The New York herald., 1921-03-25
Cardinal Gibbons.


The death Of Cardinal GIBBONS is
more than the passing Of an old and
honored churchman. 1T is the ending
of the life Of a great American, fine
figure in the national scene.
In the sense that FRANCIS Of Assist
is everybody's saint, JAMES GIBBONS
was everybody's Cardinal. No mat
ter what their religious beliefs, Amer
leans who knew him held him in the
highest respect and esteem.
Never was a man more worthy to
be called His Eminence than the Car
dinal Archbishop of Baltimore. Intel
lectually and spiritually his height
was towering. He represented at
once the most admirable qualities Of
his church and of American citizen
ship. When he spoke on matters Of
religion and morals the Roman Cath
olics Of the United States turned 70
him for guidance. When he delivered
opinions on things political, such as
military training or socialism. men
and women of all creedS listened.
And usually in such matters he had q
way Of saying the right thing ut the
right time and saying it tactfully but
plainly Nearly always what he said
was what the mind Of America was
thinking The Cardinal to the end
Of his days kept closely In touch with
the people. He knew their habits Of
life and thought, their griefs and am
bitions. their faults and virtues
Cardinal GIBBONS was old, buc his
wisdom always kept pace with his
years. The things in which he was
wisest were those In which he drew
his knowledge from life itself He
was sixty years priest and more
than forty years the head of the dio-
cese which is the centre of Roman
\ Catholicity in this country. More
\ than any other important churchman
he was in touch with public life for
4 long period. Statesmen and men Of
4 business affairs consulted him, not
merely because he reflected the mind
Of his coreligionists but because as
man Of experience and deep thought
his opinions on almost any public
topic we're valued.
on the ecclesiastical side Cardinal
GIRBoNs was the experienced guide OF
his church in the United States for
more than a generation. Born and
brought up in the church's American
centre, he was conscious Of every
movement, every reform, in the
church in the United States. AS sec
retary to Archbishop SPALDING and
later chancellor OF the Baltimore dio-
cese Father GIBBONS had an active
part in the Second Plenary Council OF
Baltimore in 1866. Eighteen years
later. rs Archbishop. he presided over
the Third Plenary Council, which es-
tablished the actual canon law Of the
church in this country.
In the exposition Of Roman Cath
Ollie doctrine Cardinal GIBBONS was
the master Of clear and simple
style In which he set forth argument
In the convincing way that comes
only from the sincere mind. There
was nothing Of the mere maker of
phrases about him. And 10 the end
Of his many days he was as willing
TO break n lance with an opponent as
he had been half a century before.
1t Is only two years ago that he dis
missed spiritism as religion with
sentence. There was he said no
mystery between the earnest Chris
tian and his Gop; no need TO con-
vince with phenomena what faith al
ready knew. 7 it attitude was typ
teal Of his own profound belief.
JoHN McCLosKEY was Americas
first Cardinal; JAMES GIBBONS its sec
/ onl. Nature cast them In similar
moulds Both were thoughtful gentle
men. deep scholars IN whom burned
the steady flame Of faith and prog
ress As long ms he lived the famous
7 Archbishop Of New York was "the
/ Cardinal" As long as Cardinal GiR-
BoNs lived. even after Rome had sent
other birettas to the United States
we fancy that the great man Of BAlti-
more was 'the Cardinal" to most
Roman Catholics. And II Is impossl-
BE that my prince of the church
could have worn his honors more hum
bly or with more grace. In GfBBovs
as In McCLosKEY the prlncely quail
ties were not outward Nothing about
the house In North Charles street sug-
gested the palatial Al the magnif-
cence was N the man himself.
There will be real grief for the pass
Ing Of this kind, wise old American.
The little hoys who were wont 70 ac-
company His Eminence on his strofs,