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Show Bishop Janssen's Resignation. Elsewhere in these columns we have written commentatively of the reported resignation of the Right Reverend, the Bishop of Belleville, of his see. The secular press of St. Louis expresses its astonishment at this resignation. The Globe-Democrat of that city says: l A strange and almost unprecedented thing is about to occur in the Catholic diocese of Belleville, Ills. Bishop John Janssen has resigned his bishopric, and as soon as he is formally released by the pope, he will retire to a Franciscan monastery, there to end his days in quiet and seclusion. To the general tvorld the announcement of a bishop's resignation becomes a matter . of amazement. In the long history of the Catholic church in the United States only a few instances are known of prelates of the same standing as Bishop Janssen who have resigned their sees. One of these .was Bishop Miege, the first Bishop of Leavenworth; another an-other was Bishop O'Connor of Pittsburg." Pitts-burg." The resignation of a bishop is not "a strange and almost unprecedented thing" in this country or elsewhere; nor is it "a matter of amazement." Besides the two prelates mentioned in the foregoing quotation, Archbishop Salpointe resigned his' arch-episcopal see of Santa Fe, N. M., in -1894; Archbishop Arch-bishop Seghers his of Oregon City in 1884; Archbishop Lamy, also of Santa Fe, resigned his in 1885; Bishop Persico of Savannah resigned .in 1872; Bishop Mark of Marquette in 1878; Bishop Curtis of Wilmington in 1896; Bishop Domenec of Allegheny in 1877; Bishop Conroy of Albany in 1877; Bishop Grace of St. Paul in 1884; Bishop Mora of Monterey, in 1896; Bishop O'Regan of Chicago in 1858; Bishop Hailandiere of Vincennes (Indianapolis) in 1847; Bishop Whelan of Nashville in 1864; Bishop Doubourg of New Orleans in 1826; Bishop Lootens, vicar-apostlic of Idaho, in 1876; Bishop Reze of Detroit retired in 1837; Bishop Flaget of Bards-town Bards-town (Louisville) endeavored to resign in 1832, so also his Co-adjutor Bishops David and Chabrat in, respectively, 1833 and 1847. The Record. |