The Irish standard., 1919-02-22
Cardinal Gibbons
Golden Jubilee
Church Dignitaries Gather at Ral%i.
more to Honor octogenarian
PreIate.
POPE BENEDICT REPRESENTED
5Y ARCHBISHOP cERREr7L
Cardinal Gibbons Offers rouch;,,
Tribute to Archbishop ireland,
Resents Unjust Criticism Of pm.
Benedict.

''SSeee UNJUST Criticism Of Pone
Benedict.
washington, Feb. 2o.-Clerey and
lafty of Roman Catholics gathered bero
today to pay homage to the yenerab,a
head of the church in the 11n,+ad
states, James Cardinal Gibbons. at tho
celebration of his golden en,scon.,
jubilee. Pope Benedict was represent
ed by Archbishop Cerretti who came
from Rome to bring the pontif,c,,
blessing to the aged prelate in test;.
mony of his services as bishop for hale
century and as a cardinal since
1886.
Many Dignitaries Attend.
Dfgnitaries of the church said tho
celebration was the most notable gath.
ering of the Roman Catholic hier,rchv
in North America in more than 20
years. including Cardinal O'Connel1 ~
Boston, Cardinal Begin of Canada
Archbishop Bonzano, the papal nnc;o
in the United States. and a great host
OF archbishops, bishops and mons,p.
neurs. The lay membership was repre.
sented by distinguished businessmen
and government officials.
Simplicity Marks Services.
Simplicity marked the celebration
which began with Pontifical High Mass
IN: the Church of the franciscan mon.
astery at the Catholic university. Car.
dinal Gibbons being the celebrant
After the services the visitors formed
IN procession and marched to the re.
lectory, where dinner was served.
Archbishop Cerretti, speaking for
the pope, Cardinal O'Connell for the
hierarchy in the United States. and
cardinal Begin for the Canadian
clergy, praised the work and charac.
ter OF Cardinal Gibbons. Archhishon
Glennon of st. Louis, responded to the
toast'. Our Country" Cardinal Glib.
bons replied briefly, much touched hv
the tributes.
Cardinal Praises Archbishop ireland.
thanksgiving that the blessed sun
OF peace has dawned" and praise for
the work of the papacy in attemptinp
to mitigate the horrors of the war
formed the theme of the reply Of Car,
dinal Gibbons.
During his speech he paid trihute IN
the late Archbishop John Ireland Of
st. Paul. "the patriot whom his fellow.
citizens loved to honor"
When man like mvself hacom 90
an octogenarian," Cardinal Gibbons
said, he is disposed to be reminiscent
and to praise times passed away
laudator temporis acti.'
Il am today the sole survivor Of the
nearly 1000 bishops who attended the
| Vatican council.
What is still more noteworthy T am
actually the only survivor of the efeh,
prelates who attended the third plen
ary council of 1884"
| BLESSED Sun Of Peace pawns."
/ The last to descend below the hori
zon OF the tomb was the venerable
patriarch of the west, the great apos
tie OF temperance, the patriot whom
his fellow citizens loved to honor with
out distinction Of race or religion, the
lion OF the fold of Judah refer to
John Ireland, archbishop of st. Paul
Il thank God that we are assembled
today when the war is over and the
blessed sun Of peace has dawned
upon us.
During that tremendous conflict
there was one majestic figure that
lowered over all others. 1 refer to on,
holy father Benedict XIV. behold
him now in imagination standing like
moses on the mountain with uplffted
hands, praying for his spiritual chill
dren shedding fratricidal blood.
| Pope's War Stand Praised.
THE holy father was unjustly criti.
cized in these days. He was blamed
by the Allies because he did not side
with them. He was blamed by the
Central Powers because he did NOT
espouse their cause. But the holy
father could not be partisan. He
was too exalted parsonage for that
But though not partisan he was not
an Indifferent spectator Of the horror,
ne witnessed. He frequently protest
ed against the outrages perpetrated I,
Belgium and France, and he was hab
itually exercised in the benevolen,
work of e6ectfng q change Of prison
ers; and in many other ways mttixat
ing the horrors Of war.