CHRISTCHURCH CATHOLIC CONGRESS

New Zealand Tablet, 16 November 1916, Page 45

CHRISTCHURCH CATHOLIC CONGRESS

MR. M. DOYLE'S ADDRESS. This great gathering of fellow-Catholics which I have the honor of addressing this evening, this first diocesan congress called by his Lordship Bishop Brodie, shows in unmistakable terms not only the strength and vigor of Holy Church in this, the youngest diocese of the Dominion, but it is also an unequivocal sign that his Lordship, in conducting the affairs of this diocese, in battling for Catholic rights, and in safeguarding Catholic interests, may rely with fullest confidence on the deep-rooted loyalty, implicit trust, and whole-hearted co-operation of a united and virile Catholic people. In this fair land Catholics enjoy the fullest measure of civil and religious liberty. Living under a flag that is being carried so nobly by the sons of New Zealand to-day on the blood-stained plains of Flanders and Egypt's ancient battlefields, every citizen enjoys equal rights and equal privileges, and as a necessary corollary all submit to an equality of sacrifice. But while it is perfectly true to say that all are equal in the eyes of the law, and that the protection of the law is given to all whatever be the color, race, or creed, it is nevertheless a fact that one great service of the State, one great Government department, is reserved for those who agree with the theory that religion should not be a part of the school training. Those, with equal rights to choose, who desire that their children receive religious instruction with their secular knowledge, not only receive no help from the State to carry out their desires, but are furthermore made to pay for the maintenance of a system of education for other people's children which they cannot make use of for their own. This is the negation of justice and equity, and a violation of the rights of the minority with a vengeance. It is a recognised principle that every man has an inherent right to his own form of belief, and consequently, when the State,which should be neutral, accepts the viewpoint of one section of the community in regard to religious training, it should also give proportionate attention to the opinions of the other sections in the same way as it has made conscription apply to all, with a special reservation for conscientious objectors. If Catholics, and all who are in favor of the secular schools, be likewise exempted from contributing to their upkeep they will willingly accept the alternative of supporting their own schools. This is all that we ask. This is in brief the Catholic educational position. Education, which Milton says is ' Likeness to God through virtue and faith,' is generally defined as the physical, mental, and moral development of the child. It is that which fits a man to perform justly, skilfully, and magnanimously all the offices, both public and private, of peace and war. Of its threefold branches the moral development is the most important, for without it we are but adding power to the uncontrolled engine, pouring oil on the fire, and making still more cunning the hand of the law-breaker. " Till a hundred years ago education had always gone hand in hand with religious training. History shows us that the Church has, ever been the custodian of learning, and the patron of science and art. Its schools and universities upheld the torch of culture in South-Western Europe when the rest of the world was sunk in barbarism, and to-day we see its schools colleges, and universities scattered over the face of the globe. But it may be said, why adopt the theory that religion should form part of the educational system? In the first place, New Zealand is a Christian country and all Christians hold that the child is placed in this world for a time of spiritual trial, hence the religious education of the child to fit it to meet the temptations of after life is logically more necessary than its advancement in secular knowledge, as one decides the soul's eternity, the other is limited to the short span of this lite. The second reason why Catholics cannot, adopt the theory of f non-Christian education is because it is

