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.

Secret cardinal

In addition to the named cardinals, a pope may name cardinals in pectore, Latin for in the breast. A cardinal named in pectore is known only to the pope; not even the cardinal so named is aware of his elevation. Cardinals are named in pectore to protect them or their congregations from reprisals if their identities were known.

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If conditions change such that a secret cardinal would be safe, the pope may at any time make public a previously in pectore cardinal, who ranks in precedence with those of his original consistory. If a pope dies before revealing the identity of an in pectore cardinal, the cardinalate expires.

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This was the case with Pope John Paul II, who named an in pectore cardinal during his tenure that remained secret even on his death on April 2, 2005. Many speculated that the Holy Father's will would contain the name of the in pectore cardinal, but it did not.

Related Topics:
Pope John Paul II - April 2 - 2005

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