Newspaper Page Text
THE BULLETIN, September 3, 1960—PAGE 3
The Catholic In America
In Public Schools
TOASTMASTER AT STATES DINNER—William T. Jordan, Jr., State Deputy and Conven
tion Chairman, was toastmaster at the August 16th dinner. Left to right: the Rt. Rev. Msgi. Leo
M. Finn, P.A., Supreme Chaplain, and the Most Reverend Vincent S. Waters, D.D., Bishop of
Raleigh. At front: Francis Fauteux, of Quebec, a Supreme Director. — (Van Buren Colley Photo)
MONDAY OPEN HOUSE — Above, left to right, at the Monday evening open house
were Mrs. William T. Jordan, Jr., State Deputy Jordan, and Mme. Charles Dube, wife of a
Canadian delegate. The open house was. sponsored by the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio. — (Van Buren Colley Photo)
SUPREME KNIGHT -
(Continued from Page 2)
The spurious oath is supposed
to be for Fourth Degree Knights.
This is the genuine oath taken
by fourth degree Knights of
Columbus:
“I swear to support the Con
stitution "5f the United Stat.es.
I pledge myself, as a Catholic
citizen and a Knight of Colum
bus, fully to enlighten myself
upon my duties as a citizen and
conscientiously perform t h e m
entirely in the interest of my
country, regardless of personal
consequences. I pledge myself to
do all in my power to preserve
the integrity and purity of the
ballot and to promote respect
for law and order. I promise to
practice my religion consistent
ly and faithfully, and to so con
duct myself in public affairs and
in the exercise of public virtue
as to reflect nothing but credit
upon our Holy Church, to the
end that she may flourish and
our country prosper to the
greater honor and glory of
God.”
By Rev. Peter J. Rahill, Ph.D.
This is one of a series of
articles reviewing the position
'and experience of the practicing
Catholic in the life of the Ameri
can community from Colonial
times. The, author holds a doc
torate in American Church His
tory; has been a seminary pro
fessor, and is presently Historian
of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Eighteenth century American
Catholics may have thought
that they had plumbed the
nadir of colonial intolerance
during the French and Indian
War. The Acadians had felt the
Congressmens
Mail Reflects
Oath Circulation
WASHINGTON, (NC) — Mail
received here by members of
Congress reflects to some extent
the circulation of the bogus
Knights of Columbus "oath" in
various parts of the country.
It is not necessarily a precise
barometer, because it represents
only those who have been mov
ed to write a letter about it.
It has been reported in recent
days that the bogus “oath” is
being circulated in Texas. A
canvass of the Texas delegation
in Congress indicates that the
circulation in that state, or the
reaction at any rate has been
spotty.
The mail clearly indicaies
that persons writing to Texas
Senators and representatives
have seen the bogus "oath" or
have heard about it. In many
cases the letter enclose a copy
of the fake "oath." The letters
themselves request copies of
the Congressional Record of
February 15, 1913, in which the
vicious "oath" was reproduced
for purposes of showing it to be
false.
Calls at the offices of Texas
lawmakers produced these re
sponses:
Several said they had receiv
ed no requests for the issue of
the Congressional Record in
question.
Two offices said they had re
ceived one request each. In one
. case it was said the request
came from a Texan “who is, a
good friend of the Congressman
and a Knight of Columbus.”
A number said they had re
ceived a few requests and in
terpreted this to mean from
three or four to a half-dozen. In
one case the half-dozen requests
came all at one time.
One office said it had recently
received “very many” requests
for a copy of the particular Rec
ord. It said this meant a “couple
of dozen.”
The highest estimate by any
office was that it had received
"30 to 35 requests in the last
few weeks."
“TrfTMjr |
’ 4 3
deepest bite of the lash in ex
pulsion from their native Nova
Scotia.
Southward in the territory
now the United States the “Act
for disarming the Papists” must
have been extremely humiliat
ing for any Catholic of conse
quence. Whether or not an in
dividual’s house was searched
for weapons, the suspicion cast
upon his loyalty entirely be
cause of his religion presented
a severe test of his fidelity to
the Church. In adopting the
animosity of the government of
the mother country toward the
ancient religion, colonial anti-
Catholicism had out-heroded
Herod.
