Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 25 January 1912, Page 30

Notes

A Protestant Admission Our Presbyterian contemporary, the Outlook , is affected with grave concern—as well it might be —at the unmistakable evidence of the almost total ignorance of the Scriptures which prevails amongst the rising generation of Protestant children and its comments on the subject include the following: ‘ We understand also why the Ne T'emere decree is published with impunity. The Pope can depend on many Protestants coming to the priest to be married, for, through ignorance, they have no particular zeal for their own cause. When they cannot understand justification by faith, and the priesthood of believers, and the benefit of an open Bible, then convent schools and convent missions can sweep them into the Roman fold. ■ One writer in this issue even asks which of the two parties, Protestant and Roman Catholic, is now going to be dominant in New Zealand. Which party, we ask, has the best right to dominate Which works and sacrifices and teaches and evangelises after its own fashion the most ?’ \ * As showing what our beautiful godless system is doing for Protestant children the following letter from Mr. C. R. Richardson, Chief Inspector of Schools for the Otago Education Board, which also appears in the current issue of the Outlook, is instructive. Mr. Richardson writes: With reference to the discussion going on in your columns regarding the ignorance of the Bible shown by pupils of Otago schools, the following story may be appropriate. During the examination of one of our less remote country schools the inspector was questioning a class upon the Reformation. The local clergyman, who was present, asked permission to put a question to the class. He asked, “Who was John Knox?” and received no reply. He turned to the teacher and said, That looks bad for the school.” A few minutes later another class was being questioned on the introduction of Christianity into England. The teacher asked, “ Who was the founder of Christianity?” and received no answer. His remark to the minister was, “ That is bad for the Church and the Sunday school.” Now, there was no soreness between . these two. They worked as amicably ' as possible. It shows how common is the ignorance of Biblical subjects in the public schools, and bears out exactly the results of the recent examination you have quoted.’ ' Some Facts About * Sister Candide * ■ In May, 1910, cables from Paris chronicled with some detail the sensation caused by the prosecution of ‘ Soeur Candide,’- who was described as 1 a well-known member of the Sisters of Charity’; and in last Monday’s

daily papers a further cable message appeared on the subject. The later career and present position of ‘ Sister Candide ’ are sufficiently indicated in the following excerpt from the London Tablet of June, 1910. It will be seen that 4 Sister Candide ’ has now no right to the name or garb of a nun, and that the Church has had no control over, and no responsibility whatever for the financial transactions which have got her into trouble. * Says the London Tablet : In view of the wide publicity which has been given to .the financial dealings of “ Soeur Candide,” and the attempt to make capital therefrom to discredit the Church and the religious Orders, it is important to note that “Soeur Candide” is not a nun, but that widely different character, an ex-nun, viz., one who left her Order, and returned to secular life. She is therefore one over whom her Order had no longer the slightest control, and in regard of whom the ecclesiastical authorities cannot fairly be saddled with any responsibility. We quote the following passage from the Journal dcs Debats (May 22, 1910): “One of the editors of the Echo dc Paris who has inquired from a high ecclesiastical personage what is the position of Soeur Candide in relation" to the Church authorities, has received the following reply: “ Soeur Candide was a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Ann, which has its mother-house at Feugerolles, in the diocese of Agen. She separated herself from this Order several years ago, at the expiration of the term of her yearly vows. She then founded, upon her own personal responsibility, the Association of Nurses of San-Salvador, which is not a religious community. Soeur Candide became thus absolutely independent, and in her position the ecclesiastical authorities knew nothing of the transactions which she carried on, nor, indeed, could they have any claim that she should render them any account of them.’ ” In other words, Soeur Candide was no longer a nun, but a lady at the head of a.lay association founded by herself, and it was in this capacity that she has become entangled in transactions which have led to her arrest.’