Bible In Schools

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 206, 15 August 1927, Page 5

Bible In Schools

Hon. L. M. Isitt’s Pamphlet. REPLIED TO BY BISHOP CLEARY CATHOLIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS RELIGIOUS EXERCISES. (Per Press Association). Auckland, Aug. 15. Bishop Cleary, speaking at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, said he had never encountered more misrepresentation or deeper sectarian bitterness than was packed into the Hon. L. M. Isitt’s pamphlet on Bible reading in schools. The Bishop ridiculed the suggestion that it was the Roman Catholic Church, represented by himself, which prevented reform in the secular system when Catholic churchmen represented only about 14 per cent, of the community. He said:— Protestant clergy had made but feeble protests against the secular system, while the Catholic Church, at enormous expense, had still further increased its own schools with their system of real and proper religious instruction. Provided the consciences of Catholic children and teachers were protected, the' Roman Catholic Church would welcome the re-introduction of religion into State schools, and would not dictate what particular form it should take. It preferred, however, that a definite and working religion should be seelcted, not a compromise or a diluted Christianing. There was no such thing as nonsectarian religion. While the Catholic Church would never surrender its right of State grants for its ,own schools, it would not let that claim interfere with the restoration of religion in State schools on terms fair to all. If Mr. Isitt’s bill becomes law, and public moneys were expended upon religious exercises suited to the Protestant conscience in State schools, he concluded, “we shall exhaust every proper means in our power to secu’: a fair share of such funds for the conduct of religious exercises suited to the Catholic conscience.”