BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21384, 11 July 1931, Page 12

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

ROMAN CATHOLIC ATTITUDE ALL OBJECTIONS MET . STATEMENT BY ARCHBISHOP ' O’SHEA. (Peb United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, July 10. Archbishop O’Shea made a statement to-day in regard to the Religious Instruction Bill. With the exception of Archbishop Redwood, who is absent from New Zealand, be said he himself was the only survivor of the bishops who formulated the Roman Catholic conditions on the question. Consequently he should know better than anyone living what these conditions were, and the interpretation to be placed on them. They were, briefly, that Roman Catholic teachers and children should be exempt from the Bible-in-Schoolg scheme, and that Roman Catholics should not be called on to pay anything towards the cost of carrying it out. When the league’s proposals were submitted, said Archbishop. O’Shea, both Archbishop Redwood and himself agreed that they complied with the conditions which had been published over and over again by the Roman Catholic bishops. “ When the Bill now being brought before Parliament was drafted it was submitted for perusal by our legal adviser, Mr P. J. O’Regan, who has reported that, as it stands, the Bill does not violate’any of the conditions that have been laid down by the Roman Catholic leaders, and accepted last year by the Bible-in-Schools Executive. Consequently, as repeatedly promised, Roman Catholics will withdraw their opposition to the present BiH.” Archbishop O’Shea said he was speaking not only for himself, but for the metropolitan, Archbishop Redwood, who had already made *a pronouncement to this effect, and he was sure the Roman Catholics of the Dominion, following the lead of their venerable archbishop, would not approve of unreasonable opposition to the enactment of proposals in the present measure to provide for non-Catholio children in public schools some knowledge of God and religion. It would be in their own best interest to fight the spread of irreligion by every legitimate means, for irreligion did not make for chanty, nor for the welfare of any country. Archbishop O’Shea added: “Roman Catholics do not mean to surrender one iota of their just claim on the State for a subsidy to their own religious schools for the secular results achieved in them.” That, however, was a matter between the Government and themselves. It was understood by them that the Bible-in-Schools League, as a league, was neutral, leaving to individual members entire freedom to act in whatever way their convictions directed. The concluding sentence says: “ It would be a strange thing if 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.” BISHOP BRODIE MISTAKEN. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 10. In reference to the Bible-in-Schools Bill, Mr John Studholme writes:—“ Dean O’Donnell in a statement issued at Ashburton bv his instructions on July o asked Mr Isitt and myself to state publicly whether we are of the opinion that Bishop Brodie was right or wrong when he stated that no agreement had been arrived at between the Eoman Catholic Hierarchy and the Bible-in-Schools League. With regard to this agreement, the facts have already been seated by Archbishop O’Shea and by the Roy. E. O. Blamires, secretary of the league. These statements appear to be conclusive. We have nothing to add, and we are of the opinion that Bishop Brodie is mistaken in thinking that no agreement had been arrived at.”