Pope Francis announced on 9th July 2023 that he would induct 21 churchmen to the high rank of cardinal in September 2023. Cardinals are senior members of the Catholic Church who are appointed by the Pope. 21 new cardinals list and current cardinals names are mentioned in this article, check names of catholic cardinal electors appointed by Pope.
Cardinals are responsible for assisting the Pope in governing the Church and electing a new Pope when the position becomes vacant. These are distinguished by their red robes and are often referred to as “princes of the Church.
21 New Cardinals List
The following are set to become cardinals as appointed by Pope Francis:-
Catholic Cardinal Electors under 80
- Archbishop Robert Prevost, American, Vatican official, head of the Dicastery for Bishops
- Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Italian, Vatican official, head of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
- Archbishop Víctor Fernández, Argentine, Vatican official, head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
- Archbishop Emil Tscherrig, Swiss, Vatican ambassador to Italy
- Archbishop Christophe Pierre, French, Vatican ambassador to the United States
- Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Italian, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
- Archbishop Stephen Brislin, South African, Archbishop of Cape Town
- Archbishop Ángel Rossi, Argentine, Archbishop of Córdoba
- Archbishop Luis Aparicio, Colombian, Archbishop of Bogotá
- Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, Polish, Archbishop of Lodz
- Archbishop Stephen Mulla, Sudanese, Archbishop of Juba, South Sudan
- Archbishop José Cano, Spanish, Archbishop of Madrid
- Archbishop Protase Rugambwa, Tanzanian, Archbishop of Tabora
- Bishop Sebastian Francis, Malaysian, Bishop of Penang
- Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan, Bishop of Hong Kong
- Archbishop François-Xavier Bustillo, Spanish-French, Bishop of Ajaccio, Corsica
- Bishop Américo Alves Aguiar, Portuguese, Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon
- Father Ángel Fernández Artime, Spanish, head of the Salesian order
Cardinal Electors Over 80 and not Eligible to enter Conclave
- Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Italian, former Vatican diplomat
- Archbishop Diego Padrón Sánchez, Venezuelan, Archbishop Emeritus of Cumaná
- Father Luis Dri, Argentine priest
List of Current Catholic Cardinal Electors
| Name (Order) | Country | Date of Birth |
|---|---|---|
| Giovanni Battista Re (CB) | Italy | 30 January 1934 (age 89) |
| Leonardo Sandri (CB) | Argentina | 18 November 1943 (age 79) |
| Francis Arinze (CB) | Nigeria | 1 November 1932 (age 90) |
| Tarcisio Bertone SDB (CB) | Italy | 2 December 1934 (age 88) |
| José Saraiva Martins CMF (CB) | Portugal | 6 January 1932 (age 91) |
| Pietro Parolin (CB) | Italy | 17 January 1955 (age 68) |
| Marc Ouellet PSS (CB) | Canada | 8 June 1944 (age 79) |
| Fernando Filoni (CB) | Italy | 15 April 1946 (age 77) |
| Beniamino Stella (CB) | Italy | 18 August 1941 (age 81) |
| Luis Antonio Tagle (CB) | Philippines | 21 June 1957 (age 66) |
| Bechara Boutros al-Rahi OMM (CB) | Lebanon | 25 February 1940 (age 83) |
| Louis Raphaël I Sako (CB) | Iraq | 4 July 1948 (age 75) |
| Michael Michai Kitbunchu (CP) | Thailand | 25 January 1929 (age 94) |
| Alexandre do Nascimento (CP) | Angola | 1 March 1925 (age 98) |
| Thomas Stafford Williams (CP) | New Zealand | 20 March 1930 (age 93) |
| Paul Poupard (CP) | France | 30 August 1930 (age 92) |
| Friedrich Wetter (CP) | Germany | 20 February 1928 (age 95) |
| Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez (CP) | Dominican Republic | 31 October 1936 (age 86) |
