James Gibbons (Archbishop)

Cardinal Gibbons (around 1900)

Cardinal coat of arms

James Cardinal Gibbons (born July 23, 1834 in Baltimore , USA ; † March 24, 1921 there ) was Archbishop of Baltimore .

Life

Early years

The son of an Irish immigrant had two brothers and three sisters. When his father's health deteriorated, the family returned to Ireland . When his father died in 1847 and the family's economic situation was not ideal, the mother returned to the USA with the children.

Now living in New Orleans , Gibbons worked in various companies to support his family economically; so also in a grocery store, the owner of which valued the intelligent young Gibbons and gave him great support in his economic interests and abilities.

Church career

In the spring of 1854 the Redemptorists undertook a popular mission in his parish . Under their impression, Gibbons decided to become a priest , which his employer tried to dissuade him with persuasion and salary bonuses. Notwithstanding this, he began his theological studies in Baltimore in 1855 and entered the local seminary . On June 30, 1861, he received the sacrament of ordination and began pastoral work in Baltimore, which was marked by the civil war at the time .

The archbishop soon learned of his excellent sermons and great skills. He appointed him to the diocesan administration and appointed him to his council. On March 3, 1868 Gibbons was appointed Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina and Titular Bishop of Adramyttium . The Apostolic Vicariate then had only 700 Catholics on 50,000 m². He received the episcopal ordination on August 16, 1868 by the Archbishop of Baltimore , Martin John Spalding . Co- consecrators were the Bishop of Charleston , Patrick Neeson Lynch , and the Bishop of Pittsburgh , Michael Domenec .

After taking part in the First Vatican Council as the youngest bishop in 1869 - accompanied and advised by Isaac Hecker - he was appointed Bishop of Richmond on July 30, 1872 , where he was enthroned on October 20, 1872. On May 20, 1877 he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Baltimore and Titular Archbishop of Ionopolis . Released as Bishop of Richmond, he went to Baltimore, where he succeeded the Archbishop on October 3, 1877.

On June 7, 1886, Pope Leo XIII took him . as a cardinal priest with the titular church Santa Maria in Trastevere in the cardinals college. He participated in the conclaves of 1903 and 1914 . As the longest serving cardinal priest, he was cardinal proto-priest from 1920 .

death

James Gibbons died of old age at 11:33 a.m. on March 24, 1921 , after falling into a coma the day before . He was buried in the crypt of Baltimore Cathedral and his tomb is opposite that of John Carroll , the first bishop and archbishop of Baltimore and the first ever Roman Catholic bishop in the United States .

effect

Always an avid American, Gibbons worked successfully to integrate the Catholic Church into American society, but also cared about immigrants and priestly education. He was respected by Catholics and Protestants alike.

Web links

Commons : James Gibbons  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Gibbons, James. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed January 9, 2017.
• Entry on James Gibbons on catholic-hierarchy.org ; accessed on January 9, 2017.
• Official photo of Cardinal Gibbons
• Portrait of James Gibbons

predecessor	Office	successor
José Sebastião Neto OFM Disc	Cardinal Protopriest 1920-1921	Michael Logue
James Roosevelt Bayley	Archbishop of Baltimore 1877–1921	Michael Joseph Curley
John McGill	Bishop of Richmond 1872–1877	John Joseph Keane
---	Vicar Apostolic North Carolina 1868–1872	Henry Pinckney Northrop