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On this Page 6
CONSECRATION OF THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC BISHOP.
On Sunday, November 2, many South Aus-
tralians had an opportunity of witnessing one of
the most impressive ceremonials of the Roman
Catholic Church, an event which may be seen
perhaps but once in a lifetime, and which
certainly will not easily be forgotten by those
who were spectators on the occasion. The
advancement of a priest to the dignity of the
Episcopate most always be regarded as a cir-
cumstance of importance, and this being the
first time in the history of the diocese of Ade-
laide that the chief pastor of the Romish
Church here has been consecrated amongst his
flock, gave additional interest to the event. This
was intensified by the presence of the Venerable
Roman Catholic Primate of Australia aad three
prelates from the sister colonies, who formed
such an aseemblige of the pillars of the Church
at has never before bees seen m this province.
The solemn act of consecration took place at
St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, before a crowded
congregation, including many members of other
denominations. There were no decorations in
the building beyond the gallery and pulpit
being draped with crimson, but the panels of
the chancel have lately been repainted in a
chaste and appropriate style, and the altar was
adornsd with flowers. The space occupied by
the sanctuary was somewhat extended, in order
to afford more room.
At 10 o'clock a procession entered. First
came a boy bearing a large gilt cross, followed
by about 30 acolytes in scarlet and white, pre
ceding the Yen. Archdeacon Russell, master of
the ceremonies; the Rev. P. Keogh, assistant ;
the Revs. Dr. O'Connor (Sydney), M. Hager,
T. Bongaerts, C. Von der Heyden, J. Quin
lan, P. Moore, P. Hughes, J. Maher, M.
O'Connor, aud J. O'Sullivan ; Messrs. Wil
liams, Carroll, and Pet-cell. Next appeared
the assistant consecrators. Dr. Murphy,
Bishop of Hobart Town, with his chaplain,
the Rev. P. Kennedy ; Dr. Quinn, Bishop
of Bathurst, and his chaplain, the Rev. P.
Corcoran. The prelates were attired in mitres
and magnificent copes of cloth of gold, the
upper portion embroidered with flowers in
natural colours. Dr. Murray, Bishop of Mait
land, was attended by the Rev. Father Bourke
as chaplain, and had on the ordinary purple of a
Bishop. The Archbishop (the Consecrator), who
was preceded by an acoiyte bearing his silver
pastoral staff, followed, attired in vestments of
black satin, and supported by his chaplains,
Fathers Colletti, of Sydney, and Strele, S.J.
At the last came the Bishop-elect, the Very
Rev. C. A. Reynolds, wearing his biretta and
robed in a cope of white moire antique, worked
with flowers and fringed with gold. His
chaplains were the Very Rev. F. Byrne and
the Rev. J. Tappeiner, S. J.
Entering the sanctuary, the organ playing
the meanwhile, the Metropolitan was conducted
to his throne and robed for luass, the vestments
including a tunic of rich lace and a cream
coloured satin chasuble, the cross in which was
jewelled, and a Gothic mitre. He then seated
himself before the altar, and the Bishop-Elect
was conducted before him by the assistant
Bishops, and as all the different officials took up
their positions, the scene, tempered by the sub
dued light which came through the stained
glass windows, was very imposing. The assis
tants having demanded in Latin (which was the
language throughout the proceedings} consecra
tion for the Elect, the consecrator's notary (the
Rev. F. Byrne) read the apoetolks tpanHgta
authorizing it The Bishop-Elect kneeling
before the Consecrator took the oath of
spiritual fealty and obedience, after which,
in reply to an examination from the Consecrator,
be promised to bend his understanding to the
meaning of divine Scripture and conform to it,
to teach the people both by word and example,
to keep the traditions of the orthordox fathers,
to restrain his conduct from evil, to observe
charity and sobriety, to abstain from earthly
business, to observe and teach humility, and to
be compassionate to all in need. Next followed
an examination as to discipline of the Church on
matters of faith.
The Elect then kissed the hand of the Conse
crator on his knees, and the Consecrator, laying
aside his mitre, turned to the altar and began
the confiteor or confession of faith. Whilst the
Mass was being proceeded with the assistants
led Father Reynolds to his own chapel,
where, taking off his cope, he was vested
with full canonicals. His souttaine was
of purple silk, with lace tunic and white
and gold chasuble of elegant workmanship.
