Cardinal (Catholic Church)

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Cardinals are created by the pope and typically hold the title for life. Most cardinals are bishops and archbishops leading dioceses and archdioceses around the world.

On 24 February 2024, there were 234 serving cardinals[1].

According to the Catholic church, the order of the importance of the Catholic Church goes from the Pope, then the Bishops and then the Cardinals. Cardinals are the counsellors of the Pope. In 1245, Pope Innocent IV granted the red hat to the cardinals as a sign of their readiness to shed their blood in the cause of the church which showed their dedication to the church.

The collective name for cardinals is College of Cardinals. They meet in a Papal conclave to elect a new Pope.[2]

When there is no pope, the cardinals direct the day-to-day affairs of the Church.[2]

Appointment

Cardinals are chosen by the Pope from men who are already priests. The Pope officially announces new cardinals during a meeting called a consistory.[3][4][5][6]

The Pope can choose cardinals as he sees fit, but usually asks for advice from other cardinals. If a man is not yet a bishop when chosen, he should become one, but this is not always required.[3][7][6]

Ranks of Cardinals

There are three ranks of cardinals[6][4][8][3]:

  • Cardinal bishops.
  • Cardinal priests.
  • Cardinal deacons.

Clothing

Coats of arms

Cardinal (Catholic Church) Media

Related pages

References

  1. "List of Cardinals in alphabetical order - with graph". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Cardinal," Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2011-11-23.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Cardinal | Catholicism, Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "The Cardinalate". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore.
  5. "Roles of Bishop, Archbishop and Cardinal Explained". Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "EWTN Global Catholic Television Network: Catholic News, TV, Radio | EWTN". EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  7. Marshall, Taylor (2017-03-02). "Cardinals who are not Bishops and a Short History on Cardinals". Taylor Marshall. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  8. "Sacred College of Cardinals | Meaning, Establishment, Pope, Papacy, Catholic, & Vatican | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-10-13. Retrieved 2024-10-23.

Other websites

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