Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-18
THE RED HAT.
Archbishop Gibbons TO ha Appointed
Oardinal-what the Office IL.

Archbishop Gibbons to he Appointed
aCardinal-what the Office is.
From tic Baltimore ipeyicdR.
The appointment Of Archbishop Glib
bons as the second American cardinal ia
at last assured. He will undoubtedly be
elevated TO the cardinalate at the next
consistory, which will be held in Rome
during the early part OF March.
The first intimation thatt the Archbishop
had relative to his elevation was cable
gram from one of the cardinals Of the oa-
cred College, which informed him semi
officially OF the intention Of the Pope.
This was soon followed by other cable
grams from the Vatican, and then CON
gratulatOry kilograms were received from
nearly every member OF the American
hierarchy, as we'll as several MESSAGES Oh
similar character from abroad. Among
those who wired their salu 10 the
coming cardinal were ArchbishOps Ryan,
OF Philadelphia: Williams, OF Boston,
who was recently quoted by tue Nc"
Y ork Catholic Herdtd as beng sure 10 re-
ceive red nat: Feehan OF Chicago, VINO
was also spoken oiduTing The late plenary
council as likely 10 receive the honor;
Corriran. Of New York, who succeeded
Cardinal McCloskey as Archbishop OF
that province; Gross, of Oregon; Kain, OF
Wheeling; keane, OF Richmond;
inor Preston, of New York, and
tther lesser lights.
te 8 number OF city clergylhen, as
they heard the news, caIigd at the
HscOpal residence to ny their
It's. DR.. Foley, in cOnversation with
Gu a Bseg9cGn reporter, said it was only
? n at he had expected all along; but now
Ihsss-shs@p appointment is assured. be vas
tgery mucR. pleased. He said il was GUS
IN a al
attended forNromotiOn to the College Of
Cardinals IN Rdvagcs. Of the consistory.
should the neWSoarf Pal be given a CO.
a6iutor. as seems 70 BE understood, there 7
are many in q position to know W.
think DR.. Foley will be made an Arch
bishop. At all events, he will be raised ]
20 the episcOpacy in the near future.
WHAT THE OFFICE OF CARDINAL Is.
There were at first seven deacons in the
Roman church, but they were not re-
stricbed to certain districts. After chap |
els were built for charitable institutions |
Rome was divided, in the time OF Angus
tus, into fourteen districts, and the dea-
cO1s having charge OF these came to be |
called cardinal deacOns. There was no I
need for long time Of cardinal bishop, /
because the pOntitf acted as such. The I
cardinal priests and deacOns came TO be |
regarded as the most important and of 1
clergy, and the election Of the Pope was /
gradually made by the cardinals,
who, as bishops, priests and dea-
cons, represented the old Presbyterian
OF the Roman Catholic church. In .
the twelfth century there were six cardi-
nas bishops and twenty-eight cardinal
priests2 and. the cardinal deacOns we're
from seven TO fourteen, Leo 1.
increased the number Of cardinals to
sixty-five. The regulation in force now
as contained in the constitution pOtSQudR
UetaS or Sixtus ", published in 1880,
which provided that the number of cardi-
mails should not go beyond seventy, six
being of episcopal rank, fifty known as
priests and fourteen described as dea-
cons. The Pope alone appoints the car
dInals. There have been more Italian
cardinals than any others, though
other nationalities have been largely
represented for hundreds OF years.
The Pope announces the. APP
,oointment of cardinal in
Aonsistory, and at a later consistory this
c$de public. When the candidate lives
maeASne e goes on certain day to the
in Rows retetssS,.a and receives from him
palace of the Pope Lksis afterwarda In a
the red beretta, which DSoe his head bv
public consistOry, put upon sIes outside
the Pope. II the candidate lfto- and
OF Rome, the beretta is sent to him, a.
oath that he will visit the tombs Of the
Apostles inside year. While the Pope
isliving the duty of the cardinal is to be
active in the government of the whole
church. The Pope Is not bound to re-
gard the opinions of the Sacred College,
but he usually c0nfers with them before
taking any important step; and desires
their concurrence with his views. The
cardinals meet the Pope. who presides
over them in the cOnsistOry, where all the
AfTairs' Ol--fhe church are discussed
with minute detail. All the
cardinals are now OF higher
rank than the bishops, archbishops and
even the patriarchs, though this was not
the case formerly. They have their own
arms on their seals, the crest being the
red hat. They are called Eminentissiml
and ReverendissImi. When the Holy See
Becomes vacant, the cardinals protect
the church and keep all things in order
I'll a conclave can be called together to
elect new Pope. An American cardinal
cannot be regarded as of as much impor-
lance as q European, since he takes no
part in the monthly and sometimes daily
deliberations of the Sacred College. He
can assert his authority only at a general
council, unless he makes more frequent
trips to Rome. Cardinal Gibbons, If he
should live to see the death of Leo Kill,
viii have a voice in the election OF his
successor.