LITTLE SUMMARY OF THE CARDINALS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH Rev. Fr. Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa

 LITTLE SUMMARY OF THE CARDINALS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Rev. Fr. Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa

utaziprince@yahoo.com

Cardinals are the top clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, also called its Princes. The word is derived from its Latin root cardo (hinge); cardinals are thus considered the hinges on which the Church revolves. They are appointed for life and belong to three orders  the highest being cardinal bishops, then cardinals priests, and finally cardinal deacons. Of the three, cardinal priests are the most numerous. Together, the orders form what is called the Sacred College of Cardinals, which currently has 229 members.

All three ranks within the College of Cardinals have ancient historical roots. Cardinal Deacons were anciently entrusted with the administration of the six offices of the Lateran Palace and of the seven departments of Rome, including care for poor. After Pope Sixtus V, they became 14, two for departments, and were given a deaconry of administration, that is, a church in Rome for which they were responsible.

The cardinal priests were those entrusted with the care of the most ancient Churches in Rome, called titles, and are by tradition connected with a Roman parish. After ten full years as a cardinal deacon, a cardinal can opt to become a cardinal priest.

There were originally seven cardinal bishops, the bishops of suburbicarian sees of Rome.

The distinction between the three degrees of Cardinals has little practical significance except in determining the order and rank for ceremonial processions. Also, during the period after a Pope dies and before a new one is elected, it is position one occupies within the College of Cardinals that determines the power one is to exercise certain roles if the Dean of the College of Cardinals or Camerlengo are unable to do so.

Because the Church use the word create in reference to naming cardinals, this has led to the clerical joke that only God and the pope can create something out of nothing. Cardinals are not ordained since the Cardinalate is not a sacrament but simply an office in the church. 

Since 1917 the code has required that a man must be a priest to be eligible for appointment to the College of Cardinals. An appointee who is not a bishop must be consecrated a bishop, but the pope can make exceptions, as John Paul II did for Jesuit theologian Avery Dulles in 2001; and Pope Francis for Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap on November 28 2020 consistory. Fr Raniero has been the Papal Household preacher for 60 years as at 2020 and he was 86 years old as at 2020. The first cardinals were probably senior clerics of some of most important churches of Rome, now known as titular churches; others were bishops from nearby dioceses known as suburbicarian sees.

Since its work is centered on service to the pope in governing the church, some theologians have argued that the College of Cardinals should contain laypeople of both sexes. It is said that Paul VI considered giving a red hat to the Catholic philosopher and layman Jacques Maritain. There have been so-called lay cardinals in the past, but they were men in minor orders. 

The Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI Romano Pontifici Eligendo, promulgated on October 1, 1975, established numerical limits for the College of Cardinals. It stated that cardinals who had reached the age of 80 could not enter into conclave, and that the number of electors could not go beyond 120. Pope John Paul II continued this limitation until when he revoked Romano Pontifici Eligendo and introduced a new revised set of rules for papal elections in Universi Dominici Gregis in 1996. These new set of rules however, were changed back to the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

Cardinals are created in a ceremony called the Consistory. Before then, they would have been elected by the Pope, the publications of their names be made, and they are being communicated to.

Cardinals receive the symbolic red biretta and ring from the Pope when they are created at consistories, and are addressed as Eminence. The prelates are also known for their distinctive red attire  the colour expressing the willingness of the Cardinal to die for their faith, and the ring signifies their marriage to the church.

The election of the Pope, though, is only one among their many responsibilities. Cardinals primarily work as counsellors to the Pope, and many are leaders of the diocese or archdiocese in their home countries. They also take up important positions in the Vatican bureaucracy, known as the Roman Curia. As per Canon law, cardinals can be summoned by the Pope for particular needs, and have direct access to him. They are also responsible for the day-to-day governance of the Church whenever the seat of the Pope falls empty.

The Office of Cardinal is coded in Canon Law paragraphs 349 - 359. Canon 350 §1. The College of Cardinals is divided into three orders: the episcopal order, to which belong cardinals to whom the Roman Pontiff assigns title of a suburbicarian church and Eastern patriarchs who have been brought into the College of Cardinals; the presbyteral order and the diaconal order. So the above Canon provides that within the College of Cardinals there are 3 orders - Bishop, Priest and Deacon.

Cardinal Bishops are assigned to one of 6 suburbicarian dioceses of Rome which are ancient churches in dioceses around the city of Rome. The dioceses are: the Diocese of Velletri-Segni, the Diocese of Porto-Santa Rufina, the Diocese of Frascati (Tusculum), the Diocese of Palestrina, the Diocese of Albano, the Diocese of Sabina-Poggio Mirteto. If you add the Diocese of Ostia which is assigned to the Dean of the College of Cardinals, it will make 7 dioceses.

Cardinal Priests are Archbishops of Metropolitan Archdioceses and Bishops of dioceses around the world. For example, John Cardinal Oneiyekan (emeritus Archbishop of Abuja), Anthony Cardinal Okogie (emeritus Archbishop of Lagos) and Peter Cardinal Ebele Okpalaeke (current bishop of Ekwulobia diocese) are Cardinal-Priests. 

Cardinal Deacons are Cardinals who work at the Vatican Curia or hold any other appointments assigned to them by the Pope. They are not Bishops or Archbishops of any dioceses or archdioceses.

USING NIGERIA CARDINALS FOR ILLUSTRATIONS:

Nigeria has had 5 Cardinals so far and they are:

DOMINIC CARDINAL IGNATIUS EKANDEM (EMERITUS ARCHBISHOP OF ABUJA)

He was created Cardinal in 1976 at the age of 59 years. As the Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja, he was created a Cardinal-Priest and assigned the titular Church of San Marcello. He has returned to the Creator in 1995 at the age of 78 years.