After reading the Mass down to tha same point
as the Consecrator, he returned to the middle
altar, where the Consecrator prayed for the
bleseine of God upon him. The dignitaries
prostrated themselves while the litany of
the Saints was sung, and at ' we beseech thee
to hear us,' the Consecrator rose, and making
the sign of the cross three times over the Elect,
besought God to bless, sanctify aud consecrate
him. The Litany ended, the Bishop-Elect
knelt down— the book of the Gospels being held
open on his neck and shoulders. The Consecrator
and assistants touching his head, said, 'Receivo
the Holy Ghost,' after which the Consecrator
offered up thanks, and prayed that the graces
which charmed the eye, and were prefigured in
his variety of ornaments and costly apparel,
mig_ht appear in the conduct of the Elect The
'\eni Creator' having been intoned, the Con
secrntor anointed the head of the Bleat, and
prayed tliat he might be endowed with every
grace and power. Then the Consecrator began
the antiphon, ' Like ointment on the head that
ran dewn upon the beard of Aaron, which ran
down to the skirt of his garment, the Lord hath
commanded blessing for ever,' and the 132nd
Psalm was said. The hands of the Elect were
next anointed, the Consecrator baying, ' May
these bands be anointed with consecrated oil
and the chrism of sanctification. As Samuel
anointed David King and Prophet, so be thon
anointed and consecrated in the name of God
the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
making the likeness of the holy cross of our
Saviour, Jesus Christ, who hath redeemed us
from death and Drought us to the kingdom of
heaven. Hear us lovingly, O Almighty Father,
eternal God. and giant that we may obtain what
we ask of Thee. Tbreugn the same, kc. Amen.'
The pastoral crosier waa than blessed and
sprinkled with holy water, and delivered to the
newly-made Bishop, now called the Consecrated,
with these words:— 'Receive the staff of the
pastoral office, (bat you may be piously severe
in correcting vices, holding judgment without
anger, soothing the minds of the hearers by pro
moting virtues, not losing sight of strictness in
the calmness of severity. The Consacrator then
blessed the ring as follows:—' Let us pray. O,
Creator and Preserver of mankind, giver of
spiritual grace, grantor of eternal salvation, do
Thou, O Lord, send forth Thy blessing upon this
ring, that whoever shall be signed with this sign
of our most holy faith, may by the strength of
this heavenly defence be enabled to raise
for himself eternal life. Through, 4c. Amen.'
The ring was sprinkled with holy water,
and placed on the finger of the Consecrated, the
Consecrator saying 'Receive this ring, the sign
of fidelity, that, adorned with unblemished
faith, you may, without stain, guard the Spouse
of God, which is His Holy Church. Amen.'
The Book of the Gospels, which had all this
time been held on the shoulders of the Con
secrated, was removed and delivered to him,
and the kiss of peace given to him by the Con
secrator and assistants.
The Censecrator and Consecrated proceeded in
the Maw as far as the offertory, when the latter
offered to the former two lighted torches, two
loaver, and two small barrels of wine, to be used
in the Sacrifice. The ' Agnus Dei' having been
sung, both advanced to the same altar and pro
ceeded together in the Mass, there being one
host and one chalice for both. The Con
secrator ga-re the place to the Consecrated and
the assistants and administered the Communion
after which the mitre and glove* were separately
blessed, and assumed by the Consecrated, who,
baying been enthroned, passed through the
Church with the assBtants, giving his blessing to
all, the -'Te Deum' being sung during his
progress. On their return te the altar more
prayers and the Gospel of 8t John were
repeated, and the Primate and three prelates
retired, the former reappearing dm mg the
delivery of the sermon in the vestment! which
he bad worn at first, and the Bishops in porple.
Tto 'ollowing sermon was given in English by
'Take heed to yoonehw and to all the flock
over which the Holy Ghoat hath plaoad you
Bishops to rul» the Church of God. which Be
hath purcfaiMd with Hi* own blood.'-Aots of
the Apostles, chap. xx. r. 28. These words,
dearly beloved brethren, which I have quoted
from the Acts of the Apostles, were addressed
by the great Apostle at the Gentiles to the
ancients of the Church of Bphwdi with the view
of calling their attention to the high commission
entrusted to them by God of feeding the people
confided to their care, of instructing them in
sound doctrine, of preserving them from
poisonous pastures, and protecting them from
the incursions of the ravenous wolves, who, after
his departure, would eater in among them, not
sparing the flock. They were addressed, too,
under circumstaaces that could not but make a
lasting impression on the dergy of Ephesus, for
he held out no hope of ever seeing them again.
