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h, and to save me from the humiliation and miseir been to him. la the council-chamber, BUTfS Caiduul
ttt bein^ placed in a position for the duties and re- Gibbons, his colleagues always listened with marked
•poDsibihties of which I feel myself both physically attention and respect to bis words, and rarely, if ever,
and moislly unequal and unfit. After having been did anv of them dissent from the views that he ex-
appointed and consecrated coadjutor of the Bishop pressed. He attended the Vatican Council during it
length and was a member of one of the moat
imporlAnt commissions — that on Discipline. Cardinal
Capalti, who presided over this commission, spoke of
the wisdom o( the Archbishop of New York in terms of
the highest admiration. It has been erroneouslj
turn by the high officials, and
the letter was signed by the
most noted citisens, amongst
whom were Governor Sey-
mour,Erastu3 Corning, Rufus
Kingj^Thurlow Weed, Philip
Ten Eyck. and different mem-
bers of the Van Rensselaer
ilsel^ but declared hirnserf
of New York, with the right of succession, I re-
signed both coadjutonihip and right of suceesaion
to come to Albany. I then resolved, and still hold
to the resolution, that, as far as it depended on any
free will or consent of my own, I should never again „
return to New York. Having been relieved from stated that Archbishop McCioskey was opposed to the prospect of succession, I never thought of after- Infallibility. Nothing could be further from the truth, wards aspiring or being called to it. J speaji only Cardinal Gibbons, who attended the Vatican Council, from the deepest sincerity of heart and from tl» writes:"] haveamostdistinctrecollectionoftheatti- strongest conviction of conscience when I say that I tude of the different prelates in regard to Hie question possess neitberthe learning, nor prudence, noreneru, of Infallibility, and I recall most distinctly that Arch- Dor firmness, nor bodily health or strength which are bishop McClcukey was not opposed to the InfalUbilitr
requisite for such an arduous '■
and highly responsible office as that of Archbishop of New York. I recoil from the very thought of it witbsbuddering, and I do most humbly trust that such a crushing load will not be placed upon my weak and unworthy shoulders." This soul-revealing letter tells that theChurch still haswith- in her hierarehy men of the stamp of Chiysostom, Basil, and Gregory Naiienzeu, men who strained every nerve to avoid bonoure as much as men of the world strive for them. He was the choice at the Holy See and was pro- moted to New York, 6 May,
JoHM Oaxmnal HcOLoscn
_ , an opinion held
by many at the Council," The Archbishop was present at the closing session and voted for the definition with the hundreds of other bishops. His attitude on this question is clearly set forth in the fol- lowing extract from a letter to Piua IX: "Through the grace of God, the Catholics of the United States of North America are one and un- divided in an orthodox faith, in an \inwavering fideUty to all Catholic doctrines and
loyalty and allegiance to the infallible and sovereign au- thority of the Roman Church, and in .irdent filial love ana devotion to your Holiness. It is our glory and our joy that we are preserved from error and directed in the sure way of temporal and eternal happinessbyoursubjectionto the infallible teaching and si
and Townsend famihes. The bishop declined the premeauthoritjroftheMotherandMistressoFChurches,"
honour; he loved the city where he was the most During his visit to Rome at the Vatican Council he
distinguished citizen, but with his usual modesty mode the final impression which resulted in his eleva-
ebrank from any public demonstration. He was in- tion to the cardinalate. Pius IX said c^ him: "He is
stalled in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Mott St., New a man of princely mien and bearing." He was pre-
York, 37 August, 1864. The text of his first sermon to conized cardinal in the Consistory of 15 March, 187S.
his new cha^ was the key to his whole after admin- The news of the first American cardinal was received
istration: "^ace be to ^ou." He was not given to with universal applause; Catholic and Protestant, all
controversy; in fact the time for this hod passed away, felt that no one was more worthy as a representative
He was evidently a man of I^vidence. destined to of the American Church to receive the highest honour
garnerandgiveincreasc to the fruits of his valiant f*e- in the gift of the pope. It was the passing away for-
(Iccossor's conquests. The first of these fruila was the ever of old-time prejudice, and pointed attenlioa to
unfinished new cathedral, begun in 185S, but suspended the proverbial wisdom of Rome. His in\'estiture took
onaccountofthc breaking out of the Civil War. After place in the cathedral, Mott St., 27 April, 1875. The
fifteen years of collecting funds, looking after the con- hireit-a was imposed by the Arehbiahop of Baltimore,
struction, visiting Kurope to procure windows and James Roosevelt Bayley, as dele^te of the Apostolic
altars, and after ^vini; evervthlng he poaiessed to See. The bearers of toe insignia from Rome were
hasten its completion, he had the consolation on 25 MonsignorRoncetti,Dr.UbeIdi,andCountMarafDschi.
May, 1879, of dedicating it to the service of God, It was one of the most memorable events in the history
Distin^iuished for his eloquence in the pulpit and of the Church in the United States. The cardinal vis-
wisdom in the council-chamber, Archbishop lloCIos- ited Rome that year in August, where he was received
key was much sought after on great occasions as a by Pius IX with great affection. He then took poe-
preacher and heard in consultation with deep rever- ses8ionofhistitularcburch,SantaMariasopraMinerva.
encc by his brethren. He was present at the Beoond In 1878 be again visited Rome and assisted at the
and Third Plenary Councils of Baltimore, at the coronation of Leo XIII, from whom he received the
latter of which he preached the opening sermon. On cardinal's hat in Consistory, 28 March,
enteringthepulpitne received a telegram announcing The growth of the diocese and the increasing in-
tbe dentructioQ of his cathedral by fire. During the firmities of age called for the aid of an assistant, and
■ermoiiliegiiveuoevidenceof tbeshoclcitinqst Dave on 1 October, 1880, Rt. Rev. Michael A. Conri^^piv,
