Bible-in-Schools question was discussed at the annual meeting of the Catholic Federation held in St. Mary of the Angels' Church last evening, the Rev. Father O'Connell, S.M., being in the chair. The church building was packed, and the proceedings were enthusiastic. Tho Chairman, in his opening remarks, said that ,the aim of Catholics in organising was purely to bring peace and not dissension, to uphold the best, the noblest, and the most glorious traditions of Catholicity. - Mr. H. F. O'Leary proposed the following motion : — "That this meeting of St. Mary of the Angels' branch of the Catholic Federation, representing 2500 Catholics at this parish, whilst thoroughly appreciating the efforts of non-Catholics to provido moral teaching in schools based upon religions principles, nevertheless must emphatically protest, against the introduction of Bible-reading into the State schools and against the proposed referendum on the question, as a violation of the rights of conscience of a large sect' * of the citizens, an injustice to teachers, and an iniquitous proposal to tax all the people to pay for the teaching of a religion acceptable to certain denominations only, and utterly obnoxious to others ; and further resolves that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and tho members for the districts of Wellington Central, Wellington North, and Wellington Suburbs."' (The three constituencies mentioned are in St. Mary of the Angels' parish.) Mr. O'Leary emphasised the need, in view of the proposed action of the Government, for instant action. They must no longer be apathetic. The unanimous voice of 130,000 Catholics would 'be against the proposal. Archbishop O'Shea said he felt so strongly upon this question that he had cancelled his proposal to visit Fiji to fight for their secular freedom. (Applause.) There were 80,000 Catholic voters in the Dominion. They would oppose the efforts of a weak Government to pander to a noisy minority. Mr. G. Girling-Butcher, organiser to the federation, said the Catholics were saving the State £100,000 a year in teaching 15,000 children in their own schools. Added to this also was the £100,000 a year which Catholics p,aid in direct taxation, and this one-seventh of the peoplo of the Dominion were saying the Government a quarter of" a million annually. The motion was carried unanimously. The audience then rose and sang "Faith of Our Fathers." The following Parish Committee was elected for the ensuing year : Messrs. Martin Kennedy, David Dalton, A. A. Corrigan, D. R. Lawlor, M. O'Connor, ' and T. O'Brien.