Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-22
CARDINAL GIBBONS.
1Hx COMING GREAT Ceremony IN
BALTIMORE on THE THIRrIETH.
How the Second American Cardinal was
chosen-His Exalted Rsnk-he
Nay be Pope Yet.
Iror the pispatch.l


silver Jubilee ss q priest, Archbishop
Gibbons, of Baltimore, will DO invest
ed with the insignia Of his exalted Ianl
AZ n cardinal Of the Catholic Church
Nothing will be omitted that can add
splendor 10 the occasion. The bes'
vocal and instrumental music will com
bine to do full justice to tho sublime
liturgy Of the Church. Violet-robet
bishops and srchbishops, white-robec
priests, monsigpori in purple, semi
narians in black, brilliant banners
swinging censers, and lights innu'
merable will surround the ceremony
with all the pomp and circumstance that
will make the occasion one long to be
remembered. Archbishop Kendrick, OF
st. Louis, the senior member OF the
American hierarchy, has been appoint
ed apostolic legste to confer the Der
retta. pontifcal high mass will be
celebrated by Archbishop Williams, OF
Boston. The sermon will be preached
BY Archbishop Ryan, Of Philadelphia,
who is regarded as the most gifted
pulpit orator in the Church of this
country.
Tie Romsn purple has been for Gen.
turtles esteemed the proudeSt honor Of
the most noble houses Of Europe, but
none are excluded from this high dig.
nity. Cardinal Wolsey was the son Of
\ butcher, Cardinal Peretti was the son
of q peasant, Cardinal Gibbons is the
son Of poor Irish parents, and bis rare
qualities alone have won for him the
highest honor in the Church after
the tiara. Even that is not impossi-
bic. While the Pope was temporal
sovereign there might have been some
show of reason for restricting the Papsi
throne to Italians, although even then
il was not absolutely necessary, for
there have been Popes Of other nation
alities. Alexander VI. was Spaniard,
Adrian VI. was q Hollander, Urban
Nv. was q Frenchman, John NNl. was
Portuguese, etc. There is no reason
WHY there should not be an American
Pope. There is no law to prevent it,
and every cardinal is eligible to the
Pspal throne Just as every native Ame-
rican is eligible to the Office Of Presi-
dent of the United States.
Cardinal Gibbons has had q very
brilliant career. Born in Baltimore
July 90, 1894, he very early eyinced
an inclination for the religious life, and
at the sge Of nineteen he entered St.
Charles College, Maryland, where he
renamed three years ; after which he
was transferred to st. Mary's Seminary,
Baltimore, to pursue the study of phi
losophy and geology. He distinguished
himself at both institutions, and was
ordained priest on the 30th of June,
1851. After filling one or two obscure
missions IN Baltimore Archbishop
SpaldiDg called him to the Cathedral and
made him bis secretary and chancellor
Of the archdiocese. In 1868 he was
nominated vicar apostolic Of North
Carolina, with the rank Of bishop. In
1871 he was elevated to the see Of Rich.
mond, Va, and upon the death of
Archbishop Bayley in 1877 he became
archbishop of Baltimore.
There is some doubt about the origin
Of the order OF cardinals in the Church.
Some authors date their institution from
Pope Evaristus, who was elected to the
Pspal throne in the year 100 as the
fifth successor Of st. Peter. The sup
position rests upon the fact that this
pontiT was the first to distribute the
different churches Of Rome to the prin
cipal priests of the Eternal City. st.
Hygenius, the ninth Pope, settled the
order Of priority among the clergy, |
which led some writers to suppose that
he was the founder Of the College Of
Cardinals, but it was not until the
eleventh century, under the pOntilicate
80 -. ~. the sacred college
was finally established IS il exists to-
day, composed Of cardinal bishops, or
metropolitans, and cardinal deacons.
Cardinal Gibbons will be cardinal
bishop, Cardinal Newman is a cardinal
priest, Cardinal Antonelli was a caIdi-
nal deacon, for he was not a priest.
In q council held at Rome in the year
1858, at which ll3 bishops were pre-
sent, it was decided to condne the cleo
ton Of Popes to the cardinals exclu-
sively.
The cardinals mean the hinges oil the
Church. At first they were few IN
number. In 1877, under Nicholas IT.,
they were only seven; under John
XXlI., in 1880, they were Increased TO
twenty-four. AT the Council OF Con-
stance they numbered thirty.four; Leo
Y. added thirty-one, making sixty-hVe
in all. In 1856 Paul ~. added five
more, making the number seventy ; and
Sixtus Y. in 1886 ordered that in in-
ture that should be the number OF the
sacred college, corresponding 10 INC
number of elders in Israel, and so 1t
remains 10 this day. BY a bull OF the
same pontif it was decreed that the
cardinals could be chosen from any
Christian country, but no person could
be elected q cardinal who already had
brother, uncle, nephew, or cousin
within the second degree member of
the sacred college. The law also or
dained that all cardinals living at dis
tance from Rome should visit that city
within year after their elevation.
These laws, with some slight moditica
tons, are in force at this day.
The elevation Of Archbishop Gibbons
to the rank Of cardinal does not pre-
clude q similar honor from being be-
stow ed upon other American prelates.
when England, with only q million
Catholic population, has two cardinals,
and Ireland. with less than five million
Catholics, has also two, the United
< States, with nearly ten millions, should
have at least four. In all probability
before another decade passes New York,
New Orleans, and San Francisco, a.
we'll Is Baltimore, will have each
cardinal archbishop. The Importance
Of the United States In the Universe
Church Is at last beginning to be recog
nized. At the ccpsistory held on r,
eth instant, ct which Cardinal Gibbon.
4 was nominated and confirmed, Leo XIII
said: "The fourishing state of Cstho-
licity in the United States, which do.