| Roger Michael Mahony (CP) | United States | 27 February 1936 (age 87) |
| Camillo Ruini (CP) | Italy | 19 February 1931 (age 92) |
| Julius Darmaatmadja SJ (CP) | Indonesia | 20 December 1934 (age 88) |
| Emmanuel Wamala (CP) | Uganda | 15 December 1926 (age 96) |
| Adam Maida (CP) | United States | 18 March 1930 (age 93) |
| Vinko Puljić (CP) | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8 September 1945 (age 77) |
| Juan Sandoval Íñiguez (CP) | Mexico | 28 March 1933 (age 90) |
| James Francis Stafford (CP) | United States | 26 July 1932 (age 90) |
| Salvatore De Giorgi (CP) | Italy | 6 September 1930 (age 92) |
| Antonio María Rouco Varela (CP) | Spain | 20 August 1936 (age 86) |
| Polycarp Pengo (CP) | Tanzania | 5 August 1944 (age 78) |
| Christoph Schönborn OP (CP) | Austria | 22 January 1945 (age 78) |
| Norberto Rivera Carrera (CP) | Mexico | 6 June 1942 (age 81) |
| Jānis Pujats (CP) | Latvia | 14 November 1930 (age 92) |
| Sergio Sebastiani (CP) | Italy | 11 April 1931 (age 92) |
| Crescenzio Sepe (CP) | Italy | 2 June 1943 (age 80) |
| Walter Kasper (CP) | Germany | 5 March 1933 (age 90) |
| Geraldo Majella Agnelo (CP) | Brazil | 19 October 1933 (age 89) |
| Pedro Rubiano Sáenz (CP) | Colombia | 13 September 1932 (age 90) |
| Audrys Bačkis (CP) | Lithuania | 1 February 1937 (age 86) |
| Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa ISch (CP) | Chile | 5 September 1933 (age 89) |
| Wilfrid Fox Napier OFM (CP) | South Africa | 8 March 1941 (age 82) |
| Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga SDB (CP) | Honduras | 29 December 1942 (age 80) |
| Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne (CP) | Peru | 28 December 1943 (age 79) |
| Julián Herranz Casado (CP) | Spain | 31 March 1930 (age 93) |
| Angelo Scola (CP) | Italy | 7 November 1941 (age 81) |
| Anthony Olubunmi Okogie (CP) | Nigeria | 16 June 1936 (age 87) |
| Gabriel Zubeir Wako (CP) | Sudan | 27 February 1941 (age 82) |
| Justin Rigali (CP) | United States | 19 April 1935 (age 88) |
| Ennio Antonelli (CP) | Italy | 18 November 1936 (age 86) |
| Peter Turkson (CP) | Ghana | 11 October 1948 (age 74) |
| Telesphore Toppo (CP) | India | 15 October 1939 (age 83) |
| Josip Bozanić (CP) | Croatia | 20 March 1949 (age 74) |
| Jean-Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn (CP) | Vietnam | 5 March 1934 (age 89) |
| Philippe Barbarin (CP) | France | 17 October 1950 (age 72) |
| Péter Erdő (CP) | Hungary | 25 June 1952 (age 71) |
| Franc Rodé CM (CP) | Slovenia | 23 September 1934 (age 88) |
| Agostino Vallini (CP) | Italy | 17 April 1940 (age 83) |
| Gaudencio Borbon Rosales (CP) | Philippines | 10 August 1932 (age 90) |
| Jean-Pierre Ricard (CP) | France | 25 September 1944 (age 78) |
| Antonio Cañizares Llovera (CP) | Spain | 15 October 1945 (age 77) |
| Seán Patrick O’Malley OFMCap (CP) | United States | 29 June 1944 (age 79) |
| Stanisław Dziwisz (CP) | Poland | 27 April 1939 (age 84) |
| Joseph Zen Ze-kiun SDB (CP) | Hong Kong (China) |
13 January 1932 (age 91) |
| Giovanni Lajolo (CP) | Italy | 3 January 1935 (age 88) |
| Paul Josef Cordes (CP) | Germany | 5 September 1934 (age 88) |
| Angelo Comastri (CP) | Italy | 17 September 1943 (age 79) |
| Stanisław Ryłko (CP) | Poland | 4 July 1945 (age 78) |
| Raffaele Farina SDB (CP) | Italy | 24 September 1933 (age 89) |
| Seán Brady (CP) | Ireland | 16 August 1939 (age 83) |
| Lluís Martínez Sistach* | Spain | 29 April 1937 (age 86) |
| André Vingt-Trois (CP) | France | 7 November 1942 (age 80) |
| Angelo Bagnasco (CP) | Italy | 14 January 1943 (age 80) |
| Théodore-Adrien Sarr (CP) | Senegal | 28 November 1936 (age 86) |
