The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-10

astic
PanI, Cardiial Cullen, Archbishop o
Dublin and Primate of all Ireland, closed
a life of eminent service to religion and thu
Church of his native land last Thursday
His illness was as brief and as unexpecteC {
as the disease which buried the good Bi-
shop Of Columbus to his grave. 1t is true
that his health had been failing for two
years, but it was thought that tho change
in his health WAS due more to the slow,
natural decline of age than to the lnroad
of disease. He continued TO labor with
his well known zeal aud energy to the last
moment. He died in harness. The day
before bic death he presided at meeting
of the clergy of his dioceee. The announce
ment of his death was terrible shock to
his people and sad surPriee to the Catho-
lie world. He wac great pIelate who
added honor by his virtues and remarka-
BILE learning to the long, bright record of
the great digpities which the Holy See
conferred upon him, and his zeal, which
embraced the whole of his native land,
will 1.-Two to bear witness to the value Of his
life, in tho many reforms which he feet
ed with rare wisdom and prudence.
He had reached ut the hour of his death
his seventy fifth year. BoIn in Kildare,
he began his ecclesiastical education at
Carleu College, when the illustriuns DR..
Doyle was President. In 1920 the Young
Leyite was sent to Rome to enter the Pro-
paganda. He obtained his degree after a
brilliant examination in theology, at which
Leo XII. was preeent. Gregory XVI, ap-
pointed him Vice Rector of the Urban Col
lege. After ehort term Of Office he was
elevated TO the Rectorship of the Irish
College. tfg hetd this pusitfon for eighteen
years. Plus TX. after his election to the
chair of Peter, recognizing his extraordi-
nary abilities, promoted him to the rector
ship of the Propaganda. 1t was a post
full of danger and difficulty in the dark
days of the Revolution, that exiled Plus
TX. and decreed the confiscation of all &C.
elesastical property. But the erevolutionists
found in DIR. Cullen q man who could not
be frightened, and who wonld not surren-
der his trust at the call of the robber and
cQt-tbroat. AS there were several Ameri
can students at the Propaganda, among
them the late Bishop Rosecrans, Cardinal
Cullen applied to the American Minister,
Lewis Csss, for protection. Mr.. Caes re-
spopded cheerfoily TO the request. He in
structed DR.. Cullen to raise the American
flag over the buildings of the Propaganda
il they were threatened with an attack,
and declared his willingness to bring a
picket of marines from an American ship
at Civita Vecchia to defend the College, if
necessary. The revoiutionists hearing of
this movement concluded not to touch the
Propaganda.
In ls49 DR.. Cullen was appointed Arch.
bishop of Armagh, by tho Holy See,
although his name was not one of the lat
of candidates whom the clergy of the dio.
cese had chosen. Subsequent years
proved the wisdom of this choice. Two
years later, on the death of Archbishop
Murray, Archbishop Cullen was translated
to the Sec of Dublin. He also received
the tit and privileges OF Apostolic Del
sgate. DTing the twenty eight years Of
his EpisC0pGCy IN DubIiU he had wide
deld fo2 ;Le dteplay of hie abilitice, and all
the hopes which the Holy See placed in
him were fully real zed. TITO whole
Church OF Ireland felt his happy and
powerful IL fllence. He was wise stew
ard, Grectipg and ruling the whole house
hold of God. He became more closely
welded to the just, fru, intiexlble pripci-
pies which governed him in his younger
years. Above all, he labored for the firm
establish nent of thoroughly Catholic
system of education. After fierce strug
gle with the English government on the
uua side and the poverty of bis country on
the other, he saw the foundation of a sys-
,em cf Catholic education firmly laid. 1t
WAS his an bitiOn to make Ireland what 1t
had once been, land of learning. With
tbis object in view he opened for the higher
education of the youth of his country the
Irish University, whose Infancy was
blessed with the brightest omen of success
by the rectorship of DR.. Newman. Under
his Jealous direction the churches and
Catholic institutions of Dublin were null
tiplied so that at his death no city of it's
size in the world could boast of more
numeTous or more splendid monuments of
religion. He was certainly most Apos-
tolic preiate
In 1866, Plus x. created him a mem Der
Of the College of Cardinals under the title
of San Pietro in Montorio. In that exalted
body OF churchmen Cardinal Cullen occu-
pied, by his erudition, the foremost rank.
His death leaves vacancy among the
Bishops of Ireland OF easily filed. Who
ever succeeds him, if he will emulate the
virtuee of his predecessor, will be, as Car
dinal Cullen was, a great benefactOr, not
only of Lis flock, but of the whole Irish
people.
The attendance of sc. 900 people at the
funeral Of Cardinal Cullen, and the parti-
eipation of 10000 more in the ceremony
and procession, bear ample witness to the
fact that the Irish people who knew him
best aud most intimately regard the death
of fhAir Cardinal a national kv