Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-12-08
PASSED INTO HISTORY.
Closing Session of the Third Plenary
Council of the Catholic Church
in America.
A Grand Procession Of the Diguitarles-
A Review Of tho Work Done Made
by Bishop spaulding,

was marked by as great pomp and
ceremony as on the opening day.
There was street PROCESSION from
the archiepiscopal residence TO the
cathedral, which was witnessed by a
large crowd, The procession was
headed by the seminasians OF st.
Sulpice chanting psalms, followed in
regular order by the regular and secu.
lar clergy, the theologinns, the
superiors Of the religions orders, the
doctors OF he theological seminaries.
the monsignori, the mtred abbots,
the bishops, the archbiBhops
aud the archlepiscopal cross
bearers between two acolytes and pre-.
cedlng Archbishop Gibbons, the apos-
tolio delegate accompanied by his dea-
cons OF honor.
at the cathedral the pontifical mass
was celebrated by the Most Reverend
Michael Corrigan. On account OF
the sickness OF Rev. p. w. RiordAn,
c0adjutor archbishop OF San Francisco,
Bishop Spaulding OF Peoria, Ill,
preached the sermon, which was de-
voted TO a review OF the
work of the council. The
questions which were discussed, he
said, had direct bearing on the social,
moral, religious and intellectual well
fare Of the people and of the country
at large. The pTelates in the DEGREES
that have been formed have laid the
foundations of what will vel be great
American Catholic college, thus inspir-
ing all with love for intellectual pro-
gress. They have treated OF
education in general and OF sya.
tenn which will combine the
rights Of religion and of
government. They have dealt also
with questions affecting the family,
which Is the basis OF the church. They
want TO inspire holier reverence OF
the sacrament and OF marriage. Mar
ringe must be a perpetual union, last
ing as long as life lasts, with no cause
OF divorce hut death. They have plead
ed for the cause of sObriety, temper
| ance. They stand on the side ofGSl's
law and customs and wish to
make the world so that man
may be truly free and
| grow In moral purity and intellectual
worth, They have tried TO stimulate
the Catholic press and Catholic liters.
! ture so that men may bo led to take "a
| greater interest In the matters affecting
them rs Catholics and American citi-
zens. They have laid down laws for
the guidance OF the church aud have
sought to know what Is for good aud
what for harm in the church. Their
/ deliberations have been conducted
with dignity and their full thought
has been spoken without restriction.
After the sermon, the vestments OF
the prelates and priests We're changed
from white to red. The apostolic del.
egate, attended by his desuons Of
honor, took his seat at the entrance 10
the sanctuary when the change OF
robes was made, and num-
Der Of hymns and psalms
were sung and prayers intoned.
AT the conclusion of these the apos.
tolic delegate took his seat at the altar
steps, with Bishop KAN OF Wheeling
at his right and Bishop Jansauns OF
Natchez at his left, and the session of
the council was opened.
honsignor Corcoran read the chap
ter Of DEGREES passed last week
and they were formally adopted
When this was over the pen and Ink,
with which the bishop and officers
were to sign their names in testimony
OF the genuineness of the deeTees, were
I ithAth bl llH hiAhis Inc Allb1luiAt Atl-
egate WAS the first 10 sign his name,
followed by ArchbishOps Reneek OF
st. Louis, and Alemany of San Fran.
cisco. The other archbishops in the
order Of their priority followed.
Archbishop RioIdan, coadjutor,
San Francisco, was absent owing Il
sickness. Then came the bishops 2nd
ahbOts, each in the order OF their
seniority, and lastly the officers of the
council. After all the prelates were
again seated, Archbishop Reneck went
10 the apostolic delegate and they eK.
changed the kiss OF peace. Arch.
bishop Alemany similarly Hsluted
the apostolic delegate. The veteran
archbishops then stood at the right
and left OF the apostolic delegate, each
succeeding prelate then saluted the
apostolic delegate with the kiss, and
passing along line saluted each proceed.
ing prelate. When prelates after this
ceremony had resumed their places,
Archbishop Reneck advanced 10 the
from OF the altar and in "A broken voice
said:
ut has fallen to my lot to be the old.
est bishop IN this council, the arrange
menta for which, IL IL needless To say,
caused great care and labor for the
apostolic delegate who presided over
its delegation. Therefore, ! return u
him thanks In behalf OF its members
ut IL many years since stood In
this efitice IS spectator at the open.
ing Of the first plenary council
What struck me moaL then was that In
the comparatively small number o.
ecelesiastica present thirteen differ
| ent nationalitIes were represented, and
that all united together for one pur
: pOse"
lie then in contrasting the council
with that just closed, spoke 10 length
OF the progress Of the church In thl
past and her bright prospects for tbs
future, turning to the apostolic dele
gate he said:
AT the next plenary council, shouls
I God prolong your days, you VIII mis
many of those who are with you now
and you will think Of them hs we nov
| think Of those who have passed ava,
since the second plenary couneilp
The feeble old Archbishop Keneci
. / .traa ufIfnaH 20 afaf. fFsauauflu in IN.