The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-17
Special Contributors.
A PRINCE in BALTIMORE.
BY REV. r. H. PULLMAN.
Baltimore, Md

By a decree of the Roman pOntiff,
Leo XIII, James Gibbons, Archbishop
of Baltimore, has been created prince
of the Roman Catholic church. The
ceremonies of his coronation were very
imposing and regal The red beretta
was placed upon his head by Arch
bishop Kenrick, of st. Louis, at the ca
the raj, in the presence Of an immense
throng of people. The magnificent
robes of bishops and archbishops, and
other dignitaries, added to the splen-
dors of the pageant. The venerable
building, vast in proportions and rich
with associations of great Catholic
events, was ablaze with dyes of cardinal
blue and purple, and precious gems in
the regalia of the prelates.
Sitting amid the crowd and gazing
upon this bewildering display, our SIM
pie republican tastes were not little
disturbed. We called to mind the dig
nifty of the fathers of the Republic in
Congress assembled, affixing their sig
natures to the Declaration of Indepen
dence, and the contrast was not favor
able to the glitter and show of this
churchly assembly. In imagination we
placed in the center of this pageant the
form of Jesus of Nazareth, in whose
name these ceremonies we're preten-
tiousIy conducted, and what rebuke
the imaginary picture administered !!
Simply clothed with seamless robe,
there stood the Son of God, with not
one single Jewel to indicate the dignity
of his office. The words he once uttered
1.-THE kingdom Of heaven cometh not
with observation sounded upon our
ears in utter condemnation of the whole
scene.
When all was hushed, and at the ap-
pointed time, Archbishop Williams, of
Boston, approached from the sacristy,
wearing his purple cassock, white sur
plice, scarlet vestments of the mass,
and a gold mitre. His gloves, hose and
slippers were of scarlet the episcopal
ring was displayed on his right hand.
Approaching, he saluted the Cardinal,
who sat in stately dignity upon his
princely throne, and passed on to the
altar, and making the sign of the cross,
he began the mass. Into gilded CEN
sOr filled with live Goals he thrice
spTinkled incense. AS the little cloud
arose he perfumed the altar and the
cross. The bishops rising and bowling,
according to rule, as the ceremonies
proceeded, and the ministers assisting
at the altar, grouped themselves in such
constant changes as to present living
pictures of wonderful suggestiveness.
At the elevation of the Host there
came the sound of tinkling bell, and
instantly utter silence fell upon the
vast and brilliant assembly. Every
head was bowed, for it was now that
the Archbishop was supposed to be
changing the bread and wine into the
literal flesh and blood of Jesus Christ
the Lord.
So with this mOnstrous cannibalism
of the doctrine of transubstantiation
believed in by the whole Catholic mem
bership, the ceremonies of crowning
cardinal were inaugurated. A native
born American citizen becomes prince
and sits upon throne In the Ian
guage of Archbishop Ryan-the orator
of the occasion, referring to the Car
dinal, 1--WE behold one who takes his
place as a prince in the kingdom of
God on this earth-the church of Jesus
Christ"
The Roman Catholic church is essen
TALLY monarchial in the spirit of its
government. 1t has not one single
pulse of sympathy with Republican
ideas, yet Archbishop Ryan claimed in
his address that "there is no antagOnism
between the Catholic church and our
(republican) political institutions, but
that, on the contrary, she is nowhere on
earth more perfectly at home than in
this free land" Very bold and mis-
leading are these words. The Roman
Catholic prelates are shrewd managers,
and know very well how to cover the
cats paw in the meal. While they boast
of the sympathy of their church with
our principles of government on great
occasions like this, it is but the trick of
the wire pulling managers of an organ