Quality of Roman Catholic Education.
In a recent issue we gave a condensed statistical statement concerning the Roman Catholic educational institutions in our country, taking the facts as given by Dr. Dorchester in Zion’s Herald. In a later article in the same journal Dr. Dorchester has carefully compared the character of Roman Catholic education with that given by Protestant and non-sectarian colleges. An examination of the catalogues of ten Roman Catholic colleges, five of them Jesuit colleges in which the course of study is most full and thorough, had led the writer to such conclusions as the following:— 1. The standard of admission is inferior. Many books in Latin and Greek, such as Virgil, Sallust, Cicero’s Orations, Xenophon’s Anabasis, and Homer, which are required for admission to nearly all our Protestant and non-sectarian colleges, are found in the first and second years of the collegiate course of the very best of the Roman Catholic institutions. So also a large part of the mathematics required for admission in the former colleges, both in Algebra and Geometry, are in the first and second years of the regular course of the latter. In most of the Roman Catholic colleges the difference in requirements for admission is still greater. In some of them, Latin and Greek are not commenced till the Freshman year, and even written and mental Arithmetic are in the collegiate course. 2. “The courses of study are not as broad as in the non-Catholic colleges. Less attention is devoted to natural sciences, mental and moral philosophy, political economy, etc. And the elective system of studies has been only sparingly adopted. Nor do they furnish as ample or as valuable facilities for pursuing such inquiries. With the larger departments of modern investigation, the Church of Rome has had less sympathy, preferring to confine herself to an old routine.” 3. The undue prominence given to the study of the Latin language, usually throughout the entire four years’ course. The catalogue of the Jesuit institution known as St. John’s College, at Fordham, N. Y., just out of New York City, states that the philosophical lectures of the last year on Ethics and Civil Society, etc., were given in Latin, and that the students are required to speak Latin, and defend their theses every week in that language. Such defense is often public before the Faculty. The discipline of all these Catholic institutions is most rigid. Other colleges might learn something from their example without adopting such extreme measures as the following: “No books, other than text-books and works of reference recommended by the professors, may be held by the students, unless by permission of the President. Students are not allowed to receive newspapers, except for the reading-room, which is under the direction of the President. Letters received and sent away by the students are subject to the supervision of the college authorities. No private pocket money is allowed in the hands of the students, but must be deposited with the treasurer.” The constant aim in the government of these institutions is to promote the growth of the Roman Catholic faith. Though by very difficult measures, yet by something like the same constancy of aim and effort, should the officers and teachers of all our Protestant and non-sectarian institutions of learning seek to surround the student, both in and out of the recitation room, with genuine Christian influences. In reference to the support of these Roman Catholic institutions by Protestant parents Dr. Dorchester says: “They have been supposed by many American parents, particularly in wealthy and aristocratic circles, to afford advantages for education superior to our non-Catholic schools of like grade; and many daughters have been sent thither for instruction. Academic departments connected with convents have also been patronized for such supposed advantages, and daughters of Protestant parents have thus been lured into the Roman Catholic Church. Close inquiry in regard to the education imparted in these institutions leads to the conclusion that instruction in the fine arts, in the languages, and in the sciences, is far inferior in all elements of true culture to that imparted by non-Catholic schools. They pander to the vanity of wealthy and aristocratic patrons, and aim to make their daughters showy rather than truly cultivated. The whole system is superficial in its plan and execution. Those who come forth well educated become such not by any superior advantages furnished by Roman Catholic schools, but by reason of natural ability or personal application.” The careful discipline in Catholic institutions has in many instances led nominally Protestants to place their daughters under their care. Their pronounced religious character has been preferred to the loose and uncertain moral and religious tone of some other institutions. If we, as Protestants, have any lesson to learn from these Catholic colleges and seminaries, it is to pervade our institutions of learning, through and through, with the spirit of the true religion of Jesus Christ.—Christian Statesman.