The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-01-14
CHOOSE A BISHOP
Ballot Will Be Taken at
Archbishop Corrigan's
Tomorrow.
THOSE WHO WILL VOTE
Irremovable Priests and Dio-
cesan Council to Submit
Names.
THOSE WHO WILL VOTE

A meeting of the Diocesan Council and
the irremovable rectors of the Diocese of
Newark will be held tomorrow, at the
residence of Archbishop Corrigan, in New
York, for the selection of candidates for
bishop of the diocese, to succeed the late
Right Rev. Winand NJ. Wigger. Each
priest who attends this meeting will cast
his ballot for three men, designating them
respectively, dignus (worthy); dignior
.(mors worthy, and dignissimus (most
worthy.
This ballot will be strictly secret The
votes will be turned over to the arch
bishop, who will submit them to a council
of the bishops of the archdiocese in the
province of New York. This council
chooses three names, to be submitted 70
Rome by the Archbishop. They may take
tohe three which shall have found most
favor in the eyes of the priest, or any
other three they please
Archbishop Corrigan will preside at the
meeting-on Tuesday, though he will not
take part in the balloting. There are six
members of the Diocesan Council and
eight irremovable priests, but as two of
the former are also irremovable priests
the number of ballots cast at the meet
ing will be only twelve.
The Council is made up as follows
Monsignor George H. Doane, of Newark;
Monsignor Robert Seton, of Jersey City;
Rev. Bernard H Ter Woert, of Jersey
City; Rev. Charles Gillen, of Paterson;
Rev. DR.. Charles Kelly, of Hoboken, and
Vicar General and Acting Bishop John
J. O'Conner, of Newark The irremova-
BILE rectors are Monsignor Seton, Father
Tar To- TD1a1 a1e of 0k,rrT-
ark: Rev. Dennis McCartie, of Newark:
Dean Joseph Flynn, of Morristown; Rev.
Hugh P. Fleming, of Orange. and Rev.
Martin Gessner, of Elizabethport.
Duplicate records of the meeting will
be made out by the secretary, one to be
submitted to the bishops and the other
to be sent to Rome.
If the bishops do not indorse the candi-
dates favored by the priests, they must
in their report to Rome, give their rea-
sons for rejecting those candidates. The
three names selected by the bishops will
go before the congregation of the Propa-
ganda, which recommends a candidate to
the Pope, who makes the ultimate choice.
Just when the bishops will meet is not
vet decided. 1t is probable the meeting
Will not be held until after Bishop Nc
Quaid returns from Europe, shortly be-
fore the middle of February. How long
it will be before the new bishop is chosen
is as yet uncertain. The business affairs
of the diocese are in good shape, under
the management of an executive head
who is regarded as thoroughly competent
and there is no need of haste.
After the priests meetin in nominating
council 1t is sometimes a year before a
new bishop is named, and sometimes only
two or three months. Delay is often oc-
casioned when the vancancy occurs just
before the vacation of the Congregation
of the Propa aganda, which vacation lasts
from July 1 to November 1. AS the con-
gregation will be practically in continu-
Gus session until July no great delay is,
in the present case looked for.
Were the choice of a success to Bishop
Wigger left to the priests of the Newark
diocese the honor would most likely fall
to Vicar General O'Connor. native
Newarker, the VICAR general is we'll
known and popular among the priests in
this section who regard him as a man of
sound, practical ideas and Of superior
order Of executive ability. His manner Of
conducting the affairs of the diocese at
different times when Bishop Wigger was
away and left him in charge won hearty
commentator and showed him capable of
assuming and sustaining the important
tasks and responsibilities that now again
devolve upon him as acting head of the
diocese
In the choice of the new bishop, the sem
timent of the priests of the diocese. over
whose Affairs he is to preside, will doubt
less have weight. but will not necessarily
determine that choice. Besides the vicar
general, many worthy men are under
consideration, some with strong influence
behind them.
One of the latest names mentioned is
that of Rev Maurice P. O'Connor, of
Harrison Father OConnor is regarded
as dark horse" He has a high repu-
tation as an organizer, is possessed of
much executive ability, and is popular
as ap astor. His visit to Rome last
summer made him well known in that
quarter. Other possibilities, some of
whom have gained more prominent mem