'And now behola, bound in the Spirit I go to
Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall
befal me there, only that the Holy Ghost in
every city witneeseth to me, saving that chains
and afflictions wait for me at Jerusalem. And
now behold I know that all you among whom
I have gone preaching the kingdom of
God shall see my face no more.' It is, I
am sure, unnecessary for me to say that the
occasion which has called us together to-day is
one of great importance and unusual interest,
for we are all assembled in great numbers in
this Cathedral Church of Adelaide, not only
from the various districts of the vast colony of
South Australia, but both prelates, priests, and
members of the laity have come here to-day
from other colonies to testify their deep interest
in the solemn proceedings, full of hope and
promise for the welfare of the Church and
Diocese of Adelaide. The vast crowds here
assembled from all quarters of the Diocese, and
the attendance of bo many members of other
denominations, clearly point out to me that you
fully appreciate the occasion as I do, rendered
itill more interesting by the fact that for the
first time in the history of this Diocese has its
Chief Pastor been consecrated in his own Cathe
dral and in the midst of his own flock. It is
always, my dear brethren, a solemn thing to
witness the transmission of the Apostolic Office
—an act by which the Church renews her
vigour, provides for her. preservation and expan
lion. As the plants throw out the seed* that
produce other plants which take their place
when they have themselves decayed, so the
Church organized by Christ preserves her life and
integrity, and meets the exigencies of the hour
by the transmission of the Apostolic Office, with
all its duties, its graces, and its responsibilities,
from age to age, from generation to
generation, from her duly ordained minis
ters to others appointed and called by God
to the sublime offico of the Apoetolate. These
circumstances all combined, my dear brethren,
cannot but fill you with joy, and cause you tore
joice at seeing one, I may almost say taken from
among yourselves and placed over you to guide
and direct you in the ways of salvation, charged
with the onerous duty of governing this vast
diocese, with a full knowledge of all its wants
and requirements. But for you, my Lord,
placed as you are to-day as a watchman on the
towers of Israel, whose light is this day placed
on the candlestick, on whose soul God imprints
a character that distinguishes you from all other
men now and for evermore, it is an event of
very great concern. Christ this day makes you
a commander of His hosts, with all the powers
and with all the graces attached to that high
position. The Church, which is His agent in
this great work, has endeavoured to impress
them on you in the beautiful ceremonial which
we ar8 all witnessing with such delight &°d
which causes you to approach in fear and
trembling the venerable pontiffs who by the
imposition of their hands pour upon you the
Holy Spirit of God, that by His power you may
be strengthened ' to feed the flock of God which
is among yoa, taking care thereof noi by cob
straint, but willingly, according to God, neither
for the sake of filthy lucre Dut voluntarily,
neither as domineering over the clergy, but
being made a pattern of the flock from the
heart.' .While all around you, both prelates,
priests, and people, are joyful at your eleva
tion to the Episcopate, you, my Lord, deeply
impressed with the awful responsibility of the
dignity to which you have been, through the
mercy of God, raised_te-day, seem, if I rightly
interpret the sentiments of your inmost soul, to
beg our united prayers that the Church of Ade
laide may have in you a worthy and useful ad
ministrator, so that when the Prince of Pastors
shall appear you shall receive a never-fading
crown of glory. Impressed with the same t-pirit,
and entering into your feelings, I shall endeavour
to point out the duties of your office, so that all
realizing to some extent its heavy burden, may
sympathize with you in the WHJeties tha^ p^
on you heavuy jusi now, »ay aJ4 f on by their
prayers, and in the course of your Episcopate—
which I trust will be a longand useful one— may, by
their docility and obedience, alleviate its cares and
lessen its numerous responsibilities. When of
old the word of the Lord came to Jeremias,
sanctifying him and making him a prophet unto
the nations, He said to him ' Whatsover I shall
command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid
at their presence, for I am with thee to deliver
thee. .Behold I have given My words in thy
mouth; so I have set thee this day over the
nations and over kingdoms to root up and to
pull down, and to waste and to destroy, and to
build and to plant Thou therefore gira up thy
loins and arise and speak to them all that I
command thee. Be nst a/raid at their presence,
for I will make thee not to fear their coun
tenance. For behold I have made thee
this day a fortified city and a pillar
of iron and a wall of brass over all
the land, to the Kings of Judah, to the princes
thereof, and to the priests, and to the people of
the land.' By these words, my brethren, a
solemn mission was given to the holy Jeremias,
who for that purpose was sanctified in his
mother's womb. He was commissioned to speak
and preach not only to the Jews, but even to the
Gentiles. He was to forewarn both longs and
princes of the land, and the priests and people,
of the dreadful calamities that would befal
them if they were not converted to the Lord. His
mission was not so much to waste or to destroy,
but rather to admonish them to avoid the
chastisements of heaven, and to exhort them to
abandon the wicked ways of sin, the cause of all
the miseries which had covered the land. But
the mission with which our young Bishop is
charged to-day is of a far higher import,
comprises far greater powers and perrogatives,
and therefore conveys graces more numerous and
more significant, symbolized by the beauty, the
magnificence and variety of the ceremonial at
which we have all assisted with Buch profit
Christ confers on him to-day not only the power
of speaking, teaching, and reproving, but he
imparts to him the power never vouchsafed to
his angeLi in heaven of binding aad loosing with
the full assurance that the sentence pronounced
bj Him here on earth shall be ratified and con
firmed in heaven. The words addressed by Our
Lord to his apostles are not only repeated by the
three prelates who take a part in the consecration
to-day, but tbeirwondrous significance is as fully
realised as when pronounced by Christ himself
'As the Father hath sent Me so I also send
you. All power is given to Me in Heaven and on
earth. Go ye therefore and toack all nations,
baptising them in the name of the Father and
of the Bon and of the Holy Ghost, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I hive
commanded you, and behold I am with you all
days even to the consummation of the world ;'
by which words the Apostles were not only
appointed Christ's messengers to speak, to
preach, and to reprove, but they were made
the possessors of these powers, and the
trea&urers of His heavenly gifts. And in such a
way did they inherit these powers that whoso
ever would reject them would be rejecting God
himself. ' He that beareth you heareth Me; he
that despiseth you despiwth Me.' Behold, my
dear brethren, what we witness here to-dav, the
fulness and perfection of the priesthood con
ferred on your Bishop, that he mav exercise its
functions for the advantage of both priests and
people, and dispense its wonderful graces to the
souls of men. Truly he is set up to- day as a master
in Israel, as a faithful sentinel on the heights of
Me«nt Sion to guide and direct, to build and to
plant, to root up and pull down, to waste and
to destroy, to exercise for a time the wondrous
powers of the eternal priesthood of Christ to
sanctify your souls in His name, and to raise
them up from the sorrows of this valley of
tears to Heavenly bliss and glory everlasting.