HOPES DASHED
The fall of Quebec not only
brought death to the gallant
Marshal Montcalm but so ex
tinction of New France. In the
Treaty of Paris of 1763 the
French monarchy ceded all
claim to the vast territory north
and west of the British colonies.
For Catholics living in the Eng
lish provinces it must have
brought a rosy gleam of hope.
No longer would any reason
exist for charging the faithful
with sympathy for their co-reli
gionists fighting under the Lilies
of France. Could they not look
forward to a definite improve
ment in their status?
All these expectations were
dashed in the controversy which
arose both in England and in the
colonies over the Quebec Act.
The fresh difficulty for the
Catholics in the English colonies
originated in the refusal of the
French and Spanish govern
ments to jettison their former
subjects at the peace conference.
The defeated powers had in
sisted the all-conquering gov
ernment of King George III not
discriminate against the newly
acquired inhabitants because of
their Catholicity. This solicitude
resulted in the inclusion of the
following clause in the Treaty
of Paris; "His Brittanic Majesty
... agrees to grant the liberty
of the Catholic religion to the
inhabitants of Canada . . ." An
nounced by proclamation on the
Feast of the Most Holy Rosary
of 1763, the Quebec Act was
hotly debated on both sides of
the Atlantic for 11 long years.
Becoming a law on the eve of
the American Revolution, it un
questionably was a cause of the
colonial rebellion.
ONE INSTANCE will indicate
that the Catholics in America
did not presume upon the free
dom proposed by the Quebec
Act. With any priest subject to
expulsion or even death if ap
prehended in the English colo
nies, it will be readily appre
ciated that no bishop was pres
ent. Once the territory east of
the Mississippi was united under
one rule, the Holy See proposed
that Bishop Jean Oliver Briand
of Quebec visit the faithful
along the Atlantic seaboard, es
pecially in Pennsylvania and
Maryland.
Father Ferdinand Farmer’s re
sponse to the suggestion was
prompt and decisive. This zeal
ous priest pointed out to Bishop
Briand that any indulgence en
joyed was contrary to the letter
of the law. The presence of a
bishop, even temporarily, might
invite summary action. This dis
aster would counterbalance by
far the obvious benefits of the
episcopal visit, even the spirit
ual advantages of the sacra
ments conferred.
'CATHOLICKS' EXCLUDED
Almost two hundred years
later it would appear that, the
priest had correctly interpreted
the ill temper of American non-
Catholics of the 1770’s. A review
of the more flagrant incidents of
these years will suffice. One
had taken place the previous
year. The Boston Committee of
Correspondence had enumerated
the causes of dissatisfaction
among the settlers. One of the
rights demanded was “to wor
ship according to the dictates of
one’s own conscience.”
But while insisting upon this
freedom from the mother coun
try, the new Englanders ex
plicitly denied it to "Roman
Caiholicks." In addition to the
usual vituperation of "Babylon's
Whore," as the Church was
branded, the New Englanders
cited the British Toleration Act
of 1689 as a firm legal precedent
for this disbarment.
No dissent was voiced to this
exception in any of the 13 colo
nies. With an increase in the
disagreement between parent
and children, the famous Suf
folk Resolves were passed by
the New Englanders in 1774.
Article 10 of these resolutions
explicity condemned the. free
dom of conscience granted to
Roman Catholics in Canada as
“dangerous in an extreme de
gree to the Protestant religion
and to the civil rights and liber
ties of all Americans.”
Paul Revere carried a copy of
the declaration to the Con
tinental Congree. That body
promptly approved without
qualification all the resolutions
and broadcast them to the news
papers throughout the colonies.
More and more does it become
clear that the Quebec Act was a
.direct cause of the American
Revolution.
ANIMOSITY DEEP-SEATED
The ability of the men who
comprised the First Continental
Congree has been acknowledged
both by those who favored the
position of the colonies and
those who supported the mother
country. What was the attitude
of men of this high caliber to
ward Catholiesm? The written
statements which this body
composed and approved stand
witness to the innermost senti
ments of the members.
Addresses were sent to the
King, declarations issued of
rights and greivances, and an
appeal made to the people of
Great Britain, all during the
month of October, 1774. Every
one of these declarations listed
the Quebec Act as an injustice
to the colonists and an intent
to enslave them.
