Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-07-01
COMMUNICATED.
THE AMERICAN CARDINAL.


Baltimore as being now "the cIrdinal city,
and another, in one Of your contemporaries,
saws that the residence of Cardinal Gibbons
will hereafter be properly designated 1.-The
palace" Had European precedent been
followed, it would probably have been al
ways called so, for in England and on the
Continent the houses of all bishops are, |
think, so designated, because they are usual
" very fine buildings, such IS Lambeth
Palace, in London; but inst why the modest
residence of the Archbishop of Baltimore,
far inferior in its appointments TO many of
the homes about it, should suddenly become
"a ,alace," because its occupant, for the
time being, is Cardinal, it is difficult to
see. As bishop has always lived in il, if
European terms are to be borrowed, it was
always such.
AS to the designation, cardinal city,"
the reporter is entitled to copyright it. In
Europc cities are called "episcopa"
or ''archepiscopal," when they are
the sees, or places from which {.
bishop or archbishop takes his title,
but Cardinal is not a local officer and when
Cardinal Gibbons dies, there may, possibly,
never BIO another Cardinal in Baltimore.
He has been appointed chiefly for his per
sariTl WORT! and great services TO the church.
New York has no longer Cardinal Dub
lin, which has had two in succession, has
one no longer. There is not clear idea Of
the functions of Cardinals. They are not
except six, necessarily bishops, nor are all
of them necessarily priests. The learned
English Cardinal Newman is not bishop
and the late Cardinal Antonelli, prime min.
lister of Plus the 9th, was not even priest.
but, rather, an able statesman. Cardinals
who reside in Rome are usually members OF
congregations, or what we would call COM
mitlees, to whom different matters relative
10 discipline, &C., are referred, as the Con.
gregaton of Rites, which has charge of the
ceremonial of the Catholic church; that Of
"the Index" which examines and approves
or condemns books; that of ''the Propa-
ganda Fidei," which is the great missionary
board, &C. Cardinals who live outside Of
Rome, however, have no peculiar
functions, except that of being electors of
the Pope, and as the rule prescrbes that the
Cardinals who may be in the city where the
Pope dies must wait only ten days for alb
sentees before proceeding to al election, our
American Cardinals are very apt to be too
late for that. The Office Of Cardinal crigl-
mated in the "presbetery," which, in early
days, each bishop had about him ss q sort
IF senate or council. The members who
were permanently attached to one church
were said to be 'incardinati" or "hingcd'
to it, hence, the term Cardinals" was used
for tho members OF the great counci! of the
Roman See only. Since 1857 they have
bean restricted to seventy in number. The
different articles Of their dress have been
prescribed at various times, beginning with
the red hat in 12l4. The "bcretta" given
to Cardinal Gibbons yesterday was pre-
scribcd Ivy Paul the God, who died in HI.
There is no special ceremony prescribed
for its presentation, for where the bead
Of the State is Catholic he gives it,
rs President Grevy did to the new
French Cardinals recently, rot in a
church. but in his official residence in
Paris, mere addresses being the only cere-
monia! The title His Emincnce" is Civ
en- TO Cardinals, just as that Of His Excel
, lency" is assigned by courtesy and in some
S.etAs. ttili nhci !g77Ie TO Tie I'a65aUy, Il
} which it is possible that Cardinal Gibbon:
may be hereafter elected.
Tho reporters, judging Ky European pro
cederts, have good deal Ia say about what
oar American Cardinal may Or may not do
hui those who kn0w bin do not beiev,
that no will no moro be seen Oh the streets
CT Baltimore, with the children at his heels
or that lie will solemnly ride wherever he
wishes to so in red coach drawn by four
black horses. Somebody may present
him with such an arpendage, but it will
most likley, he laid up, lin ordinary" in
the carriage house. Indeed, | doubt wheth-
er the so called rule on that subject is nva
riahly observed even in Italy, for surely the
Cardinal Archbishop OF Naples, when he
spent all his time lust summer in visiting
and aiding the victims Of the cholera, could
not well have ridden in Il red, or any other
colored coach, but probably went on foot
from house to house likoany other charitable
man. FIDELIs