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Show BROTHER GABRIEL-MARIE. Superior General o tbe Christian Itrothers Kxplains His Position. Brother Gabriel-Marie, superior general gen-eral of the Christian Brothers, says a Taris letter, keenly regrets the controversy contro-versy which arose out of his famous decree of two years ago. which eliminated elimi-nated the classics from the curricula of schools of the Christian Brothers and j explains his position in the matter as j follows: j "Those who assert that the decree i forbidding the teaching of classics 'n j the schools of the Christian Brothers ; tf mm 'WW'' , bV jh n) i ' i EROTHER GABRIEL-MARIE. ; was aimed at the American colleges to destroy thei do not comprehend the actual situation. The regime deemed It ! expedient to exact of all the followers of De la Salle a rigid observance of his rule namely, that the society should devote itself to the practical education of young men destined for commercial pursuits and as workers in the technical tech-nical arts, rather than to trench upon the domain of the colleges and universities univer-sities which prepare men for the professions. pro-fessions. "It is true great hardship will be worked in reorganizing the educational plans of the society in the United States. But the difficulties are not unique in that country. Throughout Europe and in other part3 of the world I the Brothers of the Christian schools will have to meet the same difficulties. For instance, at Turin the College of De la Salle, which has been one of our most prosperous and lucrative foundations, founda-tions, will be almost annihilated. Schools in England and Ireland will suffer greatly. The order hereafter will devote itself to the technical ! branches of education. In making this departure the society has received not ( only the cordial approbation but the special benediction of the holy father, Leo XIII. "The organization of the schools will be a gigantic labor, but the new j field of usefulness is well worthy of j the imrnediite sacrifice. It will mean j a great pecuniary loss immediately, j and besides for some time to come j the schools will be under additional J expense for the salaries of competent professors of the technical arts. The Brothers of De la Salle have never failed to meet any emergency. "The Brothers of the Christian schools is the only organization ot , the Catholic church strictly devoted to primary and technical education. The necessities of the times demand a higher culture and knowledge in commercial com-mercial and practical life. Therefore the new departure, if it may be so called, call-ed, is in line with the rule of De la Salle and at the same time meets the demand of the age for a sound Christian Chris-tian education of young men devoted to the practical sciences anu arts. "It is altogether unnecessary to say that the regime has pursued no vindictive vin-dictive course toward countries, communities com-munities or individuals. Its sole aim has been to make its schools throughout through-out the world equal to the real demands upon them and to leave others free in their special provinces." |