The term cardinal at one time applied to any priest permanently assigned or incardinated to a church, or specifically to the senior priest of an important church, based on the Latin cardo (hinge), meaning 'pivotal' as in 'principal' or 'chief'. In the 12th century the practice of appointing ecclesiastics from outside Rome as cardinals began, with each of them assigned a church in Rome as his titular church or linked with one of the suburbicarian dioceses, while still being incardinated in a diocese other than that of Rome. In 1059 (five years after the East-West Schism of 1054), the right of electing the pope was reserved to the principal clergy of Rome and the bishops of the seven suburbicarian sees. The use of the title was reserved for the cardinals of Rome in 1567 by Pius V.

This meaning of the word spread rapidly, and from the 9th century various episcopal cities had a special class among the clergy known as cardinals. The earliest example of this occurs in a letter sent by Pope Zacharias in 747 to Pippin III (the Short), ruler of the Franks, in which Zacharias applied the title to the priests of Paris to distinguish them from country clergy. In cities other than Rome, the name cardinal began to be applied to certain church men as a mark of honour. Cardinals were granted the privilege of wearing the red hat by Pope Innocent IV in 1244. By decree of a synod of 769, only a cardinal was eligible to become Bishop of Rome.

They took part in the administration of the church of Rome and in the papal liturgy. By the 8th century the Roman cardinals constituted a privileged class among the Roman clergy. The name was also given to the senior priest in each of the 'title' churches (the parish churches) of Rome and to the bishops of the seven sees surrounding the city. In Rome the first persons to be called cardinals were the deacons of the seven regions of the city at the beginning of the 6th century, when the word began to mean 'principal', 'eminent', or 'superior'. There is general disagreement about the origin of the term, but a chief consensus that ' cardinalis' is etymologically from the Latin word cardo (meaning 'pivot' or 'hinge') was first used in late antiquity to designate a bishop or priest who was incorporated into a church for which he had not originally been ordained. The selection is entirely up to the pope and tradition is his only guide.Īs of 4 July 2022, there are 207 serving cardinals, of whom 116 are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope.Ĭardinal Richelieu, chief minister of France Since 1917, a potential cardinal must already be at least a priest, but laymen have been cardinals in the past. There are no strict criteria for elevation to the College of Cardinals. A very small number are priests recognised by the pope for their service to the Church as canon law requires them to be generally consecrated as bishops before they are made cardinals, but some are granted a papal dispensation. Others are titular bishops who are current or former officials within the Roman Curia (generally the leaders of dicasteries and other bodies linked with the Curia). Most cardinals are bishops and archbishops leading dioceses and archdioceses around the world – often the most prominent diocese or archdiocese in their country. Cardinals of working age are also appointed to roles overseeing dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the central administration of the Catholic Church.Ĭardinals are drawn from a variety of backgrounds, being appointed as cardinals in addition to their existing roles within the Church. In addition, cardinals collectively participate in papal consistories (which generally take place annually), in which matters of importance to the Church are considered and new cardinals may be created. The right to participate in a conclave is limited to cardinals who have not reached the age of 80 years by the day the vacancy occurs. During the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor, the day-to-day governance of the Holy See is in the hands of the College of Cardinals. Their most solemn responsibility is to elect a new pope in a conclave, almost always from among themselves (with a few historical exceptions), when the Holy See is vacant. Collectively, they constitute the College of Cardinals.

Cardinals are created by the pope and typically hold the title for life. A cardinal ( Latin: Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church.

Remove extra opus domini backup files