| Oswald Gracias (CP) | India | 24 December 1944 (age 78) |
| Francisco Robles Ortega (CP) | Mexico | 2 March 1949 (age 74) |
| Daniel DiNardo (CP) | United States | 23 May 1949 (age 74) |
| Odilo Scherer (CP) | Brazil | 21 September 1949 (age 73) |
| John Njue (CP) | Kenya | 1944[f] (age 78–79) |
| Estanislao Esteban Karlic (CP) | Argentina | 7 February 1926 (age 97) |
| Angelo Amato SDB (CP) | Italy | 8 June 1938 (age 85) |
| Robert Sarah (CP) | Guinea | 15 June 1945 (age 78) |
| Francesco Monterisi (CP) | Italy | 28 May 1934 (age 89) |
| Raymond Leo Burke (CP) | United States | 30 June 1948 (age 75) |
| Kurt Koch (CP) | Switzerland | 15 March 1950 (age 73) |
| Mauro Piacenza (CP) | Italy | 15 September 1944 (age 78) |
| Gianfranco Ravasi (CP) | Italy | 18 October 1942 (age 80) |
| Paolo Romeo (CP) | Italy | 20 February 1938 (age 85) |
| Donald Wuerl (CP) | United States | 12 November 1940 (age 82) |
| Raymundo Damasceno Assis (CP) | Brazil | 15 February 1937 (age 86) |
| Kazimierz Nycz (CP) | Poland | 1 February 1950 (age 73) |
| Malcolm Ranjith (CP) | Sri Lanka | 15 November 1947 (age 75) |
| Reinhard Marx (CP) | Germany | 21 September 1953 (age 69) |
| Walter Brandmüller (CP) | Germany | 5 January 1929 (age 94) |
| Manuel Monteiro de Castro (CP) | Portugal | 29 March 1938 (age 85) |
| Santos Abril y Castelló (CP) | Spain | 21 September 1935 (age 87) |
| Antonio Maria Vegliò (CP) | Italy | 3 February 1938 (age 85) |
| Giuseppe Bertello (CP) | Italy | 1 October 1942 (age 80) |
| Francesco Coccopalmerio (CP) | Italy | 6 March 1938 (age 85) |
| João Braz de Aviz (CP) | Brazil | 24 April 1947 (age 76) |
| Edwin Frederick O’Brien (CP) | United States | 8 April 1939 (age 84) |
| Domenico Calcagno (CP) | Italy | 3 February 1943 (age 80) |
| Giuseppe Versaldi (CP) | Italy | 30 July 1943 (age 79) |
| George Alencherry (CP) | India | 19 April 1945 (age 78) |
| Thomas Collins (CP) | Canada | 16 January 1947 (age 76) |
| Dominik Duka OP (CP) | Czech Republic | 26 April 1943 (age 80) |
| Willem Jacobus Eijk (CP) | Netherlands | 22 June 1953 (age 70) |
| Giuseppe Betori (CP) | Italy | 25 February 1947 (age 76) |
| Timothy Michael Dolan (CP) | United States | 6 February 1950 (age 73) |
| Rainer Woelki (CP) | Germany | 18 August 1956 (age 66) |
| John Tong Hon (CP) | Hong Kong (China)[d] |
31 July 1939 (age 83) |
| Lucian Mureșan (CP) | Romania | 23 May 1931 (age 92) |
| Baselios Cleemis (CP) | India | 15 June 1959 (age 64) |
| John Onaiyekan (CP) | Nigeria | 29 January 1944 (age 79) |
| Rubén Salazar Gómez (CP) | Colombia | 22 September 1942 (age 80) |
| Vincent Gerard Nichols (CP) | United Kingdom | 8 November 1945 (age 77) |
| Leopoldo Brenes (CP) | Nicaragua | 7 March 1949 (age 74) |
| Gérald Lacroix ISPX (CP) | Canada | 27 July 1957 (age 65) |
| Jean-Pierre Kutwa (CP) | Ivory Coast | 22 December 1945 (age 77) |
| Orani João Tempesta OCist (CP) | Brazil | 23 June 1950 (age 73) |
| Gualtiero Bassetti (CP) | Italy | 7 April 1942 (age 81) |
| Mario Aurelio Poli (CP) | Argentina | 29 November 1947 (age 75) |
| Andrew Yeom Soo-jung (CP) | South Korea | 5 December 1943 (age 79) |
| Ricardo Ezzati SDB (CP) | Chile | 7 January 1942 (age 81) |
| Philippe Nakellentuba Ouédraogo (CP) | Burkina Faso | 25 January 1945 (age 78) |
| Orlando Beltran Quevedo OMI (CP) | Philippines | 11 March 1939 (age 84) |
| Chibly Langlois (CP) | Haiti | 29 November 1958 (age 64) |
| Kelvin Edward Felix (CP) | Saint Lucia | 15 February 1933 (age 90) |
| Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente (CP) | Portugal | 16 July 1948 (age 74) |
| Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel CM (CP) | Ethiopia | 14 July 1948 (age 74) |
