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Show CARDINAL GIBBONS. Of the many eminent prelates whom the genius of Leo XJII had crlied to prom-nent positions m the embolic world, the: ves no one who was so intimately identified with the progress of the church n America, both officially and personally; no one c a-;d iomred with greater confidence con-fidence 1 lh- American j r.-pie, or is more worthy of the cxaUed office he so honestly fills, than James GibBons, cMr-iir.'ii of the Holy Roman church and Archbishop of Baltimore, Combining the profound erudition of the theologian with the humility of the saint and the simplicity of true greatness, he stands today essentially prominent in a princely body of ecclesiastics. James, Cardinal Gibbons, was born in Baltimore July 23, 1834, and was called to the priesthood June 30, 1861. Sprung from the people, he was ever in touch with their needs and requirements and sympathized with their religious and social aspirations. as-pirations. This is one of the great secrets of the power of the Catholic Church with the masses. Her rulers are taken from all classes and conditions condi-tions of life, and every man, no matter how" humble hum-ble his antecedents, may aspire to the highest position po-sition of ecclesiastical authority, provided always that his moral, intellectual and religious training is such as to guarantee the proper exercise of his religious functions. As a zealous priest the future cardinal had a high reputation as a preacher and a theologian, and by the unanimous consent of his priestly brothers had always been singled out for the mitre. It might even then have been said of him what Bishop Phil-potts Phil-potts of Exter spoke of Cardinal Manning, before his conversion and while yet in the ministry of the Angelican Church: "No power on earth can keep Manning from becoming a bishop." WThen in 1868 Father Gibbons was made co-Adjutor co-Adjutor Bishop of Baltimore and, nine years afterward, after-ward, was promoted to the See, in succession to the lamented Archbishop Roosevelt Bayley, his elevation eleva-tion answered the expectations and realized the predictions of priests and people. To successfully fill the position of Archbishop of Baltimore demanded a mental equipment of high order. He, who would do justice to the exalted office, must above all possess a profound knowledge knowl-edge of the religious needs of his vast charge; he must, whether by actual experience, by spiritual penetration or by an intimate knowledge of human nature be able to appreciate the spirit of his time and environment; he must know something of social so-cial problems and their bearing upon the spiritual condition and daily life of the people; and, finally, he must be inspired with a high ideal of the mission mis-sion of the church to the world and, above all, of the prerogatives of the Holy See as the seat of authority and center of unity. That the Archbishop Arch-bishop was jeized of these demands and was equal to them was publicly proclaimed when on June 30, I 188G, he was called by the Sovereign, Pontiff Leo XIII, to the Senate of Cardinals and invested with i the insignia and robes of a Prince of the Church, i Since that time he has become, in a sense, a national character. His exceptional ability, unassuming unas-suming manner and comprehensive grasp of the details of great issues of our time, have secured for him not only the love and admiration of his own people, but have won the respect and reverence of American citizens everywhere. The Cardinal has reached a position of eminence emi-nence in the Catholic Church of America which he is never likely to lose. Whether we consider the width and depth of his erudition, the urbanity of his address, or the comprehensiveness of his theological theo-logical views, we must pronounce him to be the type of the model ecclesiastic and one whose conduct con-duct may be safely imitated by his successors in the venerable See of Baltimore. The exalted character char-acter of his Eminence, the splendor and variety of his achievements, his brilliant abilities, his relationship rela-tionship with so many of the first men of his country, and age, and his identification with the hopes and aspirations of the American people will for all time, fit his place in American history. Withal the Cardinal is one of the most genial and lovable of men, and whether on the platform, on the street, in the pulpit or in his own hospitable home, he is ever the kindly, sympathetic man. The amount of work that he attends to is amazing, and. how, amid the multifarious affairs' of his exalted office, he has been able to write books and indite articles for newspapers and magazines surpasses our understanding. " His "Faith of Our Fathers" has reached a circulation of 300,000, while his "Christian "Christ-ian Heritage" and his "Ambassador of Christ" have already passed through many editions. In all his writings we observe a due sense of proportion and a proper idea of Christian decorum, and respect for the opinions of others which suggest a sympathetic sympa-thetic and tactful mind. He is more than ever in demand for great -occasions; his public charges and sermons are widely read and commented upon as tending to steadiness and security amid the storms of political and economic eco-nomic questions which, at times, visit our country. The personality of this charming prelate is one of the greatest in the religious history of America. It is indeed scarcely too much to say that taking Cardinal Gibbons for all' in all, there is no nobler or more industrious figure in the ecclesiastical annals an-nals of the republic. His is a soul on fire with love of God and devotion at home in the halls of the vatkan, the reception rooms of the White House and the homes of the wage-earners of Baltimore; and te every work to which he sets his hand there i3 no turning aside till it is accomplished. His life is characterized by unswerving devotion to principle, tireless energy and unaffected simplicity of manner. man-ner. He stands " in that fierce light which beats upon a throne," and his personality is seen to be luminously clean and bright. When his end comes, therefore, it will not be his own flock alone that will mourn, but a responsive throb of sympathetic grief will go forth from the great heart, of the American people. It will be felt that a groat leader has fallen in Israel and that Maryland and all America Amer-ica will be the poorer by his coronation in another world. |