A prince of the Church who was also an unparalleled champion of American democracy is the subject of this thorough, intensely interesting book. Cardinal Gibbons more than any other Catholic leader brought the Church in America from adolescence to maturity, and though he died in 1921, his influence persists because of his remarkable personality and leadership qualities. To love of God he joined love of country - an irresistible combination. Regarded as head spokesman for the Church in this country for almost all his 34 years as Cardinal, he changed the image of Catholicism for thousands of Protestants. Under his steady, flexible and balanced hand, much of violent 19th-century prejudice against Catholics abated, and misunderstandings of the Vatican itself were cleared. Because Cardinal Gibbons will always be a key figure in the history of the Church in the United States, his biography has special importance. Many of the problems he faced and dealt with so wisely are still current, i.e., separation of church and state, social welfare measures, Catholic education, and others, and his declarations on such matters - generously quote in the book - are as timely as ever. Ave Maria.