Yes, my brethren, I repeat it, it is not simply a
declaratory power with which be is invested,
but a real life-giving power is conferred on
him by which be shares God's heavenly
gifts, that he may convey thorn to his
flock* and dispense food, medicine, and whatever
elst they need amid the toils aad dangers of
their pilgrimage here on earth. And, my*
brethren, if to-day your Bishop becomes the
treasurer of greater powers and blessings thaa
were rouchsafed of old to the Prophet Jeremias;
we seed not be ashamed to confess that the
miseries and calamities which have come upon
the world in this age of boasted civilisation and
progreay point out to us the necessity of their
being dispensed in season and out of season for
the benefit of the faithful, who are continually
led astray by the false mnTims of the world, ana
by the perverse teaching of false prophets. For
never perhaps before was the Church of Christ,
her Supreme Head, and her Bishops engaged in
such a deadly warfare as in the present age. If
Jeremias were set up by God as a prophet to
the nations and made a fortified city, a pillar of
iron and a wall of brass, because of the evils
that then prevailed-, how much more neoessary
nov-a-days, when the kings and princes of the
world have all conspired against Christ and His
aneinted, and are set up in battle array against
His holy Church ,- and when, to use the words of
the Fathers of the Vatican Council, ' unceasing
efforts are made by modern rationalism to
banish Christ our Lord and our Saviour from the
minds of men, aad from the life aad customs of
the nations;' how much more necessary, I say,
is it that those who are appointed rulers of the
Church of God sheuid be filled with,
His Holy Spirit, and furcished with all
the weapons necessary to fight a good fight, to
preserve the faith, and to fulfil their ministry.
If the Apostle St Paul could address the
Christians in his- day in the following words :—
' Put you on the armour of God that you may o»
able to stand against the snares of the DeriL
For our wrestlbg is not against flesh and blood;
but against principalities and powers, against
the rulers of the world of this darkness, against
the spirits of wickedness in the high places.
Wherefore take unto you the armour of- Gad - ;''?
that you may bo able to resist in the evil daj,**
and to stand in all things perfect' And again,
if -the same Apostle could admonish his beloved
disciple, Timothy, keeping in view the dangers
and evils that then threatened the Church of
Ephesus, ° I charge thee before God and Jesus
Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead,
by Bis coming and His kingdom, preach the
Word ; be instant in seasou and out of season:
reprove, entreat rebuke with all patience and
doctrine, for there shall be a time when they
will not bear sound doctrine, but according to
their own desires they will heap to themselves
teachers having itching ears, and will turn away
indeed their hearing from the truth, and will be
turned to fablee. But be thou vigilant, labour in
all things, do the work of an Evangelist, fulfil
thy ministry. ' My brethren, how much stronger
grounds have we for repeating the same
admonitions to the young prelate who by
the imposition of hands inherits the
same graces, the same powers, the
same authority that was vouchsafed to Timothy,
that he too, for the advantage of his flock, may
preach the Word, be instant in season and out
of season; may reprove, entreat, rebuke with all
patience and doctrine; may be ever vigilant,
labour in all things, do the work of a Bishop,
and tulfil his ministry. Yes, my brethren, the
duties of a Catholic Bishop are such as to be
dreaded even by angels; for he is called upon
not only to oppose the maxims of a world which
ignores God and despises the religion of Christ,
but he is required to guard his nock from the
pernicious principles which are continually oircu
lated in the public Prow/ subversive alike of the
supernatural and natural order established by
God for the benefit of mankind. The principles
which are now commonly proclaimed in the
world withdraw man from the control of all
religious influence. What is known as the
' naturalism' of the present age banishes God
from all the arrangements of human affairs,
whether affecting the nations of the earth, the
family circle, or the individual; utterly ignoring
His Holy Church, and repudiating the benign
influence of religion. Indeed, the enemies of
religion, as has been observed by the present
glorious Pontiff, aim at the destruction ef that
necessary coherence or connection that by
God's arrangement intervenes between the
natural and supernatural order. It is the
old conflict between good and evil, between
obedience and revolt, between the Church and
the world, between God and Satan. This
spirit of naturalism rejects altogether the in
fluence of supernatural revelation ; it only Ve
gards the interests of .this world, and drives
men on to the attainment of their ambitious
purposes without any regard to the Creator of
the universe, whom they do not recognise as
superior to themselves, if they acknowledge
lla ex.i8te.n,cGikt all. By this resistance to
divine authority is# brought on rebellion, to
human, which derives itq force, g^d sanction
from its Author, who id hd Other but God.