against the principles of true education, which aim. at the raising up, the elevation of humanity by the harmonious development of the soul and the body. F. V. N. Painter, a "great American educationalist, whose history of education is now being used as a text-book for the teachers' examinations by the New Zealand Government, on page 2 of this work says: ' Religion, that ineradicable sense of dependence on a supernatural being, has always exercised a noteworthy influence on education. It is religion that has . furnished the strongest support of morals and cherished the loftiest ideals of life. The education of the present day in Europe and America is Christian education, for its universality rests on the worth of the individual as a child of God, and the perfection at which it aims is to be found in the rules and duties inculcated in the New Testament. The schools of the modern world, with their surpassing excellence and many-sided activities, are directly traceable to religious influences.' The New Zealand Government evidently differs from its official text-book, and wishes its schools to be run in a manner antagonistic to the educational system of the old world and the new. In other words, our paternal Government wishes us to observe the law of the land, which is aimed at securing Christian social relations, whilst in effect denying the necessity of Christianity on which the fabric of these laws and our modern civilisation is based. The third reason why Catholics cannot accept a. pagan basis for the education of their children is because religion is the foundation of the moral law, for if religion be not used as a basis when teaching the child its moral obligations, what reason except convenience, fear, or altruistic motives, which unfortunately only appeal to the few, can be adduced for asking the child to take the harder path. It is in this particular that the secular system of education fails, for when the heart and conscience are ignored, the noblest part of a child his soul— left uncultivated, and thus he is sent into the world— ship without a rudderwithout adequate ideas of the reason of his existence and his hereafter. The brief hour at Sunday school can do little. Every Catholic esteems the zeal for Christian education shown by the Sunday school teachers of all denominations, but with all diffidence we do not consider that the training of a child in Christian knowledge can be adequately performed in one hour a week, for the child is not a fool and judges the importance of the subject by the time bestowed on it. The Anglican Bishop of this diocese, in the conference just closed, gave a lead to his Church to establish parochial schools, thus fully endorsing the Catholic position that religious instruction to be adequate must be made part of the school curriculum. _ A Government system of education should be national, should include every section of the community, people of all faiths and creeds. The present system, which in effect shuts off Catholics from its advantages, is thus not a national system; and if the Anglican Bishop of Christchurch is right, it does not satisfy Anglicans for the Christian education of their children any more than it satisfies Catholics. The Protestants of New Zealand number 86 per cent., the Catholics 14 per cent., of the pupulation. Of the non-Catholic churches, the Church of England in point of numbers easily holds pride of place, having 41 per cent, of the whole population of the Dominion in her communion. This Church is showing its disapproval of the secular system so strongly that it is apparently going to tackle in real earnest the question of establishing separate religious schools. In 1913 a commission appointed by this Church to go into the education question reported as follows: 'From every point of view, the Church will never be in a position to carry out its paramount duty towards the young until we possess primary schools of our own, which will not only afford a sound education for many of our children, but will also become training centres for the teachers of the future.' This report admirably expresses the Catholic view. The dissenting Churches likewise are not satisfied with, the present system, and they have shown their dissatisfaction' by endeavoring, in con-

formity with their conscience, to set their 'system of religious ' training, Bible-reading, introduced into the schools, and Catholics, it is unnecessary for me to say are against the godless system and are showing their sincerity to the extent of spending over £IOO,OOO each year on separate schools. As therefore the educational system of New Zealand is not national, how does our National Government, that supposedly represents all the peoplej reconcile its attitude in regard to Catholic schools with its democratic professions ? I venture to say that this meeting will bring nearer the time, now not far distant, when the Government will come to see the reasonableness, justice, and necessity of changing its opinions on this question as it has done on a few others. As a Catholic I would willingly co-operate with any religious body, whose aim is to give every denomination the right of having their children taught in their own form of belief, by using the money collected from all for educational purposes. Then the present secular system could be made use of by those who believe in secular education, and those who uphold Christian education would not bo forced to use nonCatholic schools or pay double in supporting schools of their own. Throughout the ages religion and education have gone together. Their severance was brought about by French enemies of religion, in order, as they said, to kill Christianity: and we see to-day the result of nonChristian education in France in the prevalence of race suicide and the shortage of manhood that is now so vitally affecting the continuance of the race. If religion has some pernicious, some stultifying influence on education, or if it be a useless adjunct, then let it be discarded, but if, on the other baud, we adopt the belief and practice of Christendom from the earliest time and maintain that religion is an essential part of true education, then it must be maintained in the schools come what may. But it may be said we can give our children religious training in the home, and surround them with a Christian atmosphere. «. Mow many can truthfully lay claim to having the time or the inclination to commence instructing the little ones after a day's work, and even if that were possible why subject the child to different influences in the school and in the home ? It is generally admitted that the home, the school, and the church go together in the moral upbringing of the child, and the school can undo all too easily the work of the other two. In fact, if Christianity is to be excluded from the formative period of life, and from the school which has the most vital influence on character building, why not cut it out altogether ? Some again tell us that religion would be a good thing to teach in the schools, but it is not the duty of the State to teach religion. Well, if that be so, why not entrust the duty to those who can teach it, and give capitation to all denominations that can show a sufficient number of pupils to establish. school centres, thus allowing those who for conscience' sake are supporting their own schools, whilst contributing to the upkeep of the State schools, that meed of. justice to which they are entitled ? I now come to the taunt thai we are trying to break up the educational system. This bogey of breaking up the secular system if simple justice is rendered to those whose conscience debars them from using the public schools has been repeated so often that it is now used whenever the educational system is criticised, like that blessed word Mesopotamia, forgetting the fact that our public educational system is being constantly reformed, enlarged, expurgated, modernised, grouped, and divided till the only staple point remaining is its godless secularism.. As Catholics we ask a just share of the money which we ourselves contribute for the secular education given in our schools, and we will be most pleased to have the Government inspectors see that the money has been

