ROMAN CATHOLIC CLERGY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17394, 3 February 1917, Page 14

ROMAN CATHOLIC CLERGY.

POSITION UNDER THE BALLOT. CASE OF MARIST BROTHERS. Several appeals on the part, of Roman Catholic clergy occupied the attention of the Military Service Board in Wellington on Wednesday. The first case was an appeal from Denis J. Coffy, a Marist Brother known in religion as Brother Egbert. The "New Zealand Times" reports that Mr H. F. O'Leary, who appeared for appellant, said ho was the member of a religious society of the Catholic Church, the Marist Brothers, who were engaged in the task of educating childSen. It was fttbmitted that it would be contrary to public interest to lose the teachers. It would also be a great hardship to Catholics who had to depend on the Brothers for teaching their children. There were in New Zealand at the present time forty-seven Marist Brothers. In the Wellington diocese there were fourteen, all. of whom were engaged in teaching, and were under the jurisdiction of Archbishop O'Shea. Of the forty-seven Brothers seven were over tbo age limit, including two in Wellington. They were all of the first division because their vows boMnd them not to marry., If the Marist Brothers had to enlist it would mean that six-sevenths of their number would have to leave. In the Wellington diocese they would be left with two teachers to attend to all the children. At the present time, continued Mr O'Leary. there were no lay teachers •in the'Brothers' schools. This was due to the fact that the Government could afford to pay higher salaries and attracted all teachers to the State schools. If the Brothers had to go, then the Catholic boys would have no teachers, and the school properties would be useless. "If they have to go teachers cannot be got," added Mr O'Leary. "It will mean unloading the children on the State schools.'' Captain Baldwin: "Do you mean that?" Mr O'Lcarv: '.'Yes." Finally, added Mr O'Leary, there was the question of conscience. If Catholics were deprived of their teachers then parents would be faced with the position of sending their children to schools they did not approve of. Archbishop O'Shea stated that there were 7140 children attending Catholic schools in Wellington. Captain Baldwin inquired of lus Grace whether, as there was no conscription in Australia, it would not ho possible to bring teachers from there. The Archbishop replied 'that the Marist Order in Australia had no Brothers to spare. Captain Baldwin: " Have you nor made any endeavour to get students under military age to carry on tho work of the teachers?" Archbishop O'Shea: "No, we knew it would be useless." Brother Egbert said that efforts had been made to get men to replace the teachers but to no avail. Students under twentv years of age would hardly be of anv use in teaching. Tho board intimated that.it would give its decision in the morning. THE CASE OF THE PRIESTS. Appeals were also entered by Archbishop O'Shea on behalf of the fo lowing clerics:-James. Moore O a ■ ell (Wellington), Patrick Francs Cuten (Dunedin), Nicholas Moore Nev, Plymouth), .lames John Biordan (theological student). . M- Francis Cullen, representing Archbishop O'Shea, put in documents which showed Ministerial approval.for the exemptions of appellants, provided the board saw no special objeeO'Shea stated that there were 105 priests in his archdiocese and 220 in New e.Zaland. This num.- j her was not greater than the number, at the beginning of the war. len priests had gone away as chaplains Captain Baldwin inquired would it not be possible for the clergy to carry on the work at reduced number <■ Captain Baldwin instanced the tact that j a number of the clergy of other denominations had gone to camp. . j Archbishop O'Shea replied that, i > the. numbers were reduced it won a mean that the priests could hardly! manage to minister to the spiritual wants of the people. The Mass was a spiritual necessity to the people, j and as oulv priests could say Mass, it j would be a serious matter for the j Mr Moorhouse: "But could not tho number of Masses be curtailed? ; His Grace: "If they were it would 1 he -a great spiritual hardship to the ; people." , . .. I Captain Baldwin: "But the Angh-! cans have had their Communions curtailed." . His Grace: "I cannot say anything about them. As far as we are concerned wc have reached the limit. Mr. Considine, a member of U? board, hundred how many people were Catholics in the Dominion. Archdeacon O'Shea: " Between 150.000 and 160,000.'' Mr Considine: "I think that 220 priests can very well a'.tend to that number of people. I see Iha I in France over 00,000 priests are in the firing line." Archbishop O'Shea: "I cannot say anything about France, but. of course, there are far more priests there in proportion to the population than in New Zealand."

In conclusion, Captain Baldwin remarked that of course the priests had been exempted by the Minister, and it was a question now as to whether the board saw good reasons to exempt them. The hoard reserved its decision. DECISION OF THE BOARD. The board gave its decision on Thursday. Considerable importance attaches to the decision in that the board differentiated between the Maris' Brother (who is a teacher at a Catholic school) and the priests, and also decided to merely adjourn tho latter cases, in spite of a certificate from the Minister of Defence recommending exemption on the ground of public interest. The decision in the case 0 f Denis J. Cody, Marist Brother, was that the appeal be adjourned sine die, exemption beincc granted in the meantime, providing appellant remained in his present occupation. The appeals on behalf of Fathers Cullen. Moore and O'Farrell, and the theological student, John James Riordan. werp also adjourned sine die, with suspension of duty meanwhile, but the board intimated that the cases would he reviewed before the First -Division of the Reserve was exhausted. ' It is provided in the Military Service Act that in determining an appeal on the ground that the calling up ~f a reservist would be contrary to public interest, the board shall, unless it sees good reason to the contrary, accept as sufficient a certificate bv the Minister of Defence that the occupation of the reservist is ol such a nature that hi* calling up would be contrary to public interest. Certificates as nro'vided were forwarded in each case mentioned above, signed bv the Hon Arthur M Myers, for the Minister of Defence