CHILDREN IN CHURCH

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12095, 24 March 1925, Page 7

CHILDREN IN CHURCH

(REACH IF REGULATIONS NO TRUTH IN ALLEGATION., Per Press Association. PALMERSTON N., March. 23. On March 18th. the daily papers, throughout New Zealand, published a Press Association message to the effect that much public discussion had resulted in the disclosure that the authorities of a Roman Catholic church at Palmerston North had been defying the health regulations prohibiting the attendance of children under 16 at services. Also tfcat 130 children, obviously under that age, were in the building at one time. Also that a police ' prosecution would follow. STATEMENT DISPROVED. Documentary evidence is .now avail, alble to show that every material statement in the above message can be disproved. It appears that the allegations were published in a letter to a morning paper and this was the only publio reference thereto. Father MacManus immediately replied refuting the allegations, and no further reference was made to .the matter. Father MaoMamus points out that arrangements for a special function for children, made in January last, provisionally upon the Health" Department regulations being cancelled, were officially and publioly cancelled on March 15th (three days before the message was sent out). The notices, published from fhe pydpit, and preserved in the church notice hook prove that the children were not actually attending mass, and were prohibited from attending while the epidemia lasted. PROSECUTION UNFOUNDED. The provision for cH'dren in church was eliminated in February last. The statement that a police prosecution would follow has no foundation in fact.