Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-03-31
CARDINAL GIBBONS
PASSES TO BEYOND
PROLONGED ILLNESS PREcEoEs
DEATH OF HIGH CHURCH
MAN-S7 YEARS OLD
IN SERVICE FOR MANY YEARS
Was Primate OF American Catholic
Church - Possessed Great
Executive Ability

Executive Ability
Baltimore, Md.-James Cardinal
Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore and
primate of the American Catholic
church. died at the arch-episcopal res
idence here March "a after a prolong-
ed illness which mainly affected his
heart. He was in his eighty-seventh
year.
The end came peacefully at 1888 in
the morning.
Cardinal Gibbons, who had been
showing pronounced signs of improve
ment in health ever since his return
home about January first last from
Union Mills, Md, where he was taken
seriously i'll early in December, suf-
fered a relapse Palm Sunday evening
soon after returning from an automo-
bile ride. The sudden change OF
weather which brought unreasonably
high temperatures had a depressing
effect on him. His fainting spells re-
turned and when he was put to bed
it was realized by those closest to him
that he probably would never get up
again.
Cardinal Gibbons physicians said
repeatedly in the earlier stages or MS
illness that he was sound, organically,
as could be expected in a person OF
his year, but that he suffered from the
effects of his age and from fatigue
that resulted from the prodigal expen'
diture of his energies in the perform"
ance of his duties as senior prelate OF
the Catholic church in this country
Active service of more than half a
century in the interests of his coun-
try as we'll as his church is closed
by the death of James Cardinal GID
bons. At the celebration in 1911 OF
the twenty-fifth anniversary OF his ele-
walton to the cardinalate, his emf
nence, out Of all the tributes paid him,
expressed himself as most affected by
that from William Howard TAFT, ms
intimate friend and then president,
who said; 7
Through his long and useful Lies
Cardinal Gibbons has spared no ei#
fort nthe cause of good citizenship
and the uplifting of his felloW-men'
The brilliant executive ability Of
Archbishop Gibbons was recognlzen'
early in his career. He was created
a cardinal, a prince of the church, "a
quarter century after he had entered
the priesthood. This was In 18SgktAe
was then fifty-two years OF age
The impressive ceremonies TOOK
place in his home city and cathedrai
in Baltimore. In the presence OF tne
hierarchy of the church, Cardinal GID
hons was clothed in the insignia OF
the office. He arrived in Rome the
following year and received the apos-
tolic blessing and admission into the
college of cardinals, the twenty'fittn
in succession.
Cardinal Gibbons celebrated the cen
tenary of the founding OF the Catnollc
hierarchy in the United States IN 1888.
He convened the first national con-
gress of Catholic laymen in the Unlted
States in the same year. He LAID the
cornerstone of the Catholic university
in Washington, and was it's chancellor
from it's foundation till his death. he
was the first Roman Catholic prelate
in the United States to take part IN
the election of a pope, casting his bal
lot for Plus X.
The cardinals views on POLITICAL
economic and sociological questions
had been frequently sought by news
naners In interviews he endorsed the
nlan for the establishment of the Jew
ish homeland in Palestine, he opposed
the government ownership of public
utilities. maintained that prohibition
meant 1.-THE invasion of home and sac
practice" condemned divorce,
nraised the work of the Salvation
Army in France, favored American mil
itary training, implored the clergy to
fight Bolshevism, demanded that the.
Tprk should be driven from Europe
and appealed to the public to support
Americas entrance into the league OF
nations.