Evening star., 1928-11-14

An apostolic letter from Pope Plus
XI to the American hierarchy StreSs1ng
the importance of the Catholic Uni
versity of America and urging more
adequate financial support for it by
members of the church throughout the
country was read at the annual meeting
Of the hierarchy at the university
| today.
The meeting, attended by the four
/ American cardinals and approximately
| 80 bishops, preceded the installation
this afternoon of Monsignor James H.
Ryan as president of the university
succeeding Bishop Shahan. This has
brought to Washington scores OF dele-
gates from colleges and learned ana
religious societies.
Pontiff Behind C. U.
| The apostolic letter indicated the de-
sire of the pontiff to finance the uni
versity on larger scale than has oeen
| the case heretofore. The suggestion is
made that one Sunday each year be set
aside as Catholic University day" when
collections would be taken up for the
washington institution, that organlza-
tions of clergy and laymen be formed
in each parish to contribute to the
support Of the university, and that
|
colraged 1t follows
Beloved sons and venerable brothers,
greeting and apostolic blessing.
Since it is a matter of greatest con-
Germ to us that your undertakings and
above all your endeavors in behalf OF
the Christian education of youth, should
succeed as you desire, we reJolce
! heartily in the growth of your Cathollc
schools. seminaries and colleges. In
| particular. we are glad to note the
progress which, under your direction,
has been made by the Catholic Unl-
versity in Washington, because tne
more it prospers the more vigorous and
efficient will be your other educational
institutions.
THAT the progress of the university
is largely due to the efforts OF oui
venerable brother, Thomas Shahan
titular bishop of Germanicopoiis, ano
Rector Emeritus of the university, you
are well aware: This indeed Is acKlloW'
lodged by all who are interested II
having religion upheld and furthered
through the concordant testimony o1
revelation and reason. Therefore, al
he of his own accord has retired IRON
office after three terms of excellent
service. we have taken great pleasure
in bestowing upon him the praise
which he so we'll deserves and III ap-
pointing him assistant to our pontl1ca
throne.
$50 it came about that, as the
vacancy had TO be filled by the appoint
ment of another rector magniflcus, we
acting upon the advice of the sacrec
congregation of seminaries and uni.
versities recently appoi ted our beloved
son, James Ryan, Roman prelate, wnon
YOU also approved, to the rectorSnlp OF
the Catholic University in washington
And it is our earnest hope tnat ne
under your leadership and guidance
will be able to carry this great WorK
day by day, to higher stages OF develop
ment.
cat the same time We profit by this
excellent opportunity to recall certain
facts which express Succinctly the
thought and the will of the Apostolic
See regarding your university, its found
| ing and upbuilding Thus from the
| very beginning, our predecessor. Leo
XIII, at the instance of the fathers OF
the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore
deemed worthy of all praise the pro1ec'
formed by them Of establishing uni
versity Now. since the reasons 1oI
| which the bishops then claimed that
the university was absolutely necessary
|
ever more serious, it is no wonder that
our predecessors of happy memory, Plus
x and Benedict XIV, fostered the grow
! ing institution with special care and
solicitude, and encouraged the bishops
| by praising them for the fine work
which already had been accomplished
Hence also, upon the petition of the
bishops, it was decreed that the uni
versity in Washington should forever
remain under the control and protection
of the episcopate of your country; that
no move should be made toward the
establishment of another university in
the United States of North America
until all the usual faculties had been
.organized in the university at Wash
ington. and finally, that for the sup
port of the university yearly collec-
ton should be taken up in every diocese
ADJ to this the fact that the constitu-
ton of the university-which recently
after consultation with all the bishops
! has been revised, lays down, among
other provisions relative to the de-
velopment of the university, that all
who are engaged in the government and
administration of the university shall
take the deepest concern in fostering
more and more actively, its develop
ment.' This provision is in thorough
| agreement with what Leo Kill wrote
to His Eminence James Cardinal Glib
bons, Archbishop of Baltimore (April
10. 1880, and subsequently to all the
bishops of your country March T.
1889)-'Since this great university is
designed not only to enhance the glory
| of your country but also to bear whole
some and abundant fruit through the
spreading of sound doctrine and the
nourishing of Catholic piety, we right
fully expect that the faithful II
America, magma nimous as they are, viii
not fail you when they are called or
to give generous support for the ccm.
pletion on a splendid scale of the worl
YOU have undertaken
|. Such solicitude on the part of the
Roman Pontiff aroused the hope by nj
means faint, that your university wa'
entering upon the road of prosperity
hope which was cherished not onl!
bv Catholics but by all who were aware
of the fact that the church Throughout
the ages, had been the mohter and
nurse of universities and similar centers