St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-24
THE POPES APPROVAL.
A Letter Regarding the Catholic
College at Washington.

BALTIMORE, Md, April 23.--The
Catholic Mirror tomorrow will
publish the following brief adj
dressed to the American bishops
by Pope Leo XIII. setting forth the
grants and wishes Of the Holy See in re-
iation to the Catholic college at Wash
ington: 1.-The earneStneSS with
which you apply yourselves to
the preservation of Catholic piety,
to- promote the interests of your do
ceses, and especially to supply safe
guards by which provision is made for
the proper training of clergymen and
every branch of science, sacred
and profane, gives us cause of great JOY.
Wherefore very welcome were your
letters sent to us towards the close of
last year, in which you state that the
commenced work of the great Iyceum
or university at Washington which you
were promoting, had so far progressed
that all things are now ready for
the teaching of theology this year,
and we Joyously apply our university
laws. In which matter we judge your
purpose most praiseworthy. that you
have resolved to set up, in the centen-
NAL year of the establishment of the
hierarchy, monument and perpetual
memorial of that suspicious event,
by founding the university. Therefore,
anxious to satisfy forthwith your just
desires. we entrusted your university
laws brought for examination and
recognition, to the most eminent
carninals of the propaganda that
they might give us their judg-
ment concerning them. Now their
opinions having been laid before us,
gladly granting your requests, we
sanction by these letters the statutes
and laws of your university, and we give
full and regular university. Therefore,
we grant power to your university to
promote students whose knowledge
shall have been tested, to- academic de-
gress, and to the degree of doctor
Ship in theology, philosophy, and
canon law, and in the other sciences in
which it is customary to confer degrees
and doctorship, when in coming years
the teaching of them shall have been
established in your university. But we
wish you, dearly beloved brethren, to
preside with jealous care over the
direction of studies and the discipline
either through yourselves or through
prelates chosen from you whom you
shall judge proficient for this office.
As the See of Baltimore is the chief
among the Episcopal Sees of the United
States of North America, to the arch
bishop of Baltimore and to his
successors we grant the privilege of dis
charging the Office of supreme modera-
tor or chancellor of the university.
Moreover, we desire, and first of
all in the field of philosophy
and theology, the plan of studies,
or programmes of subjects, to
ha foil in 70 l>n
submitted for recognition to this Apes
tolic see in order that they may be ap-
proved, and that the teachings in every
branch of knowledge may be so ar
ranged that your clericS and lay
men equally may have an opportunity
to satisfy the noble desire of knowledge
by adequate instructions. But amongst
these courses we wish that there be
established a school of pontifical and
ecclesiastical law, which knowled ge
especially in these times we know
ITO be of great Importance. We
eXhort you all, furthermore, to affiliate
to your university, seminaries, colleges,
+ and other Catholic seats of learning, as
gis suggested in the statutes, safeguard
/ ing, however, the independence
of each one. In order to de-
rive from the various departments
of the great university the greatest
benefits for the greatest number, it is
well to admit particularly to those
schools of theology and philosophy,
not only those who should have
finished those studies as pointed
out by the third plenary council of
Baltimore, but also even those who are
set on beginning or prosecuting its
courses of studies. Since the great uni
versity not only rebounds to the honor
of your country. that assures the
rich and salutary fruits belong
ing to the propagation of sound
doctrine, and.th protection of Catholic
piety, rightly do we trust the noble
minded American faithful Will not per-
NIT anything to be wanting to you, in
order to bring the work to
splendid completion. The Washington
university being established by these
our letters, we forbid the founding
of any other such Institution without
consulting the apostolic see. What we
have declared and appointed by these
letters we judge win be clear
proof of our desire and anxiety to pro-