ARE AUSTRALASIANS BECOMING PAGANS?

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15256, 17 March 1910, Page 8

ARE AUSTRALASIANS BECOMING PAGANS?

AN ARCHBISHOP'S VIEWS. [Fxom Our Correspondent.] AUCKLAND, March 16.

His Grace Archbishop O'Reily, of Adelaide, accompanied by his private secretary, the Rev Father Kelly, arrived in Auckland this morning by the P. and 0. steamer Mongolia, froni Sydney. His Grace has been in very poor health for some time past, and is making the trip to Auckland solely for the purpose of recuperating by a sea voyage. He will leave on his return to Australia by the Mongolia this evening. Interviewed this morning, Archbishop O'Reily had some interesting remarks to make on subjects which have received considerable prominence in the newspapers of recent date. Asked what his views were in regard to the recont controversy between Cardinal Moran, of Sydney, andMrHogue, Minister of Education in the New South Wales State Government, his Grace replied that the position was a serious one. In his opinion the question of Bible teaching in the State schools, which formed the subject of sucli great contention, was unwise,' unworkable, and unjust in any but denominational schools. "It is unwise," said the venerable prelate, " because there is no guarantee that the teacher is a believer in the Bible himself. It is unworkable because in the State schools you have a collection of agnostics. Catholics, Jews and others. It would be impossible to formulate a scheme that .•would be acceptable to all. It is unjust, becuse you would be compelling certain religious factions to pay for a system of education in which they do not believe." Asked his opinion in regard to the question of State assistance to schools, his Grace replied that he did not think the question came within the sphere of ..practical politics of the day. The feeliing in Australia was strongly in favour 'of undenominational schools. " "We Catholics have to bend to that feeling," 'declared the " and we willsngly do so. * Sir Henry ParkeSj as ■Premier of New South Wales, with knany dissenting clergy to back him np, boasted that he was going to break jttp the Catholic schools with his secular system, and openly avowed that in doing so the priests' trade would be gone. In place of smashing them, Sir Henry dParkes's Act had the effect of consolidating and extending them, not only fin New South Wales, but in every part W the Commonwealth." ; " How often do we hear the question raised ' Why do men not go to church?'" continued his Grace. "I have no hesitation in saying that problem only concerns Protestants. It is not our trouble. Our worry is to find .Beats for the men of our faith. I have !twenty-two churches in Adelaide, and I oould fill a dozen more to-morrow if I Jhad them. The explanation is that if you bring np children as heathens the result must be disastrous. If God's 'Dame is never mentioned in the schools, and often never in the homes, what else can the result be ? If. the boys and girls are brought up as young pagans iyo\j cannot expect them to turn to ■Christianity later in. life, so you find to-day that denominations other than •jthe Roman Catholic are asking, ' Why 'do men not go to church ?' And the answer is not difficult to find."

i " Then do you think that religion is losing its sway?" was asked. . "Yes," was the reply. "ilis a 'heartbreaking tiling to say. There are jjio people so splendid as the people of 'Australasia. My whole heart gees •out to the country and its people, but Ithis breaking away is to be ascribed to a spirit of indifference inculcated in the State schools. Everything depends on the training of the youthful mind, and the children of the last generation are the parents of to-day, and if they Ore untaught of God themselves, how can they be expected to teach their children?"