Roman Senator

Through the Protestant South last week, in a private car such as would have befitted a prince of state or finance, moved a prince of the Roman Catholic Church—Patrick Joseph Cardinal Hayes, 63, archbishop of New York.

Escorted by an appropriate retinue— which included, of course, his close friend George MacDonald, papal marquis and prime lay promoter of affairs Roman Catholic in the U. S.—His happy Eminence had passed three weeks on the Gulf Coast to recuperate from influenza. Passing out of Baptist Mississippi into Roman Catholic Louisiana, he had made a bit of news at New Orleans by commenting on the Business Depression as follows: "The American People are experiencing a return to religion following a period of carelessness and cynicism marked by the prosperity of the land. . . . Now they are returning when they find they are in need of something greater than the material in facing adversity and stress."

The main purpose of the cardinal's journey was accomplished at San Antonio: his presiding at the bicentenary celebration of the founding of the city's civil government by some Canary Islanders in 1731. He conducted a pontifical high mass on the Military Plaza behind San Fernando Cathedral. Down amongst the 15,000 worshippers crashed a heavy palm frond but, perhaps miraculously, only six people were slightly injured. Hundreds of the faithful came to kiss the cardinal's ring, receive his blessing.

It was after leaving San Antonio that the unforeseen, the history-making climax of the cardinal's tour took place. From the Texas legislature had come a unanimous invitation to address the Texas Senate! True, in Texas as in Louisiana, Roman Catholics form the largest single denomination.* Memories of the early Mission Fathers underlie the Baptist and Methodist culture. But Texas voted against Alfred Emanuel Smith in 1928. And never before in history has a Prince of Rome been asked to address a State legislative body in the South. The affecting nature of these facts was clearly reflected upon Cardinal Hayes's face when Lieut.-Governor Edward Witt (a Baptist) conducted the State's guest to the chair of the President of the Senate. The cardinal's mental and emotional condition was further revealed and transmitted to his audience when he began a speech which at times, swelling with contagious exaltation, brimmed over. Ordinarily a clear, cool, contained speechmaker, Cardinal Hayes said:

". . . I am overcome, I am overwhelmed. In fact, I am embarrassed with appreciation to realize that I am here on the unanimous invitation of this noble Senate. When I received the resolution and read it I could hardly believe my own eyes! Could hardly be convinced that it could be true! . . .

"It seems so much to me because it means much to our beloved country, to have the Senate of Texas ask me, a Catholic Bishop, the highest, less one, position in the Church, to come here and address you! It is pregnant with benediction, with inspiration, to this entire country! . . .

"I am glad to hear that I have been asked to come here not only as a citizen but also as a churchman for the work that I have done for the Church here in America.

1. Formula One's 'Nazi' Sex Scandal
2. Affirmative Action for Boys
3. Can Ed Rendell Deliver for Clinton?
4. Springtime for Mosley
5. Blips on the Scopes
6. Girls Pulled from Polygamist Retreat
7. Georgia to Redraw Tenn. Border?
8. McCain: Loving His Misspent Youth
9. The Clean Energy Scam
10. Being American — and Muslim

You will need to install or upgrade your Flash Player to be able to view this Flash content. Also, Javascript must be turned on.

Grab it! to put Quotes of the Day on your personal page or blog