THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 72, 12 September 1874, Page 8

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND.

At the solemn dedication of the Catholic University to the Sacred Heart of our Beloved Lord, hu Lordship the Bi«hop of Ardagh and Clonmncnoise, in an eloquent and logical address, vindicated the Catholics of Ireland for their struggles for Christian education through centuries of persecution and wrong. Home idea of the weight and importance attached to his Lordship's utterances may be learned when it is stated that the London « Times' published the main features of Jus eloquent appeal, made on Sunday, in Monday's issue. The limited epace at our command unfortunately precludes us from making more than the following extracts. In explaining to his auditory the celebration for which they had been assembled together, he said : " The Vatican Council told them that there was a twofold order of Inowledgs, one being by natural reason, the other by Divine Faith-r one me v ling the things -which natuial reason could* teach, the othor the truths of revelation ; a Catholic University, being a place of teaching universal knowledge, was the natural home of both, and was, therefore, in a bense the roost true seat of wisdom. It was the place wherein men were taught bow best to comply with the Divine exhortation of studying wisdom in ito widest range ; and, therefore, without presumption, they might believe and hope that it was a place precious beyond all others in the sight of that God who alone, as Job told them, rightly understandeth the way of wisdom and knoweth the place thereof. It was in this faith and in this hope that it behoved them to assist at the ceremony of the day, by which Catholic Ireland consecrated her Univeisry to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This was a nation's act, for I it was the direct outcome of a principle that had distinctively marked at all periods the genius of the Irish people." In speaking of the means by which the University had sprung into existence, at the sacred call of religion and learning, his Lordship touched most feelingly on the undying constancy and love for faith und science which was one ot the noble characteristics of the Irish race ; und pointed out the very powerful eflorts which had hitherto beeu made m vain for such an object, but which had failed through want of nationality :—: — 6 "The whole history of Ireland moved on two lines, representing two of the master passions of the Irish race— the love of religion and the love of learning. But, in our history, these two lines never ran apart • but rather, like the mystic lines in the tracery that adorned the Critic crosses, they were bound to each other at so many points, and by ties so nne and close, that no power could sunder them. The Irish had ever loved scholarship, but they would not have it separated from religion. *° ™ un . c ? uld be the child of science— it was said iv a Celtic monastery of the sixth century— who did not love truth and justice, and there was >jo truth and justice without the knowledge of God. And if any were to gainsay it in spite of the express declaration of the Irish people, from v ,S, S lf fc '° ,th 6, th 6 httmblest class— in spite of these countless religious schools throughout the land, crowd, d with a joyous throng, while the ii * \rißfl\ riBflt Tutlonß T utlonB "* te a s barren mothers without children— the very walls of that University would cry out against them. No royal munilicence had bidden them to arise. No imperial treasury had subsidised it. No wealthy noble— no merchant prince had endowed it. It was the creation of the nation. There was not a stone in it but had a voice, end cried out its witness to the faith of the Irish race, who, from Ireland and England, and Scotland, in America, and India, and Africa, and in the islands of the sea, had sent their painfullyearned money to build up, m this their native land, a shrine where fullest Bcience and simplest faith may dwell m amity. The ceremony of that day was a muni, ficent outward expression of that prinnple, which has thus ever been the life of Irish thought— that education and religion should be inseparable.

An eloquent voice lias described, in touching language, how, across the sanguuiary scene of war and turbulence and bloodshed that followed the English oosnpation of this country, there flitted, from time to time, the graceful -vision of a "University, appearing to-day, disappearing to-morrow, reappearing on an after-day, but, unhappily, never able to root itself on a sound foundation in the soil. Alas ! this picture is but too true, even to-day, but the fault is not Ireland's. It is true, *v* u W .\ l the f ? ilul>e of the u »"ersity schemes, with reference to which these words were first spoken, Foith had little to do, for as yet ihe unity oi religion was unbroken in the two countries. Nevertheless, there were then at work other causes of failure besides war and the turbulence of the times, and of these causes due account has not always been taken. Ho matter how fair the outward seeming of each University that then presented itself, its success was hindered by one serious drawback. The language on its lips was not the language of Ireland— ifc wore the mien and air of a stranger— it was not warm with Irish blood— it had no kindred with the Celtic millions. And, therefore, though Ireland pined with longing for the stores of culture it had brought, she could not cherish it as her child, and it disap-

His Lordship, in (racing the rise and career of the Protestant University, ymdiy depicted the patience with which Catholic Ireland endured the pitiless tyranny to which she was subjected, and the proud satisfaction which should fill the breast of every Irish Catholic that their faith and. constancy had at last been so amply rewarded :— " But when the -vision that had disappeared in the Catholic times reappeared m the reign of Elizabeth, the Faith of Ireland rose indienant against it. For this time, its ornaments were the plunder of God's altars and of the shrines of the saints -its dowry, the spoils taken from the weak— its doctrine, the condemnation of all the natiou reverenced What could Ireland do but close heart and ears against her wiles, and pray lor patience to endure her pitiless tyranny ? Again, however, a change has come. The power which created that University has risen up against her, and lo ! in its turn the Protestant University has disappeared, and m its stead a new University, as unblushingly godless as the worst creations cf infidelity, U presented for acceptance by Ireland. And if Ireland turned coldly away from the stranger, in the preKeforraation period— if she rejected the Protestant University because it was the foe of the religion she lorod— with what scora does she not

"A * l en ? fch an °t»cr fair and graceful vision of a University m«fc th. gaze of Ireknd-that Catholic University cariled with it the best—he had almost sa.d the only-hope of Catholic Ireland. It wa 8 based o« the principle, which were essential to the life of OhmH«TSeS?S|£ country It was a protest against the tyranny which would viofatethe sacred rights of parents to control the education of their children l2 was a protest against the tyranny that would refuse to the Church the exercise of her heaven-given prerogative of guarding the faith of than* who called her the mother of thei? souls. It was a protest Sainat S SftS^° VVM UClltiOn by bß " ishin S from the «*«*■ a« knowledge of God and of the supernatural order. And it did more than proteft agamst what was wrong and false: it asserted what was rig End trye. It asserted that faith and reason were not necessarily foes but rather twin lights of various orders to conduct man to the knowledge CWW V ssevfced ' ™ th " ie Vati °^ Council, that the Sholie Church, far from opposing the highest culture in human arts and fcT^i™^- i and Vl c i iU Ifc aßßerted with the »«» Council that the Church did not forbid the sciences to follow, each in its sphere its own proper principles and its own proper metl^ds ; that shehehl the liberty of so doing to be one of the just liberties of science It ZTJ'U th tVV ÜBt Clai ™ 8 ° f the Irißh Catholic » to all the edSLS pnvileaes that were given to others. On ifc depended the future of Ireland, for the education given to this generation of Irishmen would color for centuries the history of our country. Towards this University Ireland's spirit of Faith turned in love ; and thi, wa9 the of£2 which on that day she humbly presented to Jesus." S