THE NEW BILL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 9, 10 July 1931, Page 8

THE NEW BILL

CATHOLIC SUPPORT

*T0 FI6HT IRREUGION"

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

Bis Grace Archbishop O 'Shea made $ statement to-day in regard to the ' JJeligious Instruction in Public Sohools pill about to come before, Parliament. His Grace first of all stated thatj with iho exception of Archbishop Bed-1 Wood, who is now absent from New] Healand, he hiniself waa the only surirf.voi.of the bishops who had formu-1 la ted the Catholic ' conditions on this • question, consequently he1 should knowj Setter than anyone living what these conditions were, and. the interpretation in be placed on them.. They were, briefly, that Catholic teachers and Catholic child*»en should be exempt $rom the Bible-in-schools schemo, and •jjbat Catholics should not be called.on ■&> pay anything towards the cost of (ferrying it out. CONDITIONS NOT VIOLATED. "When tho■ league's proposals were he said, "both Archbishop Redwood and.myself agreed that they complied with the conditions which had been' published over and over again by'the Catholic bishops. When the Bill now being brought before Parliament was drafted, ifc was submitted for perusal to our legal adviser (Mti P.jJ. O'Began), who has reported that as' it stands the Bill does, not violate any of the conditions that had been laid down by the Catholic leaders and accepted last year by the &ible-in-Schools executive.' Consequently, as repeatedly promised, Catholics' will withdraw their opposition to the presfent Bill. • • ATPEAIi TO CAIHOMOS.1 I am speaking not only for myself tot for too Metropolitan ' (ArchiOOuyp Redwood), who has already made a pronouncement to this effect, and I am sure that the: Catholics of iSio Dominion, following'the lead of their venerable Archbishop, will not approve of unreasonable v opposition to the enactment of the proposals In the present measure, to provide for the non-Catholic children in our public schools some knowledge of Sod and religion. < ' It will be in our own oest interests to fight the spread of ,irreligion by every legitimate means, for irreligion does not make for charity, nor for tfte welfare of any country. STATE-AID STILL CLAIMED. f* The .question of State-aid is left by Bur agreement exactly as if no agreeJaeat had been made. While Catholics fi>re content for the present'with this partial settlement of what has been; for fears a vexed question, we do not mean to surrender one iota,of our just claim im the State for a subsidy to our own soligiousißchobls for the secular results »ehie'vea in them. This, however, is a •matter between the Government" .and aurselves. It is understood by us that ike Bible in Schools League, as a leaguey L neutral on this question, leaving to Us individual'members entire freedom fo act in whatever way > their convictions direct: the attitude to State-aid is & no way affected ©neither side, therelore, by our agreement,;which, was conrfudea .-■ altogether. irrespectivG ;of this "question; .. •- , : ~ ■ ■•..-. ;.-| . ....: ... ]■ "IN HONOUR BOUND.?' "Now that the- Bill 3a-before tis, ana «»e best legal advice confirms our view that the proposals it contains fulfil the Catholic conditions, we are bound in •bonour to stand by our dead colleagues and our of t-repeatea promises, and withdraw onr. former opposition to its enactment. =..'■.'": ■■• ■ '■'■_ ■'■■-. ■'■■• ,-: ■.'■". Indeedit would be a strange thing Sf we, who have so consistently denounced secular education as an evil thing and a danger to the country, did not welcome what I believe to be an honest attempt to counteract some of the harm it is doing.