leo p. p. xiii.
Dilecte Fili salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Annis et laborious fractus
adversaque laborans valetudine Venerabilis Frater Josephus Sadoc Alemany
Archiepiscopis S. Francisci in California ad explendas pastorales curas quum
alterius ope indigeat supplex Nos rogavit, ut eiadiutorem cum successionis
jure assignare velimus. Hinc necessitati consulere cnpientes egimus hac de
re cum Venerabilibus Fratribus Nostris S. R. E. Cardinalibus Christiano
Nomini prooagando praepositis diligenterque omnibus perpensis et
consideratis hujusmodi munus de eorumdem Venerabilium Fratrum Nostrum
consilio tibi, delecte fili, hujus pietas, doctrina, prudentia excellentis
commendatur testimoniis, demandatum censuimus. Itaque te quern per similes
Litteras Nostras hoc ipso die datas Archiepiscopum titularis Ecclesiae
Cabasensis fecimus ac renuntiavimus, peculiari benevolentia complecti
volentes, at a quibusvis excommunicationis et interdicti aliisque
ecclesiasticis sententiis censuris et poenis quovis modo vel quavis de causa
latis, si quas forte incurreris, hujus tantum rei gratia absolventes et
absolutum fore censentes, Apostolica auctoritate Nostra harum litterarum vi
coadiutorem praedicti Venerabilis Fratris Josephi Archiepiscopi S. Francisci
in California cum futurae successionis jure eligimus et instituimus. Igitur
quandocumque Archiepiscopalis Sedes supradicta per obitum dicti
Archiepiscopi, vel aliam quamlibet ob causam vacaverit, a vinculo quo
titulari Ecclesiae Cabasensi adstrictus detineris nunc pro tunc ex
Apostolicae potestatis nostrae plenitudine solventes Archiepiscopum S.
Francisci in Calif ornia facimus et constituimus cum omnibus et singulis
juribus, honoribus, privileges et facultatibus quae ex jure vel ex
consuetudine Archiepiscoporum sunt propriae. Volumus autem ut vivente
praefato Venerabili Fratre Josepho Archiepiscopo S. Francisci eatenus te
ingeras in Diocesis procuratione quatenus ille voluerit ac mandaverit.
Parecipimus deinde omnibus ad quos spectat, au spectare poterit, ut, juxta
praesentium Litterarum tenorem ad Coadiutoris afficium, et suo tempore in
Archiepiscopum memoratae Sedes S. Francisci in California recipiant et
admittant, tibique faveant
[Page 385]
preasto
sint ac pareant, tuaque salubria monita reverenter excipiant at que
efficaciter adimpleant alioquin sententiam seu poenam, quani in rebelles
rite tuleris vel statueris ratam habebinius earn que faciernus auctorante
Domino usque ad conde quam satisfaction em inviolabiliter observari. Non
obstantibus constitutionibus et ordinationibus Apostolicis, et si opus sit
dictae Archieposcopalis Ecclesias S. Francisci etiam iuramento eonfirmatione
apostolica vel quavis firmitate alia roboratis statutis, et consuetudinibus
caeterisque contrariis quibuseumque.
Datum Romae apud S.
Petrum sub annulo Piscatoris die XVII Julii
MDCCCLXXXIII Pontificaius Nii Anno sexto.
Th. Cardis.
Mertel.
(Leo Pont. Max.)
Dilecto Filio, Patritio Guilielmo Riordan, Rectori Ecclesiae ad honorem
S. Jacobi in Civitate Chicagii.
To our beloved son, Patrick William Riordan, rector of the Church of St.
James, in the city of Chicago.
leo xiii, pepe.