The exact language of the af
firmation to the people of the
Great Britain should be reliable
indicator of the detestation
these gentlemen had toward
Catholicism. Therein it was
characterized as “a religion that
has deluged your island with
blood, and dispersed impiety,
bigotry, persecution, murder and
rebellion through every part of
the world.”
So it was no uneducated mob
or a few demagogues who hurl
ed the invectives against the
Church in the English colonies.
The tradition of animosity to
ward Catholics and their beliefs
was so deep-seated that there
were scarcely any who even
Expert Witnesses Appear
At Hearing On Grace, Hymns
FREEHOLD, N. J„ (NC)—Ex
pert witnesses for both sides ap
peared here before a State
Board of Education hearing on
thelegality of permitting the re
citation of grace and the singing
of hymns in area public schools.
A Presbyterian minister who
is a professor of religion told
the hearing (Aug. 17) that re
moval of all religious prefer
ences from public schools
"could make a shambles" of the
schools' curricula.
A Unitarian minister argued
that grace and hymns amount to
religious exercises. A professor
of philosophy and psychology
said they have caused a mental
conflict in the seven-year-old
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John
Gould who have initiated the
attack on the practices.
Dr. John Hutchison, head of
the Religious Department of
Columbia University, New York,
and a Presbyterian minister,
testified that recognition of a
"Supreme Being" is basic in
Western civilization.
Exposure of public pupils to
this “sentiment,” he declared, is
“an important part of the edu
cational task.” He warned that
a “curtain of silence” over reli
gion in public schools “would be
a catastrophe for America and
public education.”
Dr. Hutchison was called as
an expert witness by the local
Board of Education in defense
if its policy of allowing grace
and hymns in elementary
schools.
Also appearing for the local
school board was Dr. Lewis
Worsen, head of the music de
partment of the Philadelphia
Public School System, who tes
tified that the singing of hymns
is not necessarily a religious ex
ercise. “Religious songs,” K?:
said, “are part of our national
heritage.”
Appearing for ihe Goulds was
Ihe Rev. Siraughan L. Gettier,
pastor of the Princeton Unitar
ian Church, who said that hymn
singing and grace are "most
definitely" religious exercises.
They belong in the home and
4TH DEGREE PRAISED BY SUPREME KNIGHT — Above are the 4th Degree Knights as they entered the Cathedral of
Christ the King for the Solemn Pontifical Mass on Tuesday, August 16. Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart showered praise Upon the
4th Degree and Georgia Knights serving on convention cOinmittees. — (Van Bufen Colley Photo)
BISHOP WATERS DELIVERED SERMON — The Most
Reverend Vincent S. Waters, D.D., Bishop of Raleigh, gave the
sermon at the Solemn Pontifical Mass at the Cathedral of Christ
the King, as the 78th Annual Supreme Convention of the Knights
of Columbus began ih Atlanta.—(Van BUren Colley Photo)
questioned this antagonism.
EXPEDIENCY and the real
ization that actual physical help
might be needed accounts for
the appeal to the Canadians ra
ther than lack of conviction hy
the Continental Congree in its
fulminations against the Church.
The Address to the inhabitants
of Quebec was dispatched also
in the month of October, 1774.
The Quebec Act itself had been
written for the benefit of these
people, who had been subjects
of the British crown for only
slightlv more than a decade.
Catholicism being free and un
restricted had been the princi
pal irritant to the English colo
nists in the Quebec Act.
Yet the appeal for a united
stand by them against the moth
er country included this state
ment: “We are all too well acr
quainted with the liberality of
sentiment distinguishing vour
nation, to imagine that differ
ences of religion would preju-
dioe you against a hearty amity
with us.”
It is possible to conceive a
more complete reversal of posi
tion than was disnlayed by the
First Continental Congress with
in a few days? More truly may
it he asserted that no change
in sentiment had occurred. With
almost the same pen as had
written the appeal to the Cana
dians there was dispatched a
second Petition to the Kino.
Therein the members of the
Coneress repeated their com
plaint about the freedom exe-
tended Catholics in the North!