| John Atcherley Dew (CP) | New Zealand | 5 May 1948 (age 75) |
| Edoardo Menichelli (CP) | Italy | 14 October 1939 (age 83) |
| Pierre Nguyễn Văn Nhơn (CP) | Vietnam | 1 April 1938 (age 85) |
| Alberto Suárez Inda (CP) | Mexico | 30 January 1939 (age 84) |
| Charles Maung Bo SDB (CP) | Myanmar | 29 October 1948 (age 74) |
| Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij (CP) | Thailand | 27 June 1949 (age 74) |
| Francesco Montenegro (CP) | Italy | 22 May 1946 (age 77) |
| Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet SDB (CP) | Uruguay | 4 July 1959 (age 64) |
| Ricardo Blázquez Pérez (CP) | Spain | 13 April 1942 (age 81) |
| José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán OAR (CP) | Panama | 24 February 1944 (age 79) |
| Arlindo Gomes Furtado (CP) | Cape Verde | 15 November 1949 (age 73) |
| Soane Patita Paini Mafi (CP) | Tonga | 19 December 1961 (age 61) |
| Luis Héctor Villalba (CP) | Argentina | 11 October 1934 (age 88) |
| Júlio Duarte Langa (CP) | Mozambique | 27 October 1927 (age 95) |
| Dieudonné Nzapalainga CSSp (CP) | Central African Republic | 14 March 1967 (age 56) |
| Carlos Osoro Sierra (CP) | Spain | 16 May 1945 (age 78) |
| Sérgio da Rocha (CP) | Brazil | 21 October 1959 (age 63) |
| Blase Joseph Cupich (CP) | United States | 19 March 1949 (age 74) |
| Patrick D’Rozario CSC (CP) | Bangladesh | 1 October 1943 (age 79) |
| Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo (CP) | Venezuela | 10 October 1944 (age 78) |
| Jozef De Kesel (CP) | Belgium | 17 June 1947 (age 76) |
| Maurice Piat CSSp (CP) | Mauritius | 19 July 1941 (age 81) |
| Carlos Aguiar Retes (CP) | Mexico | 9 January 1950 (age 73) |
| John Ribat MSC (CP) | Papua New Guinea | 9 February 1957 (age 66) |
| Joseph William Tobin CSsR (CP) | United States | 3 May 1952 (age 71) |
| Jean Zerbo (CP) | Mali | 27 December 1943 (age 79) |
| Juan José Omella Omella (CP) | Spain | 21 April 1946 (age 77) |
| Anders Arborelius OCD (CP) | Sweden | 24 September 1949 (age 73) |
| Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun IVD (CP) | Laos | 8 April 1944 (age 79) |
| Gregorio Rosa Chávez (CP) | El Salvador | 3 September 1942 (age 80) |
| Angelo De Donatis (CP) | Italy | 4 January 1954 (age 69) |
| Joseph Coutts (CP) | Pakistan | 21 July 1945 (age 77) |
| António Augusto dos Santos Marto (CP) | Portugal | 5 May 1947 (age 76) |
| Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno SJ (CP) | Peru | 12 February 1944 (age 79) |
| Désiré Tsarahazana (CP) | Madagascar | 13 June 1954 (age 69) |
| Giuseppe Petrocchi (CP) | Italy | 19 August 1948 (age 74) |
| Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda (CP) | Japan | 3 March 1949 (age 74) |
| Toribio Ticona Porco (CP) | Bolivia | 25 April 1937 (age 86) |
| Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo (CP) | Indonesia | 9 July 1950 (age 72) |
| Juan de la Caridad García Rodríguez (CP) | Cuba | 11 July 1948 (age 74) |
| Fridolin Ambongo Besungu OFMCap (CP) | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 24 January 1960 (age 63) |
| Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ (CP) | Luxembourg | 9 August 1958 (age 64) |
| Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri (CP) | Guatemala | 16 July 1947 (age 75) |
| Matteo Zuppi (CP) | Italy | 11 October 1955 (age 67) |
| Cristóbal López Romero SDB (CP) | Morocco | 19 May 1952 (age 71) |
| Sigitas Tamkevičius SJ (CP) | Lithuania | 7 November 1938 (age 84) |
| Eugenio Dal Corso PSDP (CP) | Angola | 16 May 1939 (age 84) |
| Antoine Kambanda (CP) | Rwanda | 10 November 1958 (age 64) |
| Wilton Daniel Gregory (CP) | United States | 7 December 1947 (age 75) |
| Jose Advincula OP (CP) | Philippines | 30 March 1952 (age 71) |