truly, earned. The Government pay, and justly pay, the. Salvation Army for the upkeep and secular services they render at Pakatoa; but no Catholic suggests that this money is paid by the Government for the propagation of the Salvation Army, or for the Christian influences, pious instructions, and self-sacrifice on the Salvation Army staff of that institution. The religious schools are part of the State system in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and even Germany, also within the Empire they are subsidised in New Found]and, Quebec, Ontario, and Great Britain. In Great Britain over 53 per cent, of the schools are denominational. In fact, so steady is the. growth of these schools, that as far back as 1891 Mr. Chamberlain said : 'To destroy denominational schools is now an impossibility, and nothing is more astounding than the progress they have made since the Education Act of 1870. I had thought they would die out with the establishment of the board schools, but I have been mistaken, for in (lie last 23 years they have doubled their accommodation and-.more than doubled heir subscription list The Hound Table, one of the soundest: British quarterly magazines, in its September issue pays a great tribute to (lie schools .of Britain in the following terms: 'The war has indeed revealed great shortcomings in detail in the English educational system, especially in the higher branches, but on the whole it has been a vindication of its essential soundness, and has proved xis a nation not only sound and strong in character, but: far more adaptable both in soldiering and in industry than either we or our enemies suspected. The bravery of our volunteers and the success of our new army in Prance are heroic tributes not only to our homes, but to our schools.' And we in New Zealand. have to remember that over half these schools are denominational schools. Why cannot we receive the same treatment here in this ' God's own country,' as in tlie countries I have mentioned. The ex-pupils of the Catholic schools in New Zealand cost, the Government not one penny for their education, but when the drums beat, to war, they contributed their full proportion to the Dominion Army, and nobly upheld the honor of their schools in storming the heights of Gallipoli, in holding the Empire's waterway at the Suez Canal, and in crushing the flower of the Germany Army in the advance on the Sbmme. We are working all together to build up a grand and glorious nation, and we see before us the sad results obtained by divorcing religion from the schools of the nation in the supine materialistic spirit which lias made America in this world crisis a by-word among the nations. They have no God in their schools, they have pursued for decades a system of heartless moneygrubbing, and to-day when civilisation shrieks for help, and honor, justice and even humanity itself seem likely to be crushed under the heels of the Kaiser's hordes, America abandons its blood relations across the Atlantic, and, sacrificing its national spirit for the almighty dollar, crucifies its manhood on a cross of gold. My Lord, Rev. Fathers, ladies and gentlemen, I have every confidence in the justice and fair dealing of our non-Catholic fellow-citizens, and I feel that it only requires a proper understanding of the Catholic claims on their part for us to receive full justice. The eloquent and gifted speakers .who are going to address you this evening will do a great deal towards helping forward this fuller understanding of our position, and the enthusiasm, the earnestness, and the solidarity of this vast, assemblage will let our parliamentary representatives know that the time has come for them to commence the study of Catholic educational claims with all seriousness.