DR. MORAN ON EDUCATION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3307, 20 September 1871, Page 2

DR. MORAN ON EDUCATION.

TO THE EDITOa OF THE INDEPENDENT. Sik, — In your report of Dr Moran's sermon delivered at tho Roman Catholic Church, on Sunday last, it is stated that Dr ftloran said that " tho preservation of education was mainly due to the Catholic Olmrch, winch had educated tho nations of Europe and endowed them liberally by tho institution of schools calculated to infuse into tho mind a sound education, coupled with feelings of tho highest order." On reading the above I asked myself is this true ? Do tho facts and statistics of the countries that have been under the sway of tho Komau Catholic Church bear out these statements ? What of Italy ? I turned up some statistics on tho subject, and find tho following figures given by Signor 1 Matteucci, who waa Minister of Public Instruction, in three letters on education addressed by him to tho Marquis Q-ino Capponi. Of tho different provinces he writes: '•' Of every thousand males in the Old Provinces and Lombardy 599 were more or loss able to read, and 461 did not know their lotter9. Of every thousand females 426 could read, 57-i could not," so that about one-half the whole population wero able to read. "In Emilia, Tuscany, tho Marches, and Umbrin, of every thousand males 359 could road, leaving 611 who could not. Of every thousand females 250 could read, 750 could not." A littlo over oue-quartoi 1 only of the whole population iv their provinces could read. In Nuples and Sicily, of every thousand msilos 161 were able to read, 835 could not. Of every thousand females 62 could read, 938 could not, i c., in every hundred of the population in thoso Neapolitan provinces about ten only were ablo to read. Tbeso statistics Signor Mnttoucci finds aro confirmed by the inscriptions for the military lovy. Of males between tho ages of five and eighteen able to read, there arc in tho Neapolitan province only 13-4 in every thousand ; and in Sicily only 130 ; leaving in every thousand 870 who do not knoiv their loiters. When thoso facts are taken in connection with the number of ecclesiastics in thoso countries, it can hordly bo maintained that tho Roman Catholic Church " has educated tho nations of Europe." Take the Kingdom of Sicily as an illustration. Only about ten in every 170 of tho population ablo to read at a time when tho ecclesiastics amounted to 120,000. Tho present Italian Government aro laboring to remedy tho ovil, and to cover the country with schools, and rapid strides have boon taken, but not under tha auspicos of the Roman Oatbolie Church. What of Franco ? Is France ono of tlioso nations that has been educated by Bishop Moran's church ?. How much was dono in that country till men like Chiizofc took up the subject and established olomoncary schools ; and after his system had boon in operation for years, the Emporor, at tho

opening of tho Legislative Chambers in 1864, took occasion to say that " these efforts must not stop whilo there remained in France 600,000 children without instruction." What of Iroland ? Will Dr Moran say that tho Roman Catholic Church has educated its people in that country?" Dr Moran cays tho Roman Catholic Church has " instituted schools calculated to infuse into the mind a sound education." Lord Macaulay, the eloquent historian, a very liboral and sometimes a latitudinarian thinker, but a powerful intellect and an impartial historian, says, "To stunt the growth of tho human mind has been tho chief object of the Roman Catholic Church. Throughout Christendom, whatever advance has been made in knowledge, in freedom, in wealth, and in the arts of life, has been made in epite of her, and has everywhere been in inverse proportion to hor power." I have troubled you with these facts in the interests of truth, and, I trust, without any broach of courtesy towards a stranger visiting this city, and remain, yours truly, Beta.