The Catholic World, Vol. 21, April, 1875, to September, 1875: A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and ScienceVarious
Religion
The Catholic World, Vol. 21, April, 1875, to September, 1875: A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and Science
Various
Catholic Church -- Periodicals
A few lines lower the Catholic parent or guardian receives still
more satisfactory information on this crucial point. After a glowing
description of the life of the inmates, he is informed that they, “on the
Sabbath, are furnished with suitable religious and moral instruction.”
Just what is wanted by the child! “Sabbath,” it is true, has come to
have a Protestant sound; but as for “suitable religious and moral
instruction,” there can be no doubt that the only religious instruction
suitable for a Catholic child is that of the Catholic religion, and such
as would be given him outside in the Sunday-school by the Catholic priest
or teacher. He is just as much a Catholic inside that institution as he
was outside; and there is no more right in law or logic to force upon
him a system of non-Catholic and anti-Catholic instruction within than
without its walls. Let us see, then, of what this moral and religious
instruction consists; if Catholic, all our difficulties are over.
Turning a few pages, we come to the “Report of the Chaplain.” _The_
chaplain! The chaplain, then, is the gentleman charged with furnishing
“on the Sabbath” the “suitable religious and moral instruction” of the
Catholic child. The chaplain is the Rev. George H. Smyth, evidently
a clergyman of some denomination. His name is not to be found in the
Catholic directory. He is probably, then, not a Catholic priest. However,
his report may enlighten us.
It occupies five and a half pages, and renders an admirable account
of--the Rev. George H. Smyth, who, to judge of him by his own report,
must be an exceedingly engaging person, and above all a powerful
preacher. No doubt he is. He informs us that the children have shown,
among other good qualities, “an earnest desire to receive instruction,
both secular and religious.” That is cheering news. It is worthy of note,
too, the distinction made between the secular and religious instruction
of the children. That is just the Catholic ground. Children require
both kinds of instruction--instruction in their religion, as well as in
reading, writing, ciphering, and so on. The Catholic parent or guardian
congratulates himself, then, on the fact that his child or ward will
not be deprived of instruction in his religion while an inmate of the
institution. All satisfactory so far; but let us read Mr. Smyth a little
more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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