The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-15
NEXT PLBNhRY COUNCIL
Fourth Gathering of the Great
American Hierarchy.
The Impression Prevails That 1t
VIII Soon he Held, Sixteen Years
Having Passed Since the Third
Conyocati0n - Important Subjects
Ripe for Discussion and Action.


| Washington. but in all parts of America,
/ in Rome, and in Europe generally. The in
! dications all Sem TO point to the proba-
| bility that within a year another great
| gathering of the American hierarchy will
| be called which should, indeed, be greater
than any of those in the past From all
| quarters comes an endorsement, and from
Rome the report that the Pope looks upon
| Il with favor. If His Holiness would re-
! ceive the DEGREES of another Plenary Coun-
| Gil of this country and pass upon the fruits
| of his course toward America during
pontiicate of nearly quarter of century
! he can scarcely hope to do so unless the
council is speedily called. Many members
of the hierarchy can expect TO attend but
| one more council. so that they would
! scarcely interpose any objection to the
| holding of a council at the present time
| Such a council viii mean much to the
! Catholic church, and much to the country
! at large. PIenary councils are unlike the
| general gatherings of Protestant churches
| There is no special period which must
| eIaPse from the time of holding on8 to the
! calling of another. When they are held
! the princes and prelates of the church
! gather from all quarters of the country,
! accompanied by the most learned theolo-
! giars, the most eloquent preachers. and
! the most powerful debaters that the church
| contains. The council in Baltimore is ad-
! mi ted to have been the greatest gathering
| of its kind ever held in this country, and
| since then the possibilities have grown IN
! til the next can reasonably be expected to
| far eclipse its predecessor.
I Almost sixteen years have elapsed since
| the Third Plenary Council closed in a blaze
| of glory on Sunday, December = 1884. Since
/ then the complexion and personnel of the
hierarchy have greatly changed. Cardinal
| Gibbons succeeded Cardinal McCloskey,
| Archbishop CorTigan has become the met
| rcpolitan of the leading province of Amer
| lea, Archbishop Ireland has Joined the
| ran IS of the archbishops, Archbishop
| Kahn has been given the province of st.
| Louis, Archbishop ChapelIe that of Santa
| Fe, and then New Orleans, and Archbishop
| Riordan that of San Francisco, Monsignor
! Satolli, then simple monsignor, came 10
America as the first Papal delegate and
returned & cardinal. These sixteen years
| have Witnessed the birth and growth of
| the Catholic University, the rise Of Bishop
| Keane to rector, then to an archbishop,
and then to Archbishop of Dubuque The
conservative and liberal elements have
| both waxed and waned. The school ques-
| ton, believed to have been settled by the
| last council, has been the subject OF many
| disputes and remains still practically I'M
settled.
In addition there has been the famous
| Dr. McGlynn case, the case of Bishop Bo-
| nacum. the entrance OF Monsignor Ireland
| into the political arena and many other
| interesting and important developments.
! The church has grown in influence, power
| and wealth Its membership has constantly
| increased. There is the impression that
| another council would call forth the best
| of each member and draw the different
| sections of the country into greater har-
| 10,
| since the Third Plenary Council as elapsed
| between the second and the third, yet from
| 1884 to 1900 the country and the church
| have grown much more rapidly than be-
tween 1866 and 1884.
| When the call for such a council does
| come there viii be several cities in the
| field as aspirants for the honor of enter
| tanning it. At least New York Baltimore
| and Washington will be considered. New
| York as the weaIthiest or the provinces
! would have claim for the place Of meet
ing. Washington, as the residence of the
| papal delegate. will also have a chance
| and as the Catholic University is located
| here. would be splendid place for the del
| egates to meet. But Baltimore will al
| most undoubtedly have the honor of enter
| tanning the council when it is called to-
gether It is the primal see OF the coun-
| try; from it all others have sprung. and
! in Baltimore have all the pIenary and GEN
| the seat of the Cardinal-Archbishop, who
| will likely be called to preside over this,
as he did over the last
Question of Precedence.
Here an interesting question comes up
| of the precedence to which Mgr. Mar5i-
neli or Cardinal Gibbons is entitled. Car
dinaI McCloskey would have been dele
gated by Leo XIII to preside over the
| council of 1854 had he been able to do So
| Owing to the illness of the prelate which
termination shortly after in his death. Car
dinal Gibbons. then Archbishop of BaIti-
| more was selected and empowered by a
| missive from the Pope to call the council
together and to preside as apostolic dele
| gate These councils are all presided
| over by the apostolic delegate. especially
! selected for the occasion. But now the
| Vatican is represented in this country by
| q specially selected delegate. at present
| Mgr, MartineIH, who is supposed to repre-
sent in his person the person and dignity
| of the Pope himself. When the call for the
| council comes it is expected 1t viii come
| through Mgr. Martinelli. but at present it
| is an open question as to whether he or
| Cardinal Gibbons will be selected as the
| delegate apostolic to preside over its de-
| liberation. Cardinal Gibbons, as Car3.ual
| outTanks the Archbishop, yet the hitter,
representing the Pope, takes precedence,
over the Cardinal
When it does convene the membership
| will be imposing in the extreme. At these
councils there are in attendance the Car
dinal. the Archbishops, the Bishops, the
heads of religious orders, the mitered alb
, tots and many hundreds of the lesser
! priests and members of religious orders
The council of 1884 called together Car
| diLaI II Archbishops, GO Bishops, visit
| ing Bishops from foreign countries, alb
| bots, project apostolic, II monsignors, IS
| vicar generals, % superiors of religious Cr-
! ders u rectors of seminaries, and 80 the
! ologians All these are admitted to par
| ticipate in the deliberations, but only the
| Archbishops, Bishops, and abbots vote.
| The purpose Of the next council can Be
summarized in the words of the call for
| the last:
THE enactment of salutary laws for the
promotion of piety and sound morals, the
| correction OF abuses, the establishment as
far as practicable. Of greater uniformity
| Of ecclesiastical discipline, tie DEVELOPMENT
| OF the Christian commonwealth the quick
| enins and strengthening of the bonds of
| charity which should hind US all as mem
| bers of the Christian family to our God
| and to each other
Space permits but al allusion, to two of
the most important questions to be con-
| sidered at the coming counciI-the cues
ton of the maintenance of the parochial
schools and the representation in the
hierarchy of the different nationaIifies
| composing the church in America
The first question was supposed to have