Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-03-24
CARDINAL GIBBONS
Continued from 1st Page

council to be neld the next year
Pope Leo XIII appointed him to
pr eside over the council. He di-
rected the enactment of many
new DEGREES which were favora-
| bly, approved by the ecclesias tical
authorities.
| The brilliant executive ability
of Archbishop Gibbons was i'm
mediately recognized. He was
created Cardinal, prince of the
the church, quarter century
after he had entered the priest
hood. This was in 188o-he was
then 81 years of age.
The impressive ceremonies took
place in his home city and cathe-
| dral in Baltimore. In the pres
ence Of hierarchy of the church,
Cardinal Gibbons was clothed in
the insignia of the office He ar
rived in Rome the following year
| and received the apostolic and adj
! mission into the college OF cardin-
ais, the twenty-hfth in success
sion.
Cardinal Gibbons celebrated the
centenary of the founding of the
Catholic hierarchy in the United
States in 1883. He convened the
first national congress of. Catho-
lie 1aymen in the United States
i'll the same year. He laid the cor
nerstone of the Catholic ,Univer-
sity in Washington, and was its
chancellor since its foundation.
He was the first Roman Catholic
prelate in the United States to
take part in the election of a
Pope, casting his ballot for Plus
X.
The scholarship and statesman
ship of Cardinal Gibbons has been
recognized by theologians OF all
creeds.
Religion" he sad shortly be
ore his death, sis the only solid
basis for society. Religion is to
society what cement is to mod
ern building: it makes all parts
compact and coherent. The teach
ings of Christ have been the basis
Of all Christian legislation for
nearly 1000 years and continue
to be the light and guide for hun
lreds of millions of souls. Meth
er Scion nor Lycurgus nor Jus
tinia nor Napoleon nor any other
'ramer of laws ever eXcrtcd a
1.-THE of the influence of which the
gospel of Christ exercises on the
human races"
The last days of the Cardinal
were spent among his friends i'll
lis native Baltimore. He was a
picturesque figure on the streets.
Notwithstanding his high office.
His Emincnce, was one OF the
most democratic of Americans.
During his daily walks about the
city. he received the respectful
valuations OF persons of all faiths
responding with his genial and
,ordia1 smile whether to a polite
man or a distinguished financicr.
Cardinal Gibbons retained to
the last a keen interest on socio-
logy.
1--WE are confronted by at least
three great evils" he said in re
,ent interview. "They are poly
gamy and divorce: imperfect ed
ucation, and the tendency Of our
women to become like men and
less womanly. Woman occupies
the throne in the home. She
could not seek another one. That
has been proved time and again
in history and that is why | am
opposed to woman suffrage.
The trend OF the times and the
powers of the press as a protec-
tor of society greatly impressed
Cardinal Gibbons during the last
years of his life.
"The power of the press is in
ca1culable.' he said in speaking OF
recent developments. Its argus,
almost searchlight eye, is ever
looking for the weak spot in hui
mainly, to throw it into cold
prominence. AS rule the public
exposures of public men are now
'public benefactions. The sh'
tering of popular idols has of late
become a thing of almost daily
occurrence. 1t is sad thing to
contemplate, but it is an inevita-