'Those who sow the wind shall reap the
whirlwind.' Hence we find that opinions are
propagated which strike at the very founda
tions of .Christianity, introducing a fatal
system of rationalism, and virtually excluding
any intervention of Providence from the world.
Hence even the sacred character of the mar
riage contract is ignored, and all its sacra
mental influences and graces are set aside.
As a necessary consequence we find divorce
legalized in the midst of Christian com
munities in defiance of the Word of God that
what He has joined it should be lawful for
ne man to put asunder. Hence, too, in this
age of progress the very foundations of
social and domestic happiness are undermined.
But the chief aim of the naturalism of this
age is to control the education of youth, and to
withdraw their minds from all religious in
fluence—to banish God and His Holy Church
from the school. Systems of education are pro
pounded which only embrace the knowledge of
human affairs, and to pay no attention to the
interests of immortal souls. The CathoUo
Church, on the contrary, continually impresses
on parents the salutary maxim of our Divine
Lord—'* What doth it profit a man if he gain
the whole world and suffer the loss of his own
souir What will it profit parents or their
children to gain all knowledgo, and to attain
the greatest success in this world, if through
their fault, and by being exposed to the dangers
of bad systems of education, they suffor the
loss of that faith without which it is impossible
to please God? In this question of education
the voice of the Church nas been continually
raised m the interests of youth, is order to pro
tect them from the snares which are laid for
their destiuction, and which are devised for the
purpose of undermining their faith. Our present
H0I7 Father Pope Pius IX. has declared that
? 'Catholics cannot approve of a system of educating
youth unconnected with Catholic faith and the
power of the Church, and which regards the
knowledge of merely natural things, and only, or
at least primarily, the ends of social life.' In
other words, Catholits cannot approve of an
education which fits their children only for this
life, and ignores that life in which the soul is to
live for ever. It will, therefore, be your duty,
my Lord, to take care, indeed, of the whole
flock over which the Holy Ghost haa placed you
as Bishop, but in particular to watch over
children and young men. To use tbo memo
rable words of the illustrious Pontiff, Pius
VII., addressed in the year 1800 to the Bishops
of the Catholic world— ' Children ought to be
the especial object of your paternal love, your
vigilant solicitude, of your zed, of all your
care. They who have tried to subvert society
and families, to destroy authority divine and
human, have spared no pains to infect and
corrupt youth, hoping thus the more easily to
carry into effect their infamous projects. They
know that the mind and heart of young persons,
like soft wax, to which one may give what form
he pleases, are very susceptible of every sort
of impression ; that they keep tenaciously,
when age has now hardened thorn, those which
they had early received, and reject others.
Thence the well-known proverb, taken from,
the Scriptures— ' A young man according to his
way, even when he is old he will not depart
from it.' Suffer not, then, veneraUe brethren*
the children of this world to be more prudeat
in this respect than the children of light
Examine, therefore, with the greatest attention
to what maDcer of persons ia confided toe edu
cation of children, and the young men in tha
colleges and seminaries ; of what sort are the
instructions gitea them; what sort of schools
exist among you ; of what strt ore the teachers
in the Lycouiiu. Examine into all this with
the greatest care; sound everything; l&t nothing
escape your vigilant eye. Keep off , repulse tha
ravening wolves that seek to devour these inno
cent Iambs; drive out of the sb&upfold those
which have gotten in; remove them as soon as can
be ; for each is the power which has been given to
you,by the Lord for the edification of your dioep,'

These are the words of the venerable Pontiff,
Pius 'VTL, -which I take the liberty of addressing to
jon, my Lord, to-day, andto remind you of the
ever tender care and anxious soHcitude which
you are called on to extend to the little ones of
the fold- I regret that in the discharge of the
duty imposed upon me on this solemn occasion I
should be obliged to say something in regard to
the differences that have within the last few
Tears .sprung tip amongst the peaceful com
munity of Strath Australia on the subject of
education ; but unfortunately that spirit of
liberalism which has characterized the old
country in Europe, and which has been waging
a continual war against the Church of God in
Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, has found ita
way into these colonies, and our statesmen who
control the destinies of this fair and promising
land have not hesitated to walk ia the footsteps
cf the crafty statesmen of the other hemisphere,
who, for their own purposes, were straining every
nerve to enslave the Churck of God, to crush
her power, and to banish her priesta from the
schools anicolleges orer which from time im
memorial they exercised their legitimate autho
rity. It ia a matter of regret that in this free
land these principles should find any countenance
or rapport, and that any section of the com
munity, no matter how small or insignificant,
should be deprived of their legitimate rights or
privileges on account of their conscientious
views. It is, however, a fact which I cannot but
deplore on this occasion, that the Catholics of
South Australia cannot derive any benefit from
or share in the funds which are destined
for educational purposes m the colony. What
is called common or mixed education ia pro
claimed throughout the length and breadth of
South Australia, and what has been accom
plished in many countries of Europe and
America, to the great detriment of religion.
