Editorial
Note:
there
was also another Q&A
What
is a Cardinal? - expanded answer
published
on January 14, 2007
Dear Rev. Know-It-All,
What is a Cardinal?
Just curious....
Willie Anne Surme
Dear Willie Anne,
It’s a fairly large red bird.
Just kidding.
Actually a Cardinal is an honorary pastor
of a Church in Rome and if he is under the age of eighty he has the privilege
of being one of those who vote for the pope.
The word ardo means "hinge"
in Latin. In times past, the pastors of the “hinge” or cardinal
churches of Rome elected the pope who is, in fact, the Bishop of Rome.
As the church expanded, bishops outside of Rome and Italy were made honorary
pastors of the important parishes in the diocese of Rome, and with that
honor came the right to vote in the papal elections.
Though it is true that a cardinal is usually
a bishop, there have been cardinals who are not bishops, such as Fr. Avery
Dulles who was appointed not long ago by Pope John Paul II.
The basic hierarchy is pretty simple in
the Church: the bishop, who is assisted in his work by the priest and the
deacon. The Pope is a bishop, the bishop of Rome and as such, he
has been regarded from the early days of Christianity as the successor
of St. Peter who was Rome’s first bishop.
A bishop who is a cardinal has no more
authority as such than any other bishop, except that he is an elector of
the pope.
Got any obscure questions? Just ask.
Rev. Know-It-All
Editorial Note:
there
was also another Q&A
What
is a Cardinal? - expanded answer
published
on January 14, 2007
The
Question Was
-
- -
What is a Cardinal? |
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