The Irish standard., 1912-03-09
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
OF AMERICA
Recent POntiical Letter of His
Holiness Plus X to His
Eminence,
James Cardinal Gibbons Concerning
This Great Catholic Institution
of Learning.
Praise Bestowed Upon All Who
Would Protect it and Quicken
it's Growth.

The following beautiful! and warm
letter, in which His Holiness Plus X
expresses his earnest desire that the
Catholic University of America shall
continue to prosper i'll every way and
become in time all that the Holy See
promised itself in founding this great
institution at the national capital for
the common welfare Of the Catholic
Church in the United States, has been
addressed to His Eminence James
Cardinal Gibbons:
To our beloved son, James Gibbons,
Cardinal Priest Of the Holy Roman
Church of the Title of Santa Maria
in Trastevere, Archbishop of Bal
timore, Chancellor of the Catholic
University of America.
Plus X, Pope.
Beloved Son, Health and Apostolic
Benediction:
By no means surprising or unex-
pected is the steady and vigorous
growth of the Catholic University,
which, located at Washington, the
capital city of the American Repub-
lie, built up by the offerings of the
Catholic people and invested by the
Apostolic See with full academic au-
thority, is now become the fruitful
parent OF knowledge in all Of the
sciences, both human and divine.
Knowing as We do the faith and gen.
erosity of the Catholics of America,
we had not the slightest doubt but
that through their efforts this newly
established home of Christian wis
dom would quickly win for itself an
honorable name and place among
the foremost institutions in your
country. None the less gratifying,
however, was the information on this
subject which you lately sent us by
letter, not only because it was high
ly pleasing to have the statement
from you personally, but also because
you gave us assurance in regard to
matter we have so deeply at heart,
to.wit, that in this noble seat of learn
ing the finest culture is thoroughly
united with purity of faith, in such
wise that the students, both clerical
and lay, are trained in the truths and
practice of religion and in the vari-
Gus branches of science as well. We
have, therefore, good reason to con-
gratulate, first Of all, you, beloved
son, to whose solicitous and provi-
dent care we ascribe the prosperous
condition of the University, then also
the other Bishops OF the United
States who so ably assist you in the
administration of the University, and
finally the rector and the professors
whose teaching and devotion to their
work have produced such splendid re-
suits.
But, as you yourself acknowledge,
the University is still hampered and
it's full development retarded through
lack of resources. Hence the neces
sity of appealing to the loyal gener
osity of the faithful, of which you
have already received striking proof
and which you would again call to
the aid of this highly useful institu
tion during a further period of ten
years. We praise, as on a former
occasion We praised your foresighted
design, whose success and beneficial
result for the University is guaran
teed by the prompt responsive liber
ality of your American Catholics; nay
We are confident that even those
whose readiness to give is limited
by the slenderness OF their means
will nevertheless gladly contribute
their share-the more so because
from the University as the source
may rightly be expected all those ad
vantages for Christian education
which flow out through our Catholi,
schools to enrich the intelligence will
knowledge and to strengthen the hear
i in the practice of virtue.
We take this occasion to renew tn,
exhortation given by cur predecessor
Of happy memory, Leo XIII. who, II
writing to you on June IL, 1901, urget
the Bishops Of North America to sen,
20 the University from each dioces