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 INDIA

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INDIA

Portug:uese nobility stood sponsors to the neophytes and bestowed on them their iUnstrious familj' names — hence the prevalence of De Souzas, De Mellos, AI- meidas, Pereiras, and even Albuquerques, etc. among the people to this day. Another usage was to rescue slaves from the slave-dealers, either by capture or purchase, and turn them into Christians; or again, to take charge of all orphans and bring them up in the Faith. In some cases outside Portuguese territory, conversion was promoted by affording protection to the helpless classes against the tyranny of the Mo- hammedans, as occurred on the Fishery Coast. Hence it seems clear that practices savouring of coercion were in some cases a partial, but never the sole or adequate, cause of conversions. This is shown by the fact that missionary work proceeded with equal or even greater success in districts altogether remote from state influence, e. g. Madura, where the mission- aries worked on lines of persuasion alone, unaided by even the mere prestige of Portugal at their back.

If then, as must be admitted, the progress of missionary success in modern times is not so notable as in the past, a complexity of causes must be as- signed, of which the foUowmg are the chief: — The early missionaries had the advantage of being pioneers working an open field. They were at first unham- pered by the existence of large communities of Christians needing constant parochial care. They had, moreover, the stimulus of novelty, and their mes- sage had also the advantage of novelty. It came to the people as a surprise, and large Ijodies of converts could be brought in l)cfore the enemies of the Faith had time to formulate objections to Christianity and to imbue the minds of the people with them. Besides this there were no Protestant missions in those days (the first beginning of Protestant enterprise was at Tranquebar in 1704), so that Christianity was able to present an undivided front to the country, as there were no rival sects and creeds to be played off one against another. Then again, the terms on which Christians were admitted to baptism were much more lenient than nowadays. A willing disposition, accom- panied by a brief instruction, was in many cases taken as sufficient grounds for admitting thousands together to baptism; whereas at present a careful course of in- struction and prol)ation lasting at least a whole year is the usual requirement — less reliance being placed on subsequent instruction and training than was for- merly the case. The result is probably a better qual- ity of convert nowadays than in many instances was then secured. If it is allowed that the prestige of the Portuguese State went then for a great deal in favour of conversion, it must be added that at present the professed neutrality of the British Government is nothing short of a public encouragement of indiffer- entism. The ideas of Western civilization are also imdoubtedly an important obstacle to the progress of Christianity in nio<lern times, for they materialize the people's minds and interests, induce agnosticism or indifferent ism, sophisticate the .simple, and en- courage the worldly — disintegrating the old creeds, but building up nothing in their place. Of obsta- cles inherent to the people themsehes, rigid conserva- tism of mind and the trammels of the caste system are certainly of the first magnitude. Hence itis found to-day, as it was found in Portuguese times, that in places w-here the pressure of the Statewas unfelt.the Brahmins were the most difficult to convert, and the low-caste and no-caste peopU; the easiest. In modern times the greatest missionary success is invariably found (1) among the aborigines or depressed classes; (2) among those who are wit hout caste and outside the influence of the Brahmins; (:i) in districts most remote from railways and centres of civilization; and (4) in places where ohc missionary body alone holds the field. .\mong the educated clas,scs, especially those who have been trained in the European manner, conversions are

extremely rare — sometimes on accoimt of indiffer- entism and unbelief imported from the west ; some- times for want of practical seriousness of purpose in religious discussion, of which many are extremely fond ; and somet imes on account of a certain slackness of mind and a tendency to vague viewiness, or sym- bolism and poetic fancy instead of a love of facing and gripping facts — a peculiarity temperamental to the eastern mind.

Catholic Education. — Besides strictly ecclesias- tical ministrations to the faithful, and efforts for the spread of the Faith, the clergy of India take a promi- nent part in the educational work of the country. The latest complete collection of statistics in this branch was compiled in 1904. It includes the whole ecclesi- astical group already mentioned with the exception of Burma (according to Krose some of the figures for Burma can be supplied as follows: — schools, 151, with 89S3 pupils; orphans, 968). The following particu- lars are taken from this list: —

Male Education: — 2.3 ecclesiastical seminaries with 697 native students; 8 scholasticates of religious orders with 101 scholastics; 15 novitiates with 79 novices; 12 university colleges (most of them small ones) with 1343 students; 67 high schools for boys with 9771 students; 251 middle schools with 23,889 pupils; 2465 primary schools with 98.687 pupils; 4 normal schools with 77 pupils; 26 industrial schools with 977 pupils; 17 schools for catechists with 277 students; 114 male orphanages with 5141 inmates; 76 boarding schools with 6037 inmates.

Female Education: — 67 novitiates for conventual orders with 4.50 novices; 61 high schools with 3202 pupils; 248 middle schools with 15,229 pupils; 683 primary schools with 41,263 pupils; 11 normal schools with 186 pupils; .59 industrial schools with 2335 pupils; 138 female orphanages with 7489 inmates; 108 boarding schools with 5220 inmates. The total number of children under education in Catholic schools is 204,481 (137,326 boys and 67,155 girls). This figure includes 12,650 orphans of both sexes.

It is to be noted that the numbers of pupils in schools includes a large proportion of non-Catholics. The policy of opening our schools to outsiders is due to the fact that in many places the Catholics are either too few or too poor to maintain efficient schools and colleges for themselves alone, and the admission of others is in most cases the only means by which a good education midcr Catholic auspices can be secured. Under such arrangements religious instruction is given apart to the Catholic pupils; but the slightest show of propagandism has to be avoided with regard to the others. The part played liy the Catholic clergy in the general educational work of the country, as well as the results, second to none, which arc obtained, brings great prestige to the Catholic body. It also estalilishes excellent relations with large numbers of better-class Hindus, Mohammedans, Parsees, etc., who openly express their indebtedness to the "Fathers" wlio have educated them, and are commonly ready to befriend them. It is mainly to this prominence in educational work that the Catholic clergy owe the high esteem which they enjoy in the country.

Catholic Liter.\ry Enterprise. — On the whole the Catholic clergy of India do not make much use of the press as a means of exercising influence on those outside the Fold. Their publications consist mostly of the Scriptures, Bible histories, catechisms, prayer- books, and works of instruction,. some in English, but most in the vernacular, executed at mission presses in Calcutta, Bombay, Trichinopoly, Mangalore, Agra, Bettiah, etc. Of' Catholic weekly newspapers there are several .such as "The Catholic Heralil of India" (Calcutta); "The Examiner" (Bombay); "TheCatho- lic Watchman" (Madras); "The Catholic Register" (.San Thome) — all in English; "O Crente", official organ of the Archdiocese of Goa ; " O Anglo-Lusitano",