Cardinal (Catholicism)

A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking just below the Pope and appointed by him as a member of the College of Cardinals during a consistory. The duties of the cardinals are to attend the meetings of the Sacred College and to make themselves available individually if the Pope desires their counsel. Most cardinals have additional duties either leading many of the church's dioceses and archdioceses or running the Roman Curia.

Orders

According to Canon 350 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the College of Cardinals is divided into three orders:

Related Topics:
1983 - Code of Canon Law

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• the episcopal order (Cardinal Bishops),
• the presbyteral order (Cardinal Priests), the most numerous group,
• the diaconal order (Cardinal Deacons).

Most cardinal bishops are those to whom the Pope assigns the title of a suburbicarian church; that group elects a Dean of the College of Cardinals to be the head of the college, the first among equals; the election must be approved by the Pope.

Related Topics:
Suburbicarian - Dean of the College of Cardinals - First among equals

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At the Pope's discretion, patriarchs of the Eastern Rite churches may also be appointed to the college. When appointed, they become cardinal bishops without holding a suburbicarian see, but they cannot elect the dean or be elected dean.

Related Topics:
Patriarch - Eastern Rite

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Cardinal priests and cardinal deacons are each assigned a church or deaconry in Rome by the Pope. All cardinal priests and almost all cardinal deacons are actually bishops.

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Originally any Catholic male could be appointed to the College: for example in the 16th century Reginald Pole was a cardinal for 18 years before he was ordained a priest. Today, Canon 351 specifically requires that a cardinal at least be in the order of priesthood, and those who are not already bishops must receive episcopal consecration. Only bishops are normally created cardinals. A recent exception is Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., who was a priest at the time of his elevation in 2001. He successfully petitioned Pope John Paul II for a dispensation from episcopal consecration due to advanced age. Although he is not a bishop, he is stil entitled to wear the episcopal vestments and regalia (miter, crozier, pectoral cross, ring) and possess a coat of arms by virtue of his status as cardinal. He is, though, restricted to the lower two orders of cardinals.

Related Topics:
Reginald Pole - Priesthood - Bishops - Avery Cardinal Dulles - S.J. - Pope John Paul II

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