| Celestino Aós Braco OFMCap (CP) | Chile | 6 April 1945 (age 78) |
| Augusto Paolo Lojudice (CP) | Italy | 1 July 1964 (age 59) |
| Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel (CP) | Mexico | 1 May 1940 (age 83) |
| Jean-Marc Aveline (CP) | France | 26 December 1958 (age 64) |
| Peter Ebere Okpaleke (CP) | Nigeria | 1 March 1963 (age 60) |
| Leonardo Ulrich Steiner OFM (CP) | Brazil | 6 November 1950 (age 72) |
| Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão (CP) | India | 20 January 1953 (age 70) |
| Robert Walter McElroy (CP) | United States | 5 February 1954 (age 69) |
| Virgilio do Carmo da Silva SDB (CP) | East Timor | 27 November 1967 (age 55) |
| Oscar Cantoni (CP) | Italy | 1 September 1950 (age 72) |
| Anthony Poola (CP) | India | 15 November 1961 (age 61) |
| Paulo Cezar Costa (CP) | Brazil | 20 July 1967 (age 55) |
| William Goh Seng Chye (CP) | Singapore | 25 June 1957 (age 66) |
| Adalberto Martínez Flores (CP) | Paraguay | 8 July 1951 (age 71) |
| Giorgio Marengo IMC (CP) | Mongolia | 7 June 1974 (age 49) |
| Jorge Enrique Jiménez Carvajal CJM (CP) | Colombia | 29 March 1942 (age 81) |
| Arrigo Miglio (CP) | Italy | 18 July 1942 (age 80) |
| Renato Martino (CD) | Italy | 23 November 1932 (age 90) |
| James Michael Harvey (CD) | United States | 20 October 1949 (age 73) |
| Lorenzo Baldisseri (CD) | Italy | 29 September 1940 (age 82) |
| Gerhard Ludwig Müller (CD) | Germany | 31 December 1947 (age 75) |
| Dominique Mamberti (CD) | France | 7 March 1952 (age 71) |
| Mario Zenari (CD) | Italy | 5 January 1946 (age 77) |
| Kevin Farrell (CD) | United States | 2 September 1947 (age 75) |
| Ernest Simoni (CD) | Albania | 18 October 1928 (age 94) |
| Luis Ladaria Ferrer SJ (CD) | Spain | 19 April 1944 (age 79) |
| Giovanni Angelo Becciu (CD) | Italy | 2 June 1948 (age 75) |
| Konrad Krajewski (CD) | Poland | 25 November 1963 (age 59) |
| Aquilino Bocos Merino CMF (CD) | Spain | 17 May 1938 (age 85) |
| Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot MCCJ (CD) | Spain | 17 June 1952 (age 71) |
| José Tolentino de Mendonça (CD) | Portugal | 15 December 1965 (age 57) |
| Michael Czerny SJ (CD) | Canada | 18 July 1946 (age 76) |
| Michael Fitzgerald MAfr (CD) | United Kingdom | 17 August 1937 (age 85) |
| Mario Grech (CD) | Malta | 20 February 1957 (age 66) |
| Marcello Semeraro (CD) | Italy | 22 December 1947 (age 75) |
| Mauro Gambetti OFMConv (CD) | Italy | 27 October 1965 (age 57) |
| Silvano Maria Tomasi CS (CD) | Italy | 12 October 1940 (age 82) |
| Raniero Cantalamessa OFMCap (CD) | Italy | 22 July 1934 (age 88) |
| Enrico Feroci (CD) | Italy | 27 August 1940 (age 82) |
| Arthur Roche (CD) | United Kingdom | 6 March 1950 (age 73) |
| Lazzaro You Heung-sik (CD) | South Korea | 17 November 1951 (age 71) |
| Fernando Vérgez Alzaga LC (CD) | Spain | 1 March 1945 (age 78) |
| Gianfranco Ghirlanda SJ (CD) | Italy | 5 July 1942 (age 81) |
| Fortunato Frezza (CD) | Italy | 6 February 1942 (age 81) |
Categorization of College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is divided into three orders, with formal precedence in the following sequence:-
- Cardinal bishops (CB): the six cardinals who are assigned the titles of the seven suburbicarian dioceses in the vicinity of Rome by the pope, plus a few other cardinals who have been exceptionally co-opted into the order, as well as patriarchs who head one of the Eastern Catholic Churches. The two most senior cardinal bishops, who are elected by the cardinal bishops from among themselves (excluding the Eastern Catholic patriarchs) and approved by the pope, are the dean and the vice dean, currently Giovanni Battista Re and Leonardo Sandri, respectively. The latter is also the senior cardinal bishop among the cardinal electors.
