“UNIQUE PERSONALITY”

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1935, Page 7

“UNIQUE PERSONALITY”

TRIBUTE TO ARCHBISHOP SORROW OF GOVERNOR-GENERAL. NATION IMMEASURABLY POORER. MANY MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The following message has been sent by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, to Archbishop O’Shea in connection with Archbishop Redwood’s death: “My wife and I join with the members of your great Christian brotherhood in sorrowing for the loss of your/ eminent and revered veteran chief, who passed from our midst last night. “He was for nearly a century so much a part of New Zealand and its civil and spiritual progress and development, and was so resolute in the pursuit of righteousness, that the Dominion cannot but feet immeasurably poorer for his passing, although proudly conscious of having numbered among her citizens and Empire builders so unique a personality.”

From an early hour this morning tributes and messages of sympathy were received by Archbishop O’Shea. Amongst them was one from Bishop Sprott, Anglican Bishop of Wellington, and his wife, who sent their respectful sympathy in the death of a great and venerable archbishop, and one from the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health. The Minister’s message states: “In the passing of Archbishop Redwood New Zealand loses a notable and beloved citizen, ajnd the church in particular an outstanding prelate. His demise will be mourned by all sections of the community. To your church and the relatives of the late Archbishop I tender my heartfelt sympathy in the great loss sustained.” / The last rites commence in the Basilica in Hill Street at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, when a solemn pontifical requiem mass will be celebrated, Archbishop O’Shea being th? celebrant. The assisting priesta will not be chosen until it is known who will be attending from other centres. The procession will pass down Hill Street and proceed by way of Sydney Street to Karori cemetery. Children of Mary and members of the Hibernian Society will march in regalia.

PRESBYTERIAN TRIBUTE. Dr. Dickie, Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, paid the following tribute- to Archbishop Redwood: “A personality like the late Archbishop Redwood does not belong to any section of Christendom, however widespread and venerable. It belongs to th® Church universal. There were united in him the grace and culture of the old world, moral and religious intensity of his church and the adaptability which is perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of these newer lands.

“An Englishman by birth he came to New Zealand as a child. He received his higher education in France and became a professor in Ireland. He returned to New Zealand as the Bishop of Wellington almost at tlie earliest age when it was canonically possible to be consecrated to the episcopate. “One of his first public utterances of which I took note was his generous reference to the friendliness of the churches in the early days of our Dominion. It was wonderful prescience which selected him for his high office. He was a great colonist, a great citizen and a great Catholic bishop. He saw his church grow from small beginnings to its present position and grew with it in the affection and esteem of the community, not only of his own communion but of the whole community. “More and more as his years increased all the churches came to accord him a large measure of the veneration with which he was regarded by his fellow Catholics. We felt that a man so venerable by reason of his years, character and position, so vigorous, so steadfast, so able and so loyal to the truth as he saw it, was a strength and inspiration to all.

“He has died full of years and honour, having retained wonderful powers of mind, body and soul right to the very end. It would be unbecoming to grieve over his passing but we remember gratefully his long and honoured life and hope that his church and all churches may in the good providence of God have leaders like him to keep the faith and lay hold on eternal life.” VISITED FIVE POPES TRAVELS OF THE ARCHBISHOP. HIS GRACE’S NUMEROUS RECORDS. Archbishop Redwood made many journeys abroad. He had the singular record of having paid personal homage to five successive Pontiffs. On his last visit to Rome in 1932 Pope Pius XL, in presenting him with a gold medal, remarked, “You are unique. Of no other living bishop may that be said.’’ He also attended six Eucharistic Congresses, at Montreal, Chicago, Lourdes, Amsterdam, Sydney and Dublin, the last being in 1932. He had hoped to be present at the recent congress at Melbourne, but ill-health prevented it. The episcopal golden jubilee was marked by a series of memorable celebrations at Wellington extending over six days. The functions were honoured by the presence of the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Cattaneo, and all the other members of the Australian and New Zealand hierarchy. A message was received from the Cardinal Secretary of State, announcing that the Pope had been pleased to honour Archbishop Redwood with the rank of Assistant at the Papal Throne. The archbishop's diamond jubilee, held at Wellington last February, was an occasion for widespread rejoicings. The archbishop himself celebrated Pontifical High Mass, wearing the mitre which had been placed on his head at his consecration 60 years before. After a great procession through Wellington he gave his blessing to over 20,000 people from a temporary altar in the Basin Reserve. Pope Pius XL, by cablegram, bestowed upon him the apostolic benediction, and the President of the French Republic conferred the cross of a commander of the Legion of Honour. The celebrations were attended by Archbishop Mannix. of Melbourne, representing the whole Church in Australia, Bishops Nicolas (Fiji), Gleeson (Maitland) and Fox (Wilcannia-Forbes) and representatives of the Jesuit and Marist orders. At a public reception in the Wellington town hall a message of congratulation from the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, was read, and speeches were made by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, and the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates.

“I stand’ before you and the world to-night simply as a bundle of records,” said Archbishop Redwood on that occasion. “I am die first vocation to the priesthood in New Zealand, and that fact is the source and occasion of the flood of graces bestowed upon me ever since. I have been ,a Marist for 70 years; I have been 69 years a priest and have celebrated more than 24,000 masses. I have been 60 years a bishop and 47 years an archbishop—that is an amazing set of records. I have been a citizen of our beautiful country for the past 92 years.”