The Washington herald., 1913-09-29
Church union
IS ADVOCATED
Cardinal Gibbons Says He
Would Give Remaining
Years of Life to Aid.
MUST AGREE ON HEAD
Veteran Churehman, Whose Acts Belle
His Years, Also Discusses Lodge
Theory of Life Beyond Grave.

Baltimore, Sept. %-Cardinal Gibbons,
in an interview today, = expressed the
fervent hope that a union of all Chris
tian churches under one head might
ultimately be brought about and pre-
dicted that such a union would result
in wonderful advances of civilization.
OF the efforts of Sir Oliver Lodge to
produce scientific proof of the existence
of life beyond the grave, the Cardinal
said those who believed in the teachings
of Christ had no need of such proof.
You want to know about the union
Of all Christian churches?' repeated the
Cardinal when he was approached on
subject so delicate that the majority
of prelates have refused to discuss it
for publication. He answeredI
Must Agree on Head.
THE reunion of the scattered branches
lof Christendom Is consummation de-
voutly to be wished, and ! would
gladly sacrifice the remaining years Of
my life in lending a helping hand to-
ward this blessed result.
The first essential requirement" he
continued, 'is the recognition Of the
sovereign pontiff the successor of St.
tendon. Every organization, whether
religious, civil, or political, needs a head
for its peace and security, as well as
for its very existence.
once the proper position of the Pope
is recognized, l do not believe that the
other cOntroverted doctrines are as for
midable as is commonly imagined. When
proper explanation is given OF the
various doGmas upon which Christianity
is founded, I am persuaded that The lOgi-
cal sense of the people would prompt
them to accept.
And il the various Christian denomi-
nations of the United States were once
united, working with one heart and one
spirit what a wonderful influence our
Christian forces would exert in the civil
ization and the Christianizing of man
kind, What amazing things would then
be done for society and humanity!
Time Not Ripe.
But. devoutly as We wish for such
q union continued the cardinal. we
must wait for the conscience of the in
dividuaI TO bring about a state when
union becomes possible. There are three
courts-the civil tribunal. the criminal
And under the last of these. until soul
demands, until. in a word. such a mo-
ment arrives, the time is not ripe
When asked his views i'm regard to
the attempts of Sir oliver Lodge to
prove scientifically that there is life
after death, the cardinal remarked
he was not prepared to say whether.
or how far. the continuity of life
after death could be proved by scien-
tifio investigation"
of such a vague proof" said the
cardinal, Il have no need. My faith
in the hereafter, in the immortality OF
the soul. rests not on conjecture, but
on a more solid foundation. 1t rests
upon the infallible revelation of the
Son OF God. who has said. I am the
resurrection and the life &c"
The cardinal spoke at some length
of the duties of woman to society and
vice versa, but returned to the union
Of the Christian churches.
Tie union of the churches would
bring about an era OF civilization un-
known in history. You and l may not
live to see It, but 1t will come, l hope,
and then the one undivided church viii
flourish and triumph
For more than an hour this wonder
full man-James Cardinal Gibbons
this complete refutation of the Osleran
theory. gave free vent TO his thoughts.
He gave a remarkable display of his
wonderful mentality.
Known as the ascetiC among Amer
lC1n DIfldlcS. '-dl blllAl 'i1'oias - 80 -
intensely human, so Iovable. so in touch
with everything that makes life worth
whila-that the hour spent in the gray
stone '.nalaCe'' in North Charles Street
was a memorable one. Severely simple
and A bit old fashioned are the furnish
ings Of the palaCe-there is no display,
the furniture is bit antiquated, the
hancings are absent entirely, few mar
BILE busts of church dignitaries occupy
corners. \ life-sized portrait of the
cardinal hangs over the mantelpiece-
The statement has been made that the
cardinal. who is in his eightieth year.
was beginning to feel the weight Of his
age and that an interview was out of the
question. vet when the time for the
interview arrived the cardinal walked
down a flight Of stairs to the reception
room with the SprinSy step "f a healthy
man OF fifty years. His handshakc was
not the tremuIous grasp of the man Of
eighty; it was the strong grip of man
still very much in the fight.
The cardinals hair is not yet white.
His eyes are clear with health and there
is a mental activity that is something
amazing.
Upon his head he wore the red skull
can of his rank. About his neck hung
a heavy gold chain supporting a massive
golden cross. On his left hand was the
cardinalatal ring. There was nothing
infirm about the prelate's voice. The
tone was firm and clear and he spoke
with enthusiasm He said just exactly
what he had to say and he ended the
interview with the statement that he
was a busy man.
Then James Cardinal Gibbons, aged
eighty. ascended the stairs with the step
of a man of fifty.