- Cardinal priests (CP): bishops typically in charge of dioceses around the world, as well as former cardinal deacons who have opted to be elevated to the order. The most senior cardinal priest is the protopriest, currently Michael Michai Kitbunchu; among the cardinal electors, the senior cardinal priest is Vinko Puljić.
- Cardinal deacons (CD): bishops who work in the Roman Curia or the diplomatic service of the Holy See, and all other clergy, including priests who have been granted a dispensation not to be consecrated a bishop. They have the choice (Latin: optatio) of opting to become cardinal priests after having been cardinal deacons for ten years. The most senior cardinal deacon is the protodeacon, currently Renato Martino; among the cardinal electors, the senior cardinal deacon is James Michael Harvey and the junior cardinal deacon is Fernando Vérgez Alzaga.
For cardinal bishops (excluding the Eastern Catholic patriarchs), the dean is first in precedence, followed by the vice-dean and then, in order of appointment as cardinal bishops, by the remainder. For cardinal bishops who are Eastern Catholic patriarchs, for cardinal priests and for cardinal deacons, precedence is determined by the date of the consistory in which they were created cardinals and then by the order in which they appeared in the official announcement or bulletin.
All cardinals featuring in list of current cardinals are members of the Latin Church unless otherwise stated. Cardinals belonging to institutes of consecrated life or to societies of apostolic life are indicated by the relevant post-nominal letters.
Who are Cardinals in Catholic Church
In the Catholic Church, cardinals are senior leaders who are appointed by the Pope. They are considered the highest-ranking clergy below the Pope and are often referred to as “princes of the Church” due to their elevated status. Here are some key points about cardinals in the Catholic Church:-
- Role: Cardinals serve as advisors to the Pope and hold various important positions within the Church. They assist the Pope in governing the Church, both at the Vatican and in their respective dioceses or regions.
- College of Cardinals: The group of cardinals is collectively known as the College of Cardinals. Its main function is to elect a new Pope when the position becomes vacant. This gathering is called a papal conclave, and only cardinals who are under the age of 80 at the time of the Pope’s death or resignation are eligible to participate.
- Appointment: The Pope appoints cardinals, typically selecting bishops, archbishops, and other senior clergy from around the world. This appointment is considered a recognition of their dedication and service to the Church. While cardinals are often chosen from influential dioceses or positions, the Pope has the authority to select any eligible member of the clergy as a cardinal.
- Red Color: Cardinals are identified by their distinctive red attire, including a red cassock (robe), skullcap, and zucchetto (small hat). The color red symbolizes their willingness to shed their blood for the faith, if necessary.
- Titles: Cardinals are typically assigned a titular church in Rome, reflecting their connection to the Diocese of Rome. These churches are known as cardinalatial or titular churches, and although they may not be physically present in Rome, the assignment represents their membership in the clergy of the city.
It’s important to note that the specific responsibilities and roles of cardinals may vary depending on their individual appointments and the tasks assigned to them by the Pope.