Beloved son, health and apostolic benediction! Our venerable brother
Joseph Sadoc Alemany, archbishop of San Francisco in California,
debilitated by years and labors and suffering infirm health, has humbly
petitioned us that, as he needs assistance in the discharge of his
pastoral cares, we would deign to appoint a coadjutor to him with the
right of succession. Wherefore, we being desirous of providing for this
necessity, having first duly advised thereupon with our venerable
brethren the Sacred College of Cardinals, charged with the propagation
of the Christian faith, and all things having been diligently weighed
and duly considered, according to their usual course in like cases, and
upon the advice of our venerable brethren aforesaid have decided that
the office of coadjutor aforesaid should be entrusted to you, beloved
son, whose piety, learning, and prudence are attested by excellent
testimonials. Therefore longing with a special affection to embrace you,
whom we have by letters of even date herewith constituted and proclaimed
archbishop of the titular diocese of Caves, and thereupon absolving you
and declaring you absolved from all and every excommunication,
interdict, or other ecclesiastical sentence or censure or penalty of
whatever nature, and for whatsoever cause pronounced (if perchance you
may have incurred any such), by our apostolic authority, and in virtue
of these letters we have elected and constituted you coadjutor of our
above-named venerable Brother Joseph, archbishop of San Francisco, in
California, with the right of future succession to the said
archbishopric. Therefore whenever the archiepiscopal see before
mentioned shall become vacant, either by the death of the aforesaid
archbishop, or from any other cause, by the plenitude of our authority,
releasing you nunc pro tunc from the bond by
which you are held to the titular church of Caves, we make and
constitute you archbishop of San Francisco, in California, with all and
each of the rights, honors, privileges, and prerogatives thereunto
pertaining whether by right or custom. Nevertheless, it is our desire
that, during the lifetime of the venerable brother Joseph, archbishop of
San Francisco, you should take such part in the administration of the
diocese as he may request and empower you to do. And finally we commend
all whom it concerns, or may concern, that in accordance
[Page 386]
with the tenor of the present letters they
receive and admit yon into the office of coadjutor and in the proper
time as archbishop of the aforesaid see of San Francisco, and that they
respect and obey you therein, and that they reverently receive your
salutary admonitions and efficaciously carry them out, failing which we
will ratify whatever sentence or judgment you may lawfully pronounce or
ordain against the refractory, and we will continue to do this, the Lord
confirming it, until perfect satisfaction be had. The constitutions and
apostolic ordinances, and if need be the statutes of the aforesaid
archiepiscopal church of San Francisco, confirmed even by sworn or
apostolic ratification or fortified by any other power whatsoever, and
all customs and other things to the contrary notwithstanding.
Given at St. Peter’s in Rome, under the seal of the
fisherman’s ring, the 17th day of July, MDCCCLXXIII, in the
sixth year of our pontificate.
Th. Cardl.
Mertel.
State of
California,
City and County of
San Francisco, ss:
Patrick William Riordan, being duly sworn, deposes and says as follows: I
am the Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco, and the present
incumbent, and am successor of the Most Reverend Joseph S. Alemany; that
the original bull, or letter, of my appointment by His Holiness Pope Leo
XIII is written in the Latin language and is now among the archives of
the archiepiscopal see of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of San
Francisco, and is in my custody as such archbishop. I am competent to
translate Latin into English, and I hereby certify and declare on oath
that I have carefully compared the foregoing instrument, written in the
Latin language, with the original bull aforesaid, and that the same is a
full, true, and correct copy of said bull. I further certify and declare
on oath that the foregoing instrument written in the English language is
a true and correct translation from Latin into English of said bull.
Patrick William Riordan.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 24th day of March,
A. D. 1885.
[notarial seal.]
John E.
Hamill,
Notary
Public.
State of
California,
City and County of
San Francisco, ss:
I, Albert B. Mahony, county clerk of the city and county of San
Francisco, State of California, hereby certify the foregoing to be a
full, true, and correct copy of the original proof of appointment and
succession of Archbishop Patrick William Riordan, filed in my office on
the 25th day of March, A. D. 1885.
Attest my hand and my official seal this
14th day of June,
A. D. 1902.
[seal.]
Albert B. Mahony,
County Clerk
,
By
Joseph Riordan, Deputy
County Clerk.
(Endorsed:) 9639. In the matter of “The Roman Catholic Archbishop of
San Francisco,” a religious corporation sole. Proof of appbintment
and succession of Archbishop Patrick William Riordan. Filed March
25, 1885. Jas. J. Flynn, Clerk. By Jno. H. Mott, Deputy Clerk.
