The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-11-13
The Plenary Council.

With reference to the plenary council Oh
the Roman Catholic church of the United
States which met in Baltimore Sunday,
the New Y ork Times says:
In calling the council plenary the Holy
See followed precedent established 1,400
years ago, when the title of plenary was
given to the general council OF the African
church held in the days of st. Augustine.
AS each OF the IS prelates attending the
third plenary council will have two theO-
logians, and as there will be present a
large number of Vicars-General, head OF
religious orders, (such as the Jesuits, Re-
demptorist, &c., and SuperiorSf of semi
naries. it may be safe to say that there
Will be present at this council at least 800
prelates and priests. s1r.
There will be four separate meetings Of
the council-privateic congregations, public
congregations, private sessions, and public
sessions. The private congregation will be
composed of theOlOgians. each having
bishop for it's president, with wee presi-
dent and notary. The duty of the latter
will be to keep the minutes of the meetings
of the congregation and prepare the final
report. The public congregation will be
held in the cathedral, and will include all
the ''synodales is, all who are en-
titled TO be present at the synod, from the
most reverend president down to the
youngest theologian. At these public con-
gregations the theologians will have the
floor, the prelates simply asking questions
or proposing difficulties. The private SeS-
SionS are attended only by the prelates, the
secretary and other officers of the council
being present merely to record the pro-
ceedings. The chief work Of the council
will be done in these private sessions, for
in them the acts and DEGREES proposed will
be searchingly investigated and closely
scrutinized. The public sessions are the
solemn ceremonies in the cathedral, in
the presence Of all the prelates, priests,
and laity that will be able to get intoj the
church. After the pontifical high mass
the degrees Of the council already passed
in private will be solemnly read and pro-
mulgated. But they do not become a law
until they are approved by the Holy See,
just as the acts passed by Congress require
the approval of the president of the United
States. One of the most interesting ques-
lions to come before the council is that of
introducing the cannon law in the govern
ment of the church in the United States.
At presentthe bishop of diocese has the
power OF removing priest at pleasure, but
for some time there has been a disposition
among the clergy to bring the church in
this country under the cannon law, when
life Or good behavior. The parish priests
would then have the right to nominate
their own bishop.
The present distinguished Archbishop of
Baltimore, the Most Rev. James Gibbons,
is one of the youngest members of the
American hierarchy. He was born in
Baltimore on July %, 1884. His parents
were Irish, and at an early age he was
taken to Ireland, where he was partially
educated. In his nineteenth year he re-
turned to Baltimore and entered ST.
Charles College, Maryland, to study for the
priesthood. He was ordained by the late
Archbishop Kenrick, June 80, 1864, and
after several unimportant missions, was
made secretary to Archbishop Spaulding
and stationed at the cathedral where he
soon became marked for future promotion
When Pope Plus IN, at the request of the
prelates composing the Archdiocese of
Baltimore, gave notice of his intention to
appoint Vicar Apostolic for the State of
North Carolina, Archbishop Spaulding,
who was well aware of the virtues and
talents of his secretary, recommended
Father Gibbons to the new See. He was
consecrated in the Baltimore Cathedral on
Aug IS, 1868, the late Bishop Foley, of
/ Chicago. preaching an eloquent sermon on
the occasion. The new Diocese of North
Carolina numbered only 900 Catholics
A out of a population of 200, 900, and Bishop
\ Gibbons had only half dozen priests to
\ attend this vast field, so that upon him fell
all the responsibility and full share of
! the work. Bishop Gibbons displayed such
marked ability in North Carolina, that
! upon the death of Bishop McGill, of Rich
! mond, in January, 1872, he was raised to
| that vacant See, and consecrated in the
| following October by Archbishop Baily, of
/ Rolt II a nf info
| the Catholic church in Virginia new
| churches were erected in various places.
| schools and other public institutions eStab-
lished. and throughout the whole state
everything manifested the presence of an
active, Jealous, and hard working bishop.
While he was thus engaged in building up
the diocese of Richmond, the health of
Archbishop Baily, of Baltimore, (who had
succeeded the lamented Spalding in Octo-
Der, 1879 began to decline, and at his
special request Plus TX. appointed Bishop
Gibbons his coadjutor, with the right of
| succession to the Archepiscopal See OF
Baltimore, May 20. 1870. On the sd OF
October of the same year by the death OF
DR.. Bailey, Archbishop ibbons succeeded
to the See of Balt n0re. During his adj
ADMINISTRATION five to six Catholic churches
have bean built in the city of Baltimore,
ST. JaS1s Home for Boys has been estab-
lished $t Elizabeth's Home for colored
infants B2s been opened home founded
/ for servSat girls ont of place, a Young
Mems Lyceum established Catholic hall
/ erected, (which was a want long felt in
Baitimore) besides numbers of churches
and public institutions built throughout
the archdiocese. Archbishop Gibbons ana
other lea ding Catholic prelates were sum
moned to Rome in the autumn of 1883 for