Cardinals (Catholic Church)

Cardinals (Catholic Church)
Name	Cardinal (Catholic Church)
Caption	Red choir dress of a cardinal
Type	Ecclesiastical office
Parent organization	Holy See
Formation	11th century
Leader title	Dean
Leader name	Dean of the College of Cardinals
Location	Vatican City

Cardinals (Catholic Church) Cardinals are senior ecclesiastical leaders of the Holy See and principal advisors to the Pope, forming the College of Cardinals that elects a new pontiff at a papal conclave. Historically tied to the Diocese of Rome and the Roman Curia, cardinals often preside over major sees such as Archdiocese of Milan, Archdiocese of Paris, Archdiocese of New York, and lead dicasteries like the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Secretariat of State, and Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Prominent figures among cardinals have included Giacomo della Chiesa, Eugenio Pacelli, Karol Wojtyła, and Giovanni Battista Montini.

History

The institution emerged in the 11th century amid reforms associated with Pope Gregory VII and the Investiture Controversy, evolving from the clergy of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and St. Peter's Basilica into a body that advised popes like Pope Urban II and Pope Innocent III. During the Avignon Papacy cardinals were resident in Avignon, while the Western Schism saw rival obediences in Rome and Avignon produce competing lists of cardinals, affecting councils such as the Council of Constance. The Council of Trent and reforms under Pope Paul VI reshaped cardinalatial functions, culminating in procedural norms codified by later documents linked to Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Role and Functions

Cardinals serve as principal counselors to the Pope and head major administrative entities including the Apostolic Signatura, the Congregation for Bishops, the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See. Many cardinals govern metropolitan sees like the Archdiocese of São Paulo or Archdiocese of Manila; others occupy curial positions in institutions such as the Vatican Library or the Pontifical Lateran University. In diplomatic contexts cardinals frequently represent the Holy See to states at venues like the United Nations or in negotiations referencing treaties such as the Lateran Treaty.

Appointment and Eligibility

Cardinals are appointed in consistories by the Pope and their creation is often announced from the Apostolic Palace or during visits to basilicas like Santa Maria Maggiore. Eligibility traditionally emphasized cardinalatial roles in Rome and metropolitan governance; modern criteria consider episcopal ordination and leadership in bodies such as the Synod of Bishops or service in nuncios linked to the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See. Papal prerogative has been exercised by figures including Pope Clement V, Pope Sixtus V, Pope Pius XII, and Pope Francis to appoint non-European cardinals from places such as the Archdiocese of Lagos, Archdiocese of Kinshasa, and Archdiocese of Yangon.

College of Cardinals

The College is the collective body that includes ranks and officers like the Cardinal Bishop, Cardinal Priest, Cardinal Deacon, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, and the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. Institutional meetings occur in venues such as the Apostolic Palace and the Vatican Gardens; decisions of the College intersect with institutions like the Roman Rota and the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Major reforms affecting the College were promulgated by popes including Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Francis.

Rank and Vestments

Cardinals are ranked as Cardinal Bishops, Cardinal Priests, or Cardinal Deacons, each associated with suburbicarian sees such as Ostia and Roman titular churches like San Lorenzo in Lucina and Santa Maria in Trastevere. Their distinctive red attire—biretta, zucchetto, and mozzetta—has symbolic ties to martyrdom and was formalized in contexts including ceremonies at St. Peter's Basilica and pontifical masses celebrated by popes such as Pope Leo XIII. Liturgical vesture and insignia link cardinals to rites codified in the Roman Missal and to custom observed at locations like the Lateran Basilica.

Duties in Papal Conclave

In a papal conclave convened in the Sistine Chapel under the supervision of the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, cardinal electors under age limits set by Pope Paul VI and reaffirmed by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI assemble to deliberate and vote. The conclave procedures draw on precedents from conclaves after the Death of Pope John Paul II and the Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, employing rules issued by motu proprio documents associated with Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. The election result is proclaimed at St. Peter's Square and ratified through rituals involving the new pope and cardinals such as the imposition of the Pallium and reception of the Fisherman's Ring.

Notable Cardinals and Historical Impact

Cardinals have shaped doctrine, diplomacy, and geopolitics: Cardinal Richelieu influenced the Thirty Years' War and French statecraft; Cardinal Wolsey impacted Henry VIII's reign and the English Reformation; Cardinal Wolff-era figures affected modern German ecclesiastical affairs; Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI and influenced Second Vatican Council interpretation; Cardinal Wojtyła became Pope John Paul II and influenced the Solidarity movement and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. Other influential cardinals include Cardinal Newman for theological development, Cardinal Spellman in American Catholicism, Cardinal Kasper in ecumenical dialogue, Cardinal Caso in Latin American pastoral strategy, and Cardinal Martini in theological debate. Their combined impact is evident in events such as the Council of Trent, the First Vatican Council, the Second Vatican Council, the negotiations surrounding the Lateran Treaty, and diplomatic initiatives involving the United Nations and bilateral agreements between the Holy See and nation-states.

Category:Roman Catholic hierarchy