The role of a Cardinal

The role of a cardinal is "like the role of a prince in relation to a king; like the role of a member of an august religious assembly focused on transcendental matters, not mundane ones; like the role of a Senator in a secular state� (insidethevatican.com). The College of Cardinals is attributed the role of helping the Pope deal with �questions of greater moment� and with the �daily administration� of the Church by the Code of Canon Law. Cardinals are all appointed by the Pope, as they serve as his cabinet. Conversely, when a new pope is needed, it is the duty of the College of Cardinals to elect a replacement�almost always from within their own ranks.

There are three classes of cardinals: cardinal bishops, cardinal priests, and cardinal deacons. The cardinal bishops are the overseers of seven sees around Rome-- Ostia, Velletri, Porto and Santa Rufina, Albano, Frascati, Palestrina, and Sabina and Poggio Mirteto--as well as Eastern rite patriarchs. The dean and sub-dean of the College of Cardinals are elected by the cardinal bishops, pending approval by the Pope; these ranks are always from within the members of the College.

Cardinal priests are bishops (mostly archbishops) whose dioceses are outside of Rome; they are sometimes called �cardinal archbishops�. Cardinal deacons are titular bishops who give full-time service to the papal government. The 1918 Code of Cannon Law declared that all cardinals must be priests, and the subsequent motu proprio Cum Gravissima in 1962 deemed all cardinals as bishops. However, there is no ranking in the Church that places a cardinal above a bishop.

Indeed, the bishop is the highest attainable rank in the Church, with the Pope himself being the Bishop of Rome.

The cardinals primarily serve as cabinet to the papal administration (Curia Romana), comprised of standing committees, courts, and administrative departments. As there is no division of power in the head of the Church, these bodies have the power to legislate, judge, and command with papal authority--as they can serve as the Pope�s hands and feet. The secretariat of state is the most important division of the Curia and works most closely with the Pope. It is divided into two sections: one for general affairs handling items related to the papal office (such as documents and media relations), and one responsible for diplomatic relations with foreign governments and organizations.

Roman congregations are a second division of the Curia, consisting of a group of cardinals headed by a prefect. The congregations are assigned to oversee specific functions of the Church. Below are the congregations of the Church:

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith**
The Congregation for the Eastern Churches
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments
The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints
The Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples**
The Congregation of the Clergy
The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life
The Congregation for Catholic Education
(**deepest impact on the Church body)

Cardinals also oversee the Roman tribunals�three secret courts headed by a cardinal each whose work is handled by trained canonists. This is essentially the Supreme Court of the Vatican, handling all appeals from lower courts on issues requiring trial and evidence. Cases of conscience, canonization, and sovereignty are reserved exclusively for papal authority.

The role of the cardinal is very diversified, but crucial to the functionality of the Church. Perhaps Pope John Paul II said it best: "In you [cardinals] the faithful and even the pastors of the particular Churches scattered throughout the world look for light and direction to live more profoundly the communion with the Roman See. Is not this perhaps the meaning of the admonition contained in the rite we are celebrating: �Te intrepidum exhibere debeas� (�You should show yourself fearless�)"

webmaster www.evangelizationstation.com