The public schools and other institutions
Vtfrtined for the education of Catholic youth
aljTwithdrawn from the authority of the Church,
from the control of her legitimate pastors,
and from the benign influence of religion.
The present glorious Pontiff. Piui IX., ex
pounds so clearly and s» forcibly the views of
the Catholic Church on this important Bubject,
in his famous letter, addressed some years ago
to the Archbishop of Friebourg, in Germany,
that I cannot forbear quoting from it at eome
length:—' It is not wonderful,' he says, ' that
the unhappy efforts of wicked men should be
directed chiefly to corrupt the training and
education of youth, and there is no doubt that
the greatest injury is inflicted on society when
the directing authority and salutary power of the
Church are withdrawn from public and private
education, on which the happiness of the
Church and of the commonwealth depends so
much. For this society is, little by little, de
prived of that truly Christian spirit which alone
can permanently secure the' foundation of peace
and public* order, and promote and direct the
true and useful progress of civilization, and
give man those helps which are necessary for
him in order to attain after this life, his last end
hereafter, eternal happiness. And in truth a
system of teaching whicn not only is limited to
the knowledge of natural thiuer3, and does not
pass beyond the bounds of our life oa earth, but
also departs from the truth revealed by God,
must necessarily be euided by the spirit of error
and lies; and education which, without the aid
of Christian doctrine, and of its ealutory moral
precepts, instructs the minds and moulds the
tender heart of youth, which is so prone to evil,
must infallibly produce a generation which will
have no guide but its own wicked passions and
wild conceits, and which will be a source of
the greatest misfortunes to the commonwealth
and their own families. But if this detes
table system of education, so far removed from
Catholic faith and ecclesiastical authority,
becomes a source of evils both to individuals
and to society when it was employed in the
higher teachings, and in schools frequented by
the better class, who does not see that the
same system will give rise to still greater evils
if it be introduced into primary school ? For
it is in these schools above all that the
children of the people ought to be carefully
taught from their tender years the mysteries
and precepts of our holy religion, and to be
trained with diligence to piety, good morals,
religion, and civilization. In such schools
religious teaching ought to have so leading a
place in all that concerns education and instruc
tion, that whatever eke the children may learn
should appear subsidiary to it. The young,
therefore, are exposed to the greatest perils
whenever in the schools education is not
closely united with religious teaching. Where
fore, since primary schools are established
chiefly^ to give the people a religious
education and to lead them to piety
and Christian morality, they have justly
attracted to themselves in a greater degree than
other educational institutions all the care, soli
citude, and vigilance of the Church. The
design of withdrawing primary schools from the
control of the Church, and the exertions made
to carry this design into effect are therefore
inspired by a spirit of hostility towards her and
by the desire of extinguishing among the people
the divine light of our holy faith. The Chuich
which has founded these schools has ever re
garded them with the greatest care and interest,
and looked upon them as the chief object of
her ecclesiastical authority and government,
and whatsoever removed them from her in
flicted serious injury both on her and on the
schools. Those who pretend that the Church
ought to abdicate or suspend her control and
her salutary action upon the primary schools,
in reality ask her to disobey the commands of
her Divine author, and to be false to the charge
Ehe has received from God of guiding all men
to salvation ; and in whatever country this
pernicious design of removing the schools from
the ecclesiastical authority should be enter
tained and carried into execution, and the
young thereby exposed to the danger of losing
their faith, there the Church would be in
duty bound not only to use her bost efforts and
to employ every means to secure for them the
necessary Christian education and instruction,
but moreover would feel herself obliged to warn
all the faitbful, and to declare that no one can
in conscience frequent such schools as bein£
adverse to the Catholic Church.' It is unnncos
sary for me to remind this congregation that our
Holy Father the Pope, who addressed these
solemn words, is the Supreme Ruler of the
Church, the infallible teacher of divine truth,
who holds the place of Christ in the spiritual
kingdom of His Church, the head and father of
the universal family which embraces within its
bosom all the elect -of God. We therefore
receive his decisions in matters of religion and
morals as emanating from God Himself, whase
representative he is on earth. But it may be
said that the system of education adopted in
thw colony does not banish religious teaching
fro^the primary schools; for I learn that
it TI proposed that the Holy Scriptures
should be read by the children atteading1
the Government or public schools of this
colony. This does not, and will rot, remove
our objection, but rather increases our
opposition to and disapproval of the ^ystem ; for
without taking into consideration the memo
rable words of St. Peter the Apostle, that tiiere
are many things ia the Scrptures hard to be
understood, which the unlearned and unstable
wrest to their own destruction, the Catholic
Church has always taught that religious instruc
tion must be given under the authority of her
legitimate pastors, and by those duly appointed
by her Bishops. I have in my hanas a remark
able petition, signed by the Archbishops and
Bishop cf Ireland, which was presented to the
British Parliament in the year 1824 ; that is to
say, five years before Catholic emancipation,
when the Irish Catholics were engaged in their
great struggle to live as free cit:zens in their
native land. It shows that, though the Catholics
of Ireland were at that time debarred from the
exercise of their civil rights and privileges, the
slavery and sufferings under which they groaned
for almost 300 years only had the effect of
making them more Etedfast in their faith,
and more attached to the principles a^d prac
tices of their holy religion. I quote the follow
ing passage from the petition to whicn I refer.
