Cardinal Catholicism - History

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 c ...

Including:

• Cardinal Catholicism - Orders
• Cardinal Catholicism - Secret cardinal
• Cardinal Catholicism - Other privileges
• Cardinal Catholicism - History
• Cardinal Catholicism - Cardinals in popular culture

Read more here: » Cardinal Catholicism: Encyclopedia - Cardinal Catholicism

The cardinals did not always elect the Pope: the Pope was originally elected by the clergy and the people of the Roman Church, but during the medieval times, as the Roman nobility gained too great an influence, as the Holy Roman Emperors interfered into the choosing of a pope and as the papacy gained importance as an international figure, the right of election was given to the cardinals in 1159. The Pope could substitute another body of electors for the College of Cardinals at any time; in fact there have been proposals in the past to ...

See also:

Cardinal Catholicism, Cardinal Catholicism - Orders, Cardinal Catholicism - Secret cardinal, Cardinal Catholicism - Other privileges, Cardinal Catholicism - History, Cardinal Catholicism - Cardinals in popular culture

Read more here: » Cardinal Catholicism: Encyclopedia II - Cardinal Catholicism - History

The cardinals did not always elect the Pope: the Pope was originally elected by the clergy and the people of the Roman Church, but during the medieval times, as the Roman nobility gained too great an influence, as the Holy Roman Emperors interfered into the choosing of a pope and as the papacy gained importance as an international figure, the right of election was given to the cardinals in 1159. The Pope could substitute another body of electors for the College of Cardinals at any time; in fact there have been proposals in the past to ...

See also:

Cardinal Catholicism, Cardinal Catholicism - Orders of cardinalate, Cardinal Catholicism - Secret cardinal, Cardinal Catholicism - Other privileges, Cardinal Catholicism - History, Cardinal Catholicism - Cardinals in popular culture

Read more here: » Cardinal Catholicism: Encyclopedia II - Cardinal Catholicism - History

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

See also:

Cardinal Catholicism, Cardinal Catholicism - Orders of cardinalate, Cardinal Catholicism - Secret cardinal, Cardinal Catholicism - Other privileges, Cardinal Catholicism - History, Cardinal Catholicism - Cardinals in popular culture

Read more here: » Cardinal Catholicism: Encyclopedia II - Cardinal Catholicism - Orders of cardinalate

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

See also:

Cardinal Catholicism, Cardinal Catholicism - Orders, Cardinal Catholicism - Secret cardinal, Cardinal Catholicism - Other privileges, Cardinal Catholicism - History, Cardinal Catholicism - Cardinals in popular culture

Read more here: » Cardinal Catholicism: Encyclopedia II - Cardinal Catholicism - Orders

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 necessarily aware of his elevation. Cardinals are named in pectore to protect them or their congregations from reprisals if their identities were known. 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 ...

See also:

Cardinal Catholicism, Cardinal Catholicism - Orders, Cardinal Catholicism - Secret cardinal, Cardinal Catholicism - Other privileges, Cardinal Catholicism - History, Cardinal Catholicism - Cardinals in popular culture

Read more here: » Cardinal Catholicism: Encyclopedia II - Cardinal Catholicism - 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 necessarily aware of his elevation. Cardinals are named in pectore to protect them or their congregations from reprisals if their identities were known. 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 ...

See also:

Cardinal Catholicism, Cardinal Catholicism - Orders of cardinalate, Cardinal Catholicism - Secret cardinal, Cardinal Catholicism - Other privileges, Cardinal Catholicism - History, Cardinal Catholicism - Cardinals in popular culture

Read more here: » Cardinal Catholicism: Encyclopedia II - Cardinal Catholicism - Secret cardinal