James Gibbons


James Gibbons
Cardinal
Archbishop of Baltimore
SeeArchdiocese of Baltimore
AppointedMay 29, 1877 (coadjutor)
InstalledOctober 3, 1877
Term endedMarch 24, 1921
PredecessorJames Roosevelt Bayley
SuccessorMichael Joseph Curley
Other post(s)Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere
Previous post(s)Bishop of Richmond (1872–77)
Orders
OrdinationJune 30, 1861
by Francis Kenrick
ConsecrationAugust 15, 1868
by Martin John Spalding
Created cardinalJune 7, 1886
by Leo XIII
RankCardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born(1834-07-23)July 23, 1834
DiedMarch 24, 1921(1921-03-24) (aged 86)
Baltimore, Maryland
MottoEmitte spiritum tuum
(Send forth your spirit)
SignatureJames Gibbons's signature
Cardinal Gibbons in May 1914

James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 – March 24, 1921) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina from 1868 to 1872, Bishop of Richmond from 1872 to 1877, and as Archbishop of Baltimore from 1877 until his death.

Gibbons was consecrated a bishop on August 16, 1868, at the Baltimore Cathedral. The principal consecrator was Archbishop Martin J. Spalding. He was 34 years of age, serving as the first apostolic vicar of North Carolina. He attended the First Vatican Council in Rome where he voted in favor of defining the dogma of papal infallibility.

In 1872, Gibbons was named Bishop of Richmond by Pope Pius IX. In 1877, Gibbons was appointed Archbishop of Baltimore, the oldest episcopal see in the United States. During his 44 years as Baltimore's archbishop, Gibbons became one of the most recognizable Catholic figures in the country. He defended the rights of organized labor and helped convince Pope Leo XIII to give his consent to labor unions. In 1886, Gibbons was appointed to the College of Cardinals, becoming the second cardinal in American history, after Cardinal John McCloskey, archbishop of New York.