POPE LEO XIV
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In the coming days, 134 men in red will gather in Rome to elect the new pope. But many people, even life-long Catholics, can’t always tell you exactly what a cardinal is.
The origin of the word “cardinal” gives us our first clue. The term comes from the Latin word for “hinge” and denotes something or someone of crucial or fundamental importance. The Roman Catholic cardinals we know today certainly reflect this definition, but their exact status has evolved over the history of the Catholic Church.
Certainly one of the primary functions of being a cardinal is to elect the new pope. Canon law tells us:
The cardinals of the Holy Roman Church constitute a special college whose duty is to provide for the election of the Roman Pontiff according to the norm of special law.
What do they do?
However, this isn’t the only special task they take on. Canon law goes on to say:
The cardinals assist the Roman Pontiff collegially when they are summoned together to deal with questions of major importance. Individually, they assist him especially through the different offices they fulfill.
This description leaves a lot of room for the Holy Father to consult the cardinals when and however he needs them. One of the most common ways is through a consistory -- a meeting of cardinals -- for example, the one preceding the recent Synod on Synodality in 2023. Cardinals are also appointed to run Vatican Dicasteries and also as archbishops of major dioceses around the world.
Always a bishop?
It is commonly assumed that one must be a bishop in order to be chosen as a cardinal, but that is actually not the case. Canon law stipulates that the pope may choose any Catholic priest who is “especially outstanding in doctrine, morals, piety, and prudence in action; those who are not yet bishops must receive episcopal consecration.” In modern practice, cardinals-elect normally are already bishops or archbishops and if by chance they were not, they would be ordained a bishop when appointed as a cardinal. There are some exceptions to this rule, however, as occasionally a priest who is named a cardinal (but isn't a bishop) may request to forego episcopal (bishop) ordination. That was the case with Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa.
Noticeable outfits
Cardinals are easily recognizable by the red that they wear, which - in case you are wondering - is not because Cardinal birds are red. It is, in fact, the other way around! It is commonly believed that when European settlers encountered the red birds, they reminded them of the red worn by Catholic cardinals and so the birds received a new name.
But more than a fashion choice
The red the Cardinals wear is symbolic, however, for the blood of the martyrs and their readiness to serve the Church even unto death.
Levels of cardinals
To top it off, cardinals are not only already priests, and bishops, they are also a specific order of Cardinals. Cardinals are either:
- Cardinal Bishops: the highest order; they are usually Patriarchs of Eastern Churches or senior Vatican officials who are often also given one of the “suburbicarian” Sees (dioceses very near Rome like Ostia or Frascati - today these Sees are mostly titular appointments). Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is one example of a Cardinal Bishop, born in Chicago and appointed as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
- Cardinal Priests: the order most cardinals belong to. These cardinals are often bishops/archbishops of important dioceses around the world. Take Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, for example, who is a well-known cardinal of the Church in the United States and around the world.
- Cardinal Deacons historically did charitable work in Rome and now are often the “working cardinals” in Vatican departments. Cardinal Raymond Burke became a Cardinal Deacon in 2010, for example, but recently became a Cardinal Priest.
Cardinals are called to more closely connect churches around the world with the Holy Father and him with us. They are called to lead, serve, and witness to the faith even to the point - as the color they wear implies - of martyrdom.