FRANCIS CARDINAL ARINZE

He was the Archbishop of Onitsha before he was called to Vatican to work. He started working in the Vatican before he was created Cardinal in 1985 at the age of 52 years. Therefore he started as a Cardinal-Deacon and assigned the titular Church of San Giovanni della Pigna. He was promoted to Cardinal-Bishop in 2005.

Canon 350 §5 of 1983 code provides that cardinals from the presbyteral order can transfer to another title, and cardinals from the diaconal order to presbyteral order if they have been in the diaconal order for ten full years. Thus, Francis Cardinal Arinze spent 11 years as Cardinal-Deacon before being elevated to Cardinal Priest in 1996, and was assigned the titular Church of San Giovanni della Pigna. In 2005, Francis Cardinal Arinze was further elevated to Cardinal-Bishop and assigned the see of Velletri-Segni one of the 6 suburbicarian  dioceses in Rome. It is noteworthy that Cardinal Arinze succeeded the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who vacated the see to occupy the Chair of Saint Peter as Pope Benedict XVI. Francis Cardinal Arinze who still holds the title is the first and only African to be elevated to Cardinal Bishop status.

ANTHONY CARDINAL OLUBUNMI OKOGIE (EMERITUS ARCHBISHOP OF LAGOS)

He was created Cardinal in 2003 at the age of 67 years. Because he was an Archbishop of a Metropolitan See he was created a Cardinal-Priest and assigned the titular Church of Beata Vergine Maria del Monte Carmelo a Mostacciano.

JOHN CARDINAL OLORUNFEMI ONAIYEKAN (EMERITUS ARCHBISHOP OF ABUJA)

He was elevated to Cardinal in 2012 at the age of 68 years. As he was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja, he was created a Cardinal-Priest and assigned the titular Church of San Saturnino.

PETER CARDINAL EBELE OKPALAEKE (CURRENT BISHOP OF EKWULOBIA DIOCESE)

The Cardinal designate, his Eminence, Peter Cardinal Ebere Okpalaeke, is the Bishop of Ekwulobia, Nigeria, even as a Cardinal.

He was born on 1 Mar 1963 at Amesi; ordained Priest of Awka, Nigeria on 22 Aug 1992; and appointed bishop of Ahiara, Nigeria on 7 December 2012. On 21st May 2013, he was consecrated the Bishop of Ahiara, Nigeria at Seat of Wisdom, Seminary Chapel, Ulakwo, Archdiocese of Owerri.

On 19 February 2018 he tendered his resignation letter from being the Catholic Bishop of Ahiara, Nigeria. On 5 March 2020, he was appointed as the Catholic Bishop of Ekwulobia, Nigeria and was installed as the Catholic Bishop of Ekwulobia on 29 April 2020. On 27 Aug 2022, he was elevated to Cardinal and appointed a Cardinal-Priest.

Peter Cardinal Ebere Okpalaeke will continue to be the Bishop of Ekwulobia diocese until when he retires at the age of 75 years (+1, +2 years) or when he will be called to reside in Vatican.

CONCLAVE

When the Chair of Saint Peter becomes vacant, Cardinals gather in a meeting known as the Conclave to elect a new Pope. Only Cardinals who are of age below 80 years can attend the Conclave. Therefore if a Conclave holds today, only Cardinal Onaiyekan and Peter Cardinal Okpalaeke will be around the table representing the Church in Nigeria. 

Conclave is the official process for electing a pope. The College of Cardinal gathers together in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope. All others are barred from entry. Conclave in Latin literally means locked with a key. Typically, the current Pope must die or resign based on cogent reasons in order for conclave to convene. It is extremely rare for a pope to resign. The Cardinals gather 15-20 days after the death of the Pope to conduct a secret ballot. Only the Cardinals are allowed in the chapel. There are a few exceptions, such as medical personnel. Each cardinal must take a solemn oath that he will adhere to the rules of conclave, as written by Pope John Paul II. After the first day of conclave, two votes may be taken each morning, and two each afternoon.

A LAY MAN BECOMING CARDINAL AND THE CANON LAW

In the historical practice of the Catholic Church, a lay cardinal was a man whom the pope appointed to the College of Cardinals while still a layman. This appointment carried with it the obligation to be ordained to a clerical order (Cartwright, William Cornwallis 123), meaning that lay cardinal was not a permanent state, but a term in reference to a man who was appointed cardinal prior to taking on the clerical state corresponding to that appointment (ibid 121122). Laymen were named Cardinals only for twelve months, being bound within that period to take Deacon's orders. In all these cases, however, it is clear that some orders had been taken; and therefore, in the strict sense of the term, these Cardinals were no longer laymen.

Teodolfo Mertel, the last man to have been created cardinal without first having been ordained a deacon. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1858, a few months after becoming a cardinal.

The current law of the Catholic Church is that a man must be first ordained at least a priest in order to be considered for appointment as a cardinal (Code of Canon Law 1983. Canon 351 §1).

List of laymen who were created cardinals are as follows (this list does not claim to be complete):  Ferdinando I de' Medici 1562 Minor orders; Maurice of Savoy 1607 Minor orders;; Francisco Gómez Rojas de Sandoval 1618, Priest; Ferdinand of Austria 1620 Minor orders; Marino Carafa di Belvedere [it] 1801 Resigned before being ordained; Teodolfo Mertel 1858 Deacon and so on.

In 1917, Pope Pius X promulgated the first edition of the Code of Canon Law, which included a provision that a man must be first ordained a priest prior to being considered for appointment as a cardinal (Code of Canon Law 1917. Canon 232 §1). According to The New York Times, Pope Paul VI considered making the French Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain a cardinal in 1965. Jacques Maritain Dies at 90 (The New York Times. April 29, 1973. Retrieved April 27, 2022)