Q&A with Fr John Flader. This week: what’s a cardinal?
Question: Can you tell me exactly what Cardinals are and in what way they are different from other bishops? Also, for how long has the Church had Cardinals?
By Fr John Flader
In general, Cardinals are priests or bishops, second in rank only to the Pope, who assist the Pope in governing the universal Church and who have the special role of electing a new Pope.
Although they are not part of the divine constitution of the Church instituted by Christ, their origin goes back to the early Church. Already in the first century, Pope St Cletus, or Anacletus (76-88 AD), following St Peter’s instructions, ordained 25 priests for the city of Rome to assist him in the pastoral care of the diocese.
Over the next centuries these priests were assigned to what were called “titular churches” named after saints, and they also assisted the Pope with the liturgy in the major basilicas of St John Lateran, which was the cathedral of the Pope, St Peter, St Paul, St Mary Major and St Lawrence.
In addition to the priests, there were seven bishops of dioceses around Rome, known as suburbicarian dioceses, who assisted the Pope in liturgical functions in the Lateran Basilica and with their counsel.
The first mention in official documents of the term Cardinals is in the eighth century, in the Liber Pontificalis during the pontificate of Pope Stephen III (768-772). In that document, the bishops of the suburbicarian dioceses were called Cardinal Bishops.
At that same time, in the Roman Synod of 769 it was decided that the Roman Pontiff should be elected from among the deacons and Cardinal Priests of the Roman titular churches. The principal deacons of Rome were known as Cardinal Deacons.
So from the beginning the Cardinals were all in Rome and their principal duty was to assist the Pope in the affairs of the Diocese of Rome. Over time they came to assist the Pope also in the affairs of the universal Church.
In 1059, Pope Nicholas II decreed that the Cardinal Bishops were to be the sole electors of the Roman Pontiff.
The College of Cardinals in its present form, with Cardinal Bishops, Priests and Deacons, was organised by Pope Eugene III (1145-53), with the Bishop of Ostia as the Dean. All the Cardinals were required to reside in Rome.
Later in the twelfth century, when Cardinals were allowed to reside in their own dioceses, they were named titular pastors of churches in Rome, a custom which is still followed.
Today, Cardinals are named, or created, from around the world by the Pope. They are to be “outstanding in doctrine, virtue, piety and prudence in practical matters. Those who are not already Bishops must receive Episcopal consecration” (Code of Canon Law, Can. 351 §1).
The Cardinals constitute a special College, whose prerogative it is to elect the Roman Pontiff. They also assist the Pope in the government of the universal Church, acting either collegially when they are summoned together in what are called Consistories to deal with questions of major importance, or individually in the offices they hold (cf. Can. 349).
In this latter role, many Cardinals are named members of the various Congregations, Councils, Commissions, etc., of the Roman Curia.
Following the traditional practice, Cardinals are assigned the rank of Deacons, Priests or Bishops. Those appointed from within the Roman Curia have the rank of Deacons and those from around the world the rank of Priests. Cardinal Bishops are those named by the Pope with the title of the six suburbicarian dioceses and also the Eastern-rite Patriarchs who are made Cardinals. The Dean of the College, in addition to his own title, has the title of the diocese of Ostia.
Cardinals who are diocesan bishops do not have any more powers in their own dioceses than other bishops in theirs. They do have rights of precedence when bishops are gathered together.
Certain episcopal sees in countries where there are a larger number of Catholics traditionally have their bishop made a Cardinal by the Pope. That is the case with the Archdioceses of Sydney and Wellington, New Zealand.
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