The College of Cardinals is composed of the men whom the Pope has elevated to the dignity of Cardinal, entrusting them with the duty to be his close advisors and collaborators, and to elect his successor. The decisions of the College are made collectively, and ratified by the Pope, unless of course there is no Pope. During such a Papal Interregnum the Cardinals gather in General Congregation to decide by majority vote on the funeral of the Pope, the beginning of the Conclave to elect a new Pope, as well as any ordinary business of the Holy See which cannot wait, in keeping with papal law, currently the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.
The ecclesiastical rank of Cardinal dates from the time of Pope Sylvester I, around 315 AD. It was given to the closest advisors of the Pope. With time it came to be reserved to those whom the Pope had given pastoral responsibility for the 7 suburban dioceses of the Roman Province, as well as the Roman churches, and deaconries. Today the Cardinals each possess only a titular office as a bishop, priest or deacon of Rome, but without actual responsibility for the dioceses, parishes and deaconries. The actual offices held by Cardinals today are within the Roman Curia or as archbishop of an important diocese. Cardinals, therefore, are generally bishops, though the Popes may grant exceptions. In recent decades this exception has been granted for theologians the Popes have wished to honor. Under current law, a Cardinal must at least be a priest.
election as Pope.
A Conclave is the special gathering of Cardinals for the purpose of electing a Pope. It is governed minutely by Papal Law, currently the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis. For more information on the Conclave, and all matters concerning the period between the reign of one Pope and another, see the Papal Interregnum section.
The Cardinal Electors are those members of the College of Cardinals who have not reached their 80th Birthday on the day a “Vacancy of the Apostolic See” occurs, whether by the death or the resignation of the Supreme Pontiff. That is, if they turn 80 years of age on or before the day a Pope dies or resigns, they are ineligible to vote in the Conclave to elect his successor. However, if they turn 80 years of age the day after the Pope dies or resigns, they are eligible to enter the Conclave and vote. Interestingly, even if a Cardinal cannot vote he can be elected.
Cardinals who hold the more important offices in the Roman Curia or who, being Patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches, have been granted equivalent dignity in law since Pope Paul VI, are called Cardinal Bishops. The smallest of the three ranks of Cardinals it traces its history to the role played in the early Church by the bishops of 7 dioceses surrounding Rome, called the suburcarian (suburban) Sees of Rome. Cardinal Bishops are said to hold the title, as opposed to the actual office, of those 7 Sees. The Cardinal Dean holds two titles, Ostia and the one he holds at the time of his promotion to Dean. Thus, there are only such six Cardinal Bishops at a time, plus however many Eastern Patriarchs there are.
Cardinal Bishops are members of the highest order within the College of Cardinals. From among their number they elect the Dean of the College, who, with the confirmation of the Pontiff, presides over its meetings.
The title Cardinal Bishop contains a two-fold historical reference. In the first place cardinal is a title given to a principal adviser to the Bishop of Rome. Its use appears to date from about the fourth century (300s). With time it came to be applied to the incumbents in certain major ecclesiastical offices associated with the See of Rome.
Since 1059, those appointed cardinals have been the exclusive electors of the Bishop of Rome. However, while their title still identifies cardinals by these ancient offices (deaneries, churches, dioceses), cardinals no longer have a formal role in their governance. They are today almost always bishops of dioceses or curial officials, not priests or deacons of Rome, and as cardinals they are papal electors and advisors. The title bishop is a reference to one of the suburban dioceses (called the suburbicarian sees) which make up the Roman ecclesiastical province. The bishops of these dioceses (the number has varied through history) appear to have played a role since the fourth century in consecrating and installing the Pope. In doing this they were presided over by one of their number, the Bishop of Ostia.
Today the actual bishops of the seven suburbicarian sees have no role in the election of the Pope. Instead, six Cardinal Bishops hold the title of those sees, with the Dean of the College of Cardinals holding the title of two sees, the See of Ostia and the See to which he had title prior to his election as Dean. In addition to these Cardinal Bishops, certain Patriarchs of Eastern Churches hold the rank of Cardinal Bishop.
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Cardinals Priests are those Cardinals who hold the middle, and by far the most numerous, rank of the College of Cardinals. They include officials of the Roman Curia, as well as Archbishops of major dioceses from around the world. Cardinal Priests hold title to a particular church of the Roman See, a dim historical reflection of the very early practice of the clergy of Rome participating in the election of the Pope. Within the rank of Cardinal Priest cardinals hold seniority based on date of appointment, and may even advance by promotion to the higher grade of Cardinal Bishop.
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The gathering of the Cardinals to advise the Pope, or assist him in his duties, is called a Congregation. Also, the major departments of the Roman Curia are called Congregations because they are made up of a number of voting Cardinals headed by a Cardinal Prefect. During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, from the time of the death of the Pope until the beginning of the election of his successor, the decisions regarding the ordinary affairs of the Holy See, as well as the funeral, burial and election of the Pope, are decided by such gatherings of the Cardinals.
General Congregations are meetings of all the Cardinals who are not legitimately impeded from attending by sickness or other lawful reasons. They decide the more significant matters related to the Papal Interregnum. The scope of their authority is entirely governed by the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, which permits absolutely no innovations in the functioning of the Holy See while there is no Pope. The General Congregation, however, can decide disputed points of interpretation of the law.
Particular Congregations are composed of the Camerlengo (Chamberlain) of the Holy Roman Church, and 3 other Cardinals, called Assistants, chosen by lot from each of the three ranks of Cardinals. These Particular Congregations handle the ordinary business of the Roman Church, referring anything significant to the General Congregation. New Assistants are elected by lot after they have served for three days.
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