Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-29
ARCHBISHOP PURCELj.
Address to the Catholic Clergy an Laity
In HIS Behalf-His Indsbtsdnesi Placed
1t MILLION and Half Dollars.


It MILLION and q Halt Dollsrs.
NEwYoRK, May %. Address 81 his e,inenoe,
Cardinal McC losky, the archbishop AMI bishops
assembled in New York, May 26, 1879, behalf |
of Archbishop Purcell:
To the clergy and laity Of tho CATHODE church
throughout the United States Venerable and |
beloved brethren In addressing yoj concern
ing the financial embarassment ofthe most
reverend archbishop OF Cincinnatiit is not
our intention to appeal to sympathes which
va know are already sufficiently aro4ed.. The
facts ofsthe case have touched .sall %Arts with
an oeloquenoe that needs no enprcement.
+ Neither il it our intention to pass ay verdict,
whether Of blanc or of vindicatin, On the
causes which havo led to this deplonblo state
Of things Nomeineeds to be ASSURED that the
integrity Of venerable Archbishop Purcell is
above reproach or suspicion, and il would serve
no practical purpose to enter into my discus
sion Of the administrations of his buiness. 4
And We desire that it should be most dis
tinctly understood that orr present action is
no recognition of any obligation re&ing on the
Catholic clergy Of people Of tho United States
to assume any responsibility in regard to tho
debts Of any ecclesiastical persq or body
whatever, that may 1t any timo belnsolvent or
embarrassed The Catholic church in the
United States forms no corporate organization.
Each diocese is responsible for IL own finan-
cial administration. Nor do we even in the
present case. assume any responsibility what
ever, or in any way engage ourselves to dis
charge the indebtedness. or any portion of it,.
Burdened rs all our dioceses and Parishes are,
either with debts Of their own OF with works of
charity and religion to be carried Of, or to- be
inauguTated, any such action would be evil
IDENTIFY rash and unwarrantable. q
| Neither do we intend that our SETON on the
present case shall stand Is afpreoedent for the
future. Itwould be an injustice 10 ourselves
and our success0rs, and to all ecclesiastical
debtors and creditors, that any suSh expecta-
ton should be entertained. Our procedure is
one Of charity, of willingness to assist Arch
bishop Purcell and to second the Efforts of his
own clergy, and is for the present ease alone.
All this being distinctly understood, we now
proceed to lay before yon the results of our
deliberations. At a meeting called by his emil
nence Cardinal Closkey, and held at his
residence on the evening of May q were pres.
assisted at the dedication fot the h new
cathedral, with the exception of q
very few whom duties "A had = called
from the city before the meeting letter was
read from Cardinal 6imeoni, prefeot of the
i propaganda in Rome, expressing his Rrati6ca-
ti0n at tho evidence already given of the will
ingness Of the Catholics Of the United States
to come to the aid of the venerable archbishop
of Cincinnaei in his great Distress, and giving
earnest encouragement to the same. "a A state
ment was then read by Rev. DR.. Callaghan,
/ secretary Of Archbishop Purcell. showing.
i of liabilities, assets and surplus indebtedness,
!: andsthe measures that had almady been taken
and might now be counted on towards arriving
i at q practical solution.
Here follows q statement 0f the assets and
liabilities. and the address continues rs fol-
i lows: ~
Accepting payment Of fifty per cent. as d
basis of settlement to which creditors are dis.
posed to come when they are assured of pay.
ment of the remainder, and making the widest
allowance for the doubtful character Of por
ton Of the notes, the payment of which is not
counted on at all, it will be seen that the in
debtednessf of the Archbishop of Cincinnati
will be reduced to . million and a half dollars
While the Catholic clergy and laity of th'
whole country are moving in the unity of Cath
olio faith and charity to the aid Of the dio
cese of Cincinnati, the faithful O
that diocese will be inspired without doubt t
do . most generous part in relieving their goot
Archbishop of his heavy burden. IL
the past we know that they have not been idle
Their great zeal and courage in the calamit.
that has fallen upon their diocese are vel
known and deserve all praise. Many of th
u more wealthy have subscribed 81 600. Con
grcgationsl and individual danarinna hav
amounted to tens of thousands of dollars. Com
mittees have been organized to relieve the sui
fering creditors. Diocesan debt societies ar
multiplying from day to day to hasten the e1
tinction Of the debt. What has been done il
the past is bright omen Of successful work i
the future. The cooperation of all the Cathe
lies Of the country will certainly enlarge tn
noble spirit the diocese of Cincinnati has d
ready manifested.
Sad rs is the exhibit here presented, yet th
final figures were received with senseof n
: lief and OF hope that the evil may not be il
8 redeemable. Especially did we feel encoul
aged to action by the Willingness already man
tested by . portion of the creditors, and COZ
6dently hoped for in the rest, to arrive at q
honorable and charitable compromise. Ha
the condition of things been such as was q
3 | first feared, We could have had no courage
approach an apparently insoluble problem, o
had the creditors shown no willingness to max
( tated under the circumstances, we would hAv
scarce dared to put our hands to . work thu
. would still be beyond the reach of all pra
ticable measures.
God forbid that We or any one should wis
to take advantage of creditors in difficulties tn,
weigh as heavily on them as on their debto
: We fully recognize that obligations Of jnstit
: are in no way diminished by such difficultie
. But since the obligations can be met only
the charity of societies who are in no way r
J sponsible for the debt, it is but right that \
honor of the creditors, especially as 30 vel
large proportion Of the entire debt consists
accumulated compound interest.
a All this beinp taken into confederation FL