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| 67. COMMDNISM AND CATHOLICISM As a general theme for this section, it will be urged that education is a necessary prelude to action and that, in many cases, an adequate edu- cational program will require the writing of certain books and pamphlets.. 1. Social Education of the Clergy. Recent encyclicals have insisted upon the necessity of general training in social problems and Catholic social principles for the clergy, and specialized training for some of them. Against this we must place the facts that few of the older clergy have such train- ing, that not all seminaries afford it, and that authoritative textbooks are lacking. Hence the indicated program v;ould seem to bet a minimum train- ing for the bulk of priests; specialized training for some; courses in the seminaries; and suitable textbooks. The purpose of the minimum training program is to acquaint the bulk of the clergy in a diocese with an outline of Catholic social principles and the main social problems. Such courses do not produce experts or even trained workers. They merely serve to stimulate interest, promote further reading and study, indicate potential candidates for specialized training, and predispose the clergy to co-operate with later activities by the specializ- ed groups. The last point is important. It is useless to expect the bulk of busy priests to become self-trained students of the social problem. What is sought is rather a minimum understanding of objectives, so that they will co-operate with programs initiated by trained leaders. To achieve this, it is recommended that there be resumed at once the program of brief schools for priests, to be given in the major industrial dioceses, .under the sponsor- ship of the Ordinary and the Social Action Department, N.C.W.C. These schools should be for a minimum of two or three weeks, with three morning classes five days a week. They should be staffed by teachers who are good popular speakers competent in their subjects. The next step of intermediate training should be the resumption of the Institute of Catholic Social Studies, under the auspices of the Catholic University of America. This Institute was started successfully before the War, when Bishop Haas was in charge of the School of Social Studies at the Catholic University. .The present writer was its director. It was success- ful during its first years, but was suspended when the War made it impossible for Bishops to send priests. The Institute attempts to give an intensive and practical course for priests in a six weeks summer session. A basic course can be had in one summer and a complete course in three summers. The courses offered the first year comprise five classes a week in each of the following: Catholic social principles; Catholic social action; Basic economic problems; and Labor problems. The purpose of the Institute is to train priests for diocesan social action, not for academic teaching. Because of this pur- pose, it is recommended that in the future the Institute be for priests only, and that no academic credit be allowed. This latter point is to obviate com- petition with the existing Departments and Summer Schools of the University. While the Institute has concentrated on industrial problems, it would be feasible to offer courses in farm problems as alternative to the labor courses, for those who preferr. ' to specialize in rural social action. It is suggest- ed that over a .period of years at least three per cent of the priests in each diocese be given summer training at the Institute. Three per cent of moderately trained leaders would be a minimum for an adequate program of Catholic social education and social action. |