The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-22
TO A RICH PRIEST
BISHOP OF C0NC0RDIA NOT LIKELY
TO BE FATHER THEN.
1t Is Said That That Diocese 10 Heavily In
Debt aud That Some One Who Has Plea.
tiful Private Resources Will be Put al
the Head of It-CongreEation Meets In
Rome Next Month and WI Undoubted.
~ Make the Selection There-How Cath.
ollie Bishops are Made-Everybody for
Father Then.

The selection of bishop for the Con.
cordia diocese will be made in ali prob
ability next month, and the host o.
friends Father Then Of this city has in
Kansas. will regret TO learn that the
honor viii not, in all probability. fall
upon him.
Upon the death of Mr.. Butler in Rome
| some weeks ago the Eagle suggested
Father Then Of this city for the vacant
| place. The suggestion was every where
received with approval, the Atchison
and Leavenworth papers. published in
vicinity WHARF, Mr.. Then is well-known
being particularly warm in their en-
| dorsements. A st. Louis paper also
took the matter up and approved it.
| But newspapers do not select bishops.
A gentleman who is in a position 70
known said to a reporter for the Eagle
yesterday:
'Of course no one thing would give
the Catholics of Kansas more pleasure
than the elevation Of Father Then TO
| the diocese Of Concordia. He is just the
man for the place, well-read, well edu-
Gated, Industrious and Of a high moral
character, but in my opinion the place
will go TO a rich man. The usual man
Her Of selecting bishop, as l under
stand il, is partially elective and par
TALLY appointive. The priests in :, do
cese select fro mtheir number three
names which are sent to the head OF the
province, in this case Archbishop Kane
of st. Louis. He in turn, with his coun-
seliors, selects from the several names
put in by each diocese three names. The
priests who possess these names are de-
scribsd at length in every way and par
ticularly the extent Of their education.
These names are sent on to Rome where
they are duly weighed by the Congrega-
ton. and they decide upon man.
The reason 1 believe a wealthy man
will be selected for the Concordia do
cese is because I understand that diocese
is heavily indebted and a rich bishop
would at once make an outlay OF his
private resources towards lifting the
burden. II it were not for this need 1
believe that either Father Then or
Father Maur of Salina would be made
bishop with the chances more in favor
OF Father Then.
Father Butler, who died Just as he
reached the elevation was a rich man,
having made much out of Chicago real
estate and it was his intention to lift
the debt UP there. There are mony 9TH
erS as rich as he is and I think such a
one will be selected. The Congregation
of Rome is now on a vacation which it
takes in July and August on account of
the malaria OF the ancient city. 1t will
return for work next month and I think
new bishop for Concordia will be one
of the first things it will consider. 1t
may be that Father Then will get It.
Bishop Hennessey. who was recently in
Rome, may have been counseled with.
and it is not beast TO give up hope, until
the decision is made"
notwithstanding this gloomy predic-
ton, most Of Father Tihen's admirers in
this city will continue to believe that he
will be the new bishop until II is defin-
itely decided that he will not be.