They say ''that in the Roman Catholio Church
the literary and religious instruction of youth
are universally combined, and that no system of
education which separates them can be acceptable
to the members of her Cemmunion ; that the re
ligious instruction of youth in Catholic school - is
always conveyed by means of catechetical in
struction, daily prayer, and the reading of reli
gious books, wherein the Gospel uorality is
explained and inculcated ; that Roman Catholics
have ever considered the reading of the sacred
Scriptures by children as an inadequate means of

imparting to them religious instruction, m a
usage whereby the Word of God is made liable
to irreverence, youth exposed to misunderstand
its meaning, and thereby not unfrequently to
receive in early life impressions which may
afterwards prove injurious to their own best
interest*, as well as to those of the society which
they are destined to form; that schools whereof
the master profetses a religion different from
that of his pupils, or from which such religious
instruction as the Catholic Church prescribes
for youth is excluded, or in which books
and tracts not sanctioned by it are read or
commented on, cannot be resorted to by the
children of Roman Catholics; and that threate
and rewards have been found equally unavail
ing as a means of inducing Catholic parents to
procure education for their children from such
persons or in such schools; that any system
of education incompatible with the discipline
of the Catholic Church, or superintended ex
dusiTely by persons professing a religion diffe
rent from that of the Tart majority of the
poor of Ireland, cannot possibly be acceptable
to the latter, and must m its progress be slow
and embarrassed, generating often distrust and
discord, as well as a want ef that mutual good
Faith and perfect confidence which should pre
vail between! those who receive benefits and
those who dispense them.' These words,
written so many years ago by the prelates of
Ireland, seem so appropriate to the waats of
the present day in these colonies that— although
I admit we are living under very different or
cuffistances, and enjoying the rights granted to
us all under the Constitution— I have taken
the liberty of quoting them. We Catholics
profess our belief in the Scriptures, but at the
same time we declare that neither the ooa
Bcience, tho rev on, the light, nor the moving
spirit of each individual is the legitimate inter
preter of them, but the Church of God, the
pillar and ground of truth, to which has been
entrusted the deposit of the faith that she may
guard and protect it for the enlightenment and
guidance of her children, and hand it down, un
tarnished and unsullied, without change, spot,
or wrinkle, from generation to generation, until
time shall be no more. I am well aware
that the course pursutd by the Catholics of
this and other colonies, and especially by the
Bishops in regard to education, has frequently
been made the subject of severe strictures and
comments. It has been said that we desire to
have the whole education of the country in our
own hands, to enforce our views not only on our
3wn flocks, but even on those who differ from
us in religion. We are charged with the desire
to appropriate to our own purposes, and accord
ing to our own views, the public funds destined
For the educational interests of the colonies. It
has been said, notwithstanding our repeated
assurances to the contrary, that we object to
our schools beiag inspected and examined as to
the character of the teaching given in them,
and as to their general efficiency, by G«vern
ment officials, or by those duly appointed by
the Boards of Education. We have only to
state, in reply, what we have repeatedly said
before. The Bishops, as in duty bound, are
making every sacrifice to secure a good Catholic
education for their own flocks; they declare
that in the discharge of their solemn duties as
rulers of a portion of the Church of Christ, and
chief pastors of His flock, responsible to the
Prince of Pastors for every soul committed to
their charge, it is their first and paramount
duty to attend to the pastures in which the
little ones of the fold we fed, and to the
doctrines with which they are nourished. But
the rights which the Bisbops and Catholics of
these colonies claim for themselves they cheer
fully grant to those of other communions.
If they prefer mixed education, as far as
we are concerned, by all means let them
have it ; and should any other system
be agreeable to any particular sect, let them
have their way, and let them be entitled to a
proportionate share of the public funds destined
for education, provided the secular teaching bo
found on enquiry and examination by the duly
appointed inspectors to satisfy the requirements
of the law. We Catholics, on the other hand,
shall be always ready to admit the inspectors
into our schools to examine their state and effi
ciency, and if on a fair and impartial examina
tion they are found not to reach the standard as
to the course of secular teaching let the Govern
ment aid be withdiawn. But 5 in our Catholic
schools the course of secular teaching is found
satisfactory, and to meet all the requirements
of the law, let not the teaching of the holy
Catholic faith or of its holy practices deprive us
of the pecuniary aids to which by the law of the
land we may be entitles, and from which we
should not be debarred on account of our re
relijzious and conscientious views. Behold, my
Lord, the great mission which is placed in your
bands to-day. Like Jeremias, the Prophet,
you are made a fortified city to defend this
diocese, kto secure a good Catholic educatior for
its Catholic people. You are made, too, a
pillar of iron, to encourage, support, and
strengthen both priests and people in securing
your rights ; and you are made a wall of brass
over all this diocese, to resist the aggressions
and efforts of those in power who would banish
from your Catholic schools that holy religion
for which your and their fathers bled and died.
