The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-13
THE new CARDINAL.
Great Interest Manifested Among the
Faithful.
The Rank and Authority Of
the New Dignitary.
How the Order Grew with the
Progress of the Church.

How the Order Grew with the
Progress of the Church.
The announcement OF the intention OF HIS Holt
ness the Pope to raise TO the dignity OF Cardinal
tho venerable Archbishop OF New YORK has pro-
duccd profound impression. mingled Joy and
thanktulness on Catholic minds. The progress
and influence or the Catholic Church in Americs
cannot be overestimated. and the actual presence
OF prince OF the Church here Will tend to de.
velop and increase that influence to an incaicula,
BILE extent.
The position OF cardinal IL the highest In the
Catholic Church, after that OF Pope who Is elected
by them alone. The cardinals form what might
be called an ecclesiastical senate, to