War clouds always are fore-
bodino; but come war or peace,
the colonial Catholics of 1775
apparently had no hope of an
improved situation. True. Great
Britain had abated her snti-
Catholic meausres for the bene
fit of the Canadians. The viru
lence of the protest provoked
negated any expectation of the
indulaene being broadened to
include "these free Protestant
colonies."
On the other hand, those
promoting a complete breach of
the ties with the mother country
were the verv ones most bitter
in vilifying the Church. Reten
tion of their heritage of Faith
in the face of increasing oppres
sion had long since proved the
courage and fortitude of the
colonial Catholics. The enthusi
asm with which this beleaguer
ed group joined the struggle for
national as well as religious
liberty will be inspiring to
every Catholic today.
(Continued Next Issue)
the church, he said, not in the
public school.
Dr. Ralph Winn, chairman of
philosophy and psychology at
Monmouth College, Long
Branch, said the hymns and
grace have create a conflict in
the mind of seven-year-old El
len Gould because her parents’
beliefs differ from beliefs im
plied in the school exercises.
On cross examination by
school board attorney Arnold
Tanner, however, Dr. Winn ad
mitted that Ellen has had no
serious after-effects from the al
leged cocnfliet. He also ad-
mited that the conflict could
well result from conditions in
the child’s home environment.
The six-hour hearing was con
ducted y Eric Groezinger, as
sistant state commissioner of
education. It was attended by
an audienceof 100 persons, most
ly women.
Dr. Groezinger said the hear
ing was for the sole purpose of
recording the expert testimony.
He said attorneys for both sides
will be permitted to file further
briefs before a decision is hand
ed down by the State Depart
ment of Education.
Mr. Gould, 30, is a Czechoslo
vakian-born toolmaker. He
wants grace and hymns and all
“religious exercises” abolished
fn the schools here, contending
they violate state and Federal
precepts of separation of Church
and State.
New Jersey law permits the
recitation of at least five verses
from the Old Testament and the
Lord’s Prayer daily in public
schools.
The Freehold school board
contends that the saying of
grace does not conflict with this
law because the grace used by
the children before the morning
milk break is a verse from the
Old Testament, which reads;
"O give thanks unto the Lord;
for He is good; for His mercy
endure th forever."
The specific hymns objected
to Mr. Gould and his wife are
the Christmas carols, “Away in
a Manger,” Silent Night,” si
“O Come All Ye Faithful,”
addition to several unspecif
Hanukkah hymns.
According to school
adopted in 1957, children are
required either to say the gra
or to sing the hymns. Thos
who do not wish to participate
are asked to maintain a respect
ful silence.
In papers filed with the State
Department of Education, Mr.
Gould staled he has "illusory
conceptions" of reality and "I
don't concern myself with the
existence of a personal God."
He said he believes his children
should be permitted to choose
their own religion on non-reli
gion without being inhibited by
Chrlslian-Jewish influences of
grace and hymns.
World Council
Welcomes
Vatican Council
(Radio, N.C.W.C. Nevis Service)
SAINT ANDREWS, Scotland
—The Central Committee of the
World Council of Churches wel
comed the coming Second Vat
ican Council and the Holy See’s
new secretariat on Christian
Unity.
The committee, the policy
making body of the organiza
tion of 172 Protestant, Anglican
and Orthodox denominations,
held its annual meeting in this
Scottish town famed for its
ruins of an ancient Catholic ca
thedral and its monument to
Protestant reformers.
The meeting (Aug. 16-24)
brought together some 300
churchmen representing mem
ber communions of the World
Council in more than 50 coun
tries. In addition, four Roman
Catholic priests and two Rus
sian Orthodox priests were pre
sent as observers. The Catholic
observers included Msgr. Jan
G. M. Willebrands, Dutch priest
whom Pope John recently ap
pointed as secretary of the Sec
ond Vatican Council’s Secre
tariat on Christian Unity.
The Central Committee re
ceived a review of recent de
velopments in the Roman Cath
olic Church. The report, pre
sented by the 12-member exec
utive committee, described the
Second Vatican Council to be
summoned by His Holiness Pope
John XXIII as an event which,
“while not dealing directly with
the question of unity is meant
to have, a considerable influence
on the ecumenical situation.”