' For behold I have made you this day a forti
fied city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of
brass over all the land, to the Kings of Judah,
to the princes thereof, and to the priests, and to
the people of the land. Be not afraid of their
presence, for I will make thee not to fear their
countenance, and they shall fight against thee,
and shall not prevail. For I am with thee,
i=aith the Lord, to deliver thee.' And our
Divine Redeemer, when sending his Apostles
on the same mission with which he charges you
to-day, he announced to them that they would
be brought before governors, and before kings,
and lie said: — ' But when they shall deliver you
up, be not thoughtful ho* or what to speak, for
it shall be given you in that hour what to speak.
For it is not you that speak, but the spirit of the
Father that speaketh in you.' But it was not
only to the kings and princes of Judah Jere
mias was sent, but to the priests and people of
the land; and so you to-day, my Lord, are ap
pointed the guide, the light, and Father of both
priests and people in this vast diocese. It is true
that the priefcts now under your jurisdiction
are, in many respects, like you — the helpers
of God, His agents and instruments, freely co
operating with Christ in that great work which
He prizes so highly, on which His heart was
set from eternity, which caused Him to come
4own to this earth, for which He laboured and
died. They are your equals in that which is
most sublime — the offering of the great sacrifice,
and the administration of many of the sacra
ments. But you now possess this power in its
fullness; and moreover, it is under your autho
rity that they discharge their duties and exercise
the solemn functions of the ministry. It is for
you to assign to each one his sphere of action,
to quickeD, rule, and.direct; to be the eye that
sees all, that watches over all, that is account
able to God and responsible to men for all. To
you alone belongs that authority which is the
guardian and the pledge of faithful adherence
to duty in this portion of the vineyard of the
Lord. You have. only to consider the various
figures under which the Church of God, and
your relations to it, are represented, to form a
correct idea of the character of your 6acred
ofiice. The Church you know is represented as
the spouse] of Jems (Christ, pure and unde*
filed, not having spot or wrinkle. Her purity
entrusted to your guardianship. It is for you,
with the powerful weapons which God has placed
in your hands, to preserve that parity, and to
war against all that would tarnish her beauty.
If this Church of Adelaide during her long
widowhood has suffered from any abuses or irre
gularities that may have crept in, it will be your
duty to remove them. You are called on by the
nature of your office to protect and defend her,
and to wage an incessant war against all that
would sully her fair name. Again, the Church
is represented as an army in battle array, and
you are placed at the head of this army toguide
and direct it in the great battle in which all are
cDgaged against the world, the flesh, and the
devil. A', your flock are indeed* fighting in
the same cause, but under your authority and
command. And it you fail for want of
vigilance, or singleness of purpose, or devoted
uess, it will be vain to expect, victory from the
bravery of those under your charge. Toe
Church is a ship bearing a precious freight to
tbo heavenly port through the troubled se\ of
this world, and you are its pilot appointed to
steer it through the rocks and quicksands that
are sure to come in her way in whatever course
you may direct it. If you fail in a vigilant
f-ye er a steady hand, nothing but confusion

among those who are under your care, and total
wreck will be their lot Hie Church is a house
—the house of God; you are a steward in that
houce; to you are committed all its treasures. Be
a faithful steward, so that on the last day you
may have to rejoice that you have been God's
faithful minister in dispensing the treasures that
were entrusted to your safe keeping. Onerous
duties have heen imposed upon you to-day; all
your efforts must be directed to the interests of
this Church of Adelaide, to which you are now
wedded by an almost indissoluble bond, symbo
lized byjthe ring which haa been put upoa your
finger. The cross too has been placed upon your
breast to remind you that you will have trials
and afflictions, which must be borne with all
meekness and patience; and the staff which you
bear in your band reminds you of the power and
authority which you have received from Jesus
Christ for the edification of the people
entrusted to your pastoral care. And yet,
my Lord, how different is your position from
that of the Prophet Jeremias, to whom it was
announced by the Lord that not only the kings
of _ Judah and the princes thereof, but also the
priests and the people, should fight against -'*™,
and yet he waa to fear them not. Bat you, my
Lord, are here to-day, surrounded by your
priests and faithful people, who have come here
to testify their affection, their loyalty, and
obedience to your sacred person, and to assure
you that nothing will be wanting on their
part to lighten the heavy responsibilitiea of
your sacred office. Yes, my Lord, you will
allow me to say, before I conclude, the position
you hold ought to encourage and sustain
you in discharging the onerous duties which
you undertake to-day. The prelates, the clergy,
and the people prostrate before the altar of God
in this noble Cathedral, have offered their fer
vent and united prayers that you may be en
dowed with that strength and fulness of the
Spirit of God to govern this diocese with
wisdom, moderation, and firmness. This union
which exists between you, the clergy, aud your
people, of which I see a signal proof before me
in this vast congregation, is a pledge to me that
this diocese under your administration will bo
a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
and like an army in battle array will advance to
victory.
This closed the ceremony, after which His
Grace, their Lordships, and the clergy were
entertained at luncheon by Dr. Gunson,

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