Scott1
Well-Known Member
In Roman times, a consistory (from the Latin consistere, "to stand together") was a council of the emperors. The ecclesiastical equivalent referred to a gathering of the senate of the Roman pontiff, which in the first centuries of the Church meant the presbytery, or clergy of Rome. From the eleventh century, a consistory referred to a gathering of the College of Cardinals, the chief organ of the universal government of the Church. Cardinals now come from 69 different countries. When they are summoned to Rome, they meet in a consistory.
There are three kinds of consistory: "secret" (only the Pope and the cardinals are present), "public" (the press are present) and "semi-public" (bishops as well as cardinals attend). The decision about who is to be made a cardinal is discussed in a secret consistory, but the ceremony appointing them is public.
The term "cardinal" is thought to come from the Latin incardinare, which refers to the process of entrusting a cleric into a diocese other than the one to which they were ordained. The term came into use during the barbarian invasions around the year 500, when bishops were entrusted to another diocese if their own had been overrun. They served in their new dioceses as "cardinal bishops". By the eleventh century, the title was reserved to the Pope's principal advisers living in Rome. Nowadays most cardinals are either archbishops in charge of the world's largest dioceses (known as "cardinal sees", because the red hat normally goes with the diocese) or heads of Vatican departmets, known as "dicasteries".
Their task is to assist the Pope with the governance of the Church, but their most important role is that of electing the new Pope in a conclave, a responsibility which is these days reserved to cardinals who are under 80, known informally as "cardinal-electors". Because of their role, they are linked to Rome in a way that ordinary bishops are not, which is expressed by their being given governance of one of the parish churches of Rome. Strictly speaking, the cardinal is the "parish priest" of their titular church, and when they are in Rome they are encouraged to minister to their congregations.
Cardinals are created in consistories in which they receive their zuchetto or "red hat" and are assigned a titular church in Rome. The ceremony takes the form of a liturgy of the Word. Pope begins with an allocutio, or exaltation, in which the cardinal-designates learn about their new responsibilities. A formal reply is given on behalf of the new cardinals by the first one of them named, in this case Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the former Secretary of State. After the Gospel, the Pope gives a homily, after which the new cardinals stand to recite the Creed. They then swear loyalty and obedience to the Pope and his successors. The words of the oath include a promise to "conserve by word and deed communion with the Catholic Church" and not to reveal anything that may harm the Church.
They then come forward to receive their new headgear. The zuchetto, the red skullcap, is placed on their head, followed by the biretta, a square hat with no brim, covered with scarlet silk with three "horns" or ridges on top. The words accompanying the imposition of the red hat hark back to the days of martyrdom. "In praise of God and in the honour of the Apostolic See, receive the red hat, the sign of the cardinal's dignity", the Pope tells them. "For you must be ready to conduct yourself with fortitude, even to the shedding of your blood, for the increase of the Christian faith; for the peace and tranquillity of the people of God and for the Kingdom of Heaven and for the Holy Roman Church."
The new cardinals then come forward one by one, and are given a document certifying that they are a cardinal and naming their titular church. The service ends with prayers for the new cardinals. The next day is the "Mass of the Rings". The new cardinals arrive without their bishops' rings; after the Gospel, they are presented with their cardinals' rings. At the Mass they wear for the first time their distinctive mitre, which is tall and white. Before leaving the city, the new cardinal takes formal possession of his titular church by having his coat of arms erected outside it.
There are three kinds of consistory: "secret" (only the Pope and the cardinals are present), "public" (the press are present) and "semi-public" (bishops as well as cardinals attend). The decision about who is to be made a cardinal is discussed in a secret consistory, but the ceremony appointing them is public.
The term "cardinal" is thought to come from the Latin incardinare, which refers to the process of entrusting a cleric into a diocese other than the one to which they were ordained. The term came into use during the barbarian invasions around the year 500, when bishops were entrusted to another diocese if their own had been overrun. They served in their new dioceses as "cardinal bishops". By the eleventh century, the title was reserved to the Pope's principal advisers living in Rome. Nowadays most cardinals are either archbishops in charge of the world's largest dioceses (known as "cardinal sees", because the red hat normally goes with the diocese) or heads of Vatican departmets, known as "dicasteries".
Their task is to assist the Pope with the governance of the Church, but their most important role is that of electing the new Pope in a conclave, a responsibility which is these days reserved to cardinals who are under 80, known informally as "cardinal-electors". Because of their role, they are linked to Rome in a way that ordinary bishops are not, which is expressed by their being given governance of one of the parish churches of Rome. Strictly speaking, the cardinal is the "parish priest" of their titular church, and when they are in Rome they are encouraged to minister to their congregations.
Cardinals are created in consistories in which they receive their zuchetto or "red hat" and are assigned a titular church in Rome. The ceremony takes the form of a liturgy of the Word. Pope begins with an allocutio, or exaltation, in which the cardinal-designates learn about their new responsibilities. A formal reply is given on behalf of the new cardinals by the first one of them named, in this case Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the former Secretary of State. After the Gospel, the Pope gives a homily, after which the new cardinals stand to recite the Creed. They then swear loyalty and obedience to the Pope and his successors. The words of the oath include a promise to "conserve by word and deed communion with the Catholic Church" and not to reveal anything that may harm the Church.
They then come forward to receive their new headgear. The zuchetto, the red skullcap, is placed on their head, followed by the biretta, a square hat with no brim, covered with scarlet silk with three "horns" or ridges on top. The words accompanying the imposition of the red hat hark back to the days of martyrdom. "In praise of God and in the honour of the Apostolic See, receive the red hat, the sign of the cardinal's dignity", the Pope tells them. "For you must be ready to conduct yourself with fortitude, even to the shedding of your blood, for the increase of the Christian faith; for the peace and tranquillity of the people of God and for the Kingdom of Heaven and for the Holy Roman Church."
The new cardinals then come forward one by one, and are given a document certifying that they are a cardinal and naming their titular church. The service ends with prayers for the new cardinals. The next day is the "Mass of the Rings". The new cardinals arrive without their bishops' rings; after the Gospel, they are presented with their cardinals' rings. At the Mass they wear for the first time their distinctive mitre, which is tall and white. Before leaving the city, the new cardinal takes formal possession of his titular church by having his coat of arms erected outside it.