The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-04-26
but reverse the policy of his prede-

but reverse the policy of his prede-
cessors and seek to strengthen the
falling structure of the empire by
the aid of those bishops whom he
had everywhere, east and west, and
who seemed to him the very pattern
Of that unity which, true to the gen.
ius of Rome, he sought to establish.
Proof Of the Times.
The centuries of the Christian but
connote the activity or the apathy
Of the episcopate. Where they "held
firmly that which had been entrust-
ed to them, neglecting the novelties
of words and opposetious of knowl-
edge falsely so-called," there the
church hourished and gave evidence
in Its doctrine that Jesus Christ, yes
terday, today and forever is the same
Every enduring establishment of
Christianity has been founded upon
an episcopate. The great apostolic
see of Rome, mother Of the churches,
always built upon this archctypal
plan. Boosting that unbroken line Of
bishops from Peter down which the
priest Gains tested and admired in
the early years of the third century,
she has given the note of apostolicity
to all the nations of Latin Christen-
dom-even as this ceremony today
takes place by warrant of an apos-
tolic mandate and with the assistance
of bishops in communion with the
Holy See.
The Rose of the Caesars has long
since been supplanted by that i'm
perlal line OF pontiffs who have TAX
en- the whole world for diocese and
who in Peters name and with Peters
prerogative and power sustain the
age-long shock of the thunderous
gates OF hell ",The Bishop of Bish.
ops" in the sneering phrase of the
disgruntled Tertullian in the second
century, still rules the church of God
through those whom he styles the
venerable brethren of the episcopate.
Nineteen centuries and more have
brought about many vicissitudes in
the history of the church. Whole
hierarchies have disappeared-hnve
lapsed into heresy or schism like the
Greek-speaking churches OF antiquity
or have been swept aside and oblit.
Grated by the invasion of the barbar-
ians like the Latin church of north
ern Africa in st. Augustine's day.
Some have been dethroned from emil
nence and hidden away among a
faithful people like the episcopate of
Ireland during centuries Of persecu-
ton, only to reap in these latter days
a golden harvest whose sowing was
in tears. Or again, like England in
Queen Elizabeth's day, whole HER
archy has preferred prison and dis
grace to apostacy. Yet in Gods
providence that nation without it's
bishops lapsed into heresy from
which even now Its recovery is SO
painfully slow.
Tho Newest Link.
Today we are assisting at the forg-
ing of the newest link in the chain
Of the apostolic succession. How lit
tie likely would have seemed a scene
like this 100 years ago. The pope,
then Plus VII, prisoner at Fon-
tainebleau, harried by the emissaries
of Napoleon, advised to abdicate by
his jailors and the whole Catholic
world i'll. dread of the outcome were
the pope to die in prison, with the
cardinals unable to meet in conclave.
How could the fondest dreamer then
have foreseen that beyond the vest
ern ocean the church would have be-
come what she is today in what was
then an uncharted wilderness!-the
faithful numbering more than fifteen
million souls, the hierarchy now
more than tenth of all the bishops
and archbishops of the Latin rite.
How many times in the course of
this century have not our fathers in
the faith foregathered with thanks.
giving in their hearts and the words
of gladness on their lips to assist at
a scene like this? Pathfnders of re
ligion, they set their episcopal sees
on every frontier that the vital
growth of the faith might shoot it's
roots out far and wide. Hampered
by no concordats with jealous civil
powers, slaves to no traditions save
that of the apostles, they flung their
tabernacles with their tents where
their hopes were. and God has most
marvelously blessed their daring
They waited not for pomp or estab.
lishment to provide their church with
a bishop. In poverty and privation