The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-04
KENRICK RETIRED.
A CHANGE IN THE Archbishop
RIG OF ST. LOUIS.
CabIegram from Rome Announces
Rev. John j. Kahn as His Success
sOr-RemOvaI Said to Have Been
Necessary.

Necessary.
ST. Louis. June S.-Archbishop Ken
rick has been deposed by Rome. A cable
gram announcing his deposition and the
appointment Of Most Rev. John ]. Kain,
archbishop of Oxyrinchus. I'm partibus
in1delium." as the new archbishop of st.
Louis. was publicly read during solemn
pentecostal services at the cathedral Sun
day morning, by Vicar General Meuhl-
seipen.
The cablegram was signed by Cardinal
Project Ledochowski. of the congregation
of the propa ganda and stated that the
action had been taken at a meeting held
on May q.
The effect of the decision was to effec-
tually retire Archbishop KenTick from
all rights, titles and privileges obtaining
to the archbishopric OF st. Louis. Under
supplementary instructions expected from
the propaganda an order will come to
provide a fitting annuity for him out
of the resources Of the archdiocese.
1t Was Compulsory.
Though a matter OF urgent necessity,
the compulsory retirement of the vener-
able metropolitan will come as a. rude
shock to the Catholics of his arch-dio-
cese.
Archbishop Kenrick was in no sense
provincial. His attitude at the vatican
council which declared against the dog
mas of papal infallibility and the i'm
maculate conception gained him a world
wide reputation and involved him in con-
troversies with the greatest theologians
within and without his church.
His attitude at the conclave begot him
the unending opposition of the authorities
at Rome. This feeling has cropped out
frequently, notably in the removal to
Philadelphia of Archbishop Ryan. when
Archbishop Kenrick wished to be his sue
cessor. Since that time there has been
an unbroken silence between the metro
politan of st. Louis and his ecclesiasti-
cal superiorS at Rome. The retirement
of Archbishop Kenrick is the result of
petition to the propaganda setting forth
his mental incapacity and the dangerous
condition of the business affairs of the
diocese.
Archbishop Kenricks mental infirmity
displayed itself in the form OF violent
opposition to his coadjuster. He regarded
him as an interloper, and refused at
times to eat at the same table or sit in
the same room with him. He was per-
sistent in his refusal to transact any
business matters suggested to him by mis-
assistant. The situation was intolerable
from a business standpoint and Arch
bishop Kahn was forced TO appeal for help
to Rome.
His Mental Condition.
AS a result of the petition, the propa-
ganda commissioned Archbishop Ryan, of
Philadelphia, the man who most of all
others knew the old archbishop and
shared his affection. to come to st.
Louis and report on his mental condi-
ton.
The archbishop of Philadelphia come
here one month ago and tried by every
means in his power to get his venerable
superior to so adjust his affairs that his
retirement could be avoided But the old
archbishop was stubborn. He refused to
make a will or to transfer his trustee
ship of church property to his successor
There was nothing for Archbishop Ryan
to do but to report to Rome that the
archbishop was unfit to conduct the af-
fairs of the diocese.
The propaganda was not long in act
ing. But Archbishop Kain, fearful lest
the hot weather would carry off the old
bishop before Rome acted and leave the
affairs of the diocese in a precarious con-
dition, filed the local legal proceedings
to remove the archbishop from the trus-
teeship of church property. These pro-
there is no further necessity for pushing
them, be dropped. The proceedings had
hardly been filed when Archbishop Kahn
received word from Rome that his supe-
rior had been deposed, and he was the
new archbishop of st. Louis. Following
the official announcement the next step
will be the comforting Of the pallium.
This is the insignia of archiepiscopal hon
ors. Archbishop Kains pallium will not
h1Fa h ans
later. 1t may not be conferred upon him
until after Archbishop Kenrick's death, if
that event occurs shortly. But it may
have to be done during the life of the
archbishop. for until it has been placed
upon the shoulders of the new incumbent
he cannot perform the duties pertaining
to his exalted office.
kenriclx's Future.
Archbishop Kenrick's future is not yet
determined upon. In all probability he
will be removed from the archiepiscpal
residence presented to him at the time
of his golden jubilee. If he ever COM
prehends that Rome has relieved him of
his authority he viii gladly retire to any
of the asylums conducted by the sister
hoods of his church. He has often eX-
pressed the desire to get away from the
cares of his Office and spend the remain
der of his life in secluSion. But that
was before his intellect began to waver.
Archbishop Kenrick was born in Dub
lin Ireland If he lives until the 18th
Of August he will enter upon his nineti-
eth year. He was ordained March g. 1892.
He came to America year later and
went to Philadelphia, where his brother
was coadjuster bishop. In 1910 he went
to Rome, where he met Bishop Rosali, OF
st. Louis, who was in search OF a coad-
ulster and he took the young eccleSiaSt,
whom he knew by reputation. On No
venber IS, 1871, he was consecrated bishop
of st. Louis in the cathedral of Balti-
more. In 1S47 st. Louis was elevated into
an archdiocese and Bishop Kenrick be-
came first incumbent. In November, 1891,
Archbishop Kenrick celebrated the golden
Jubilee of his episcopate. The excitement
incident to the ceremony was too much
for the aged prelate and Joined to the
subsequent bitter agitation for the APP
pointment of a coadjuster, which he OPP
posed strenuously. his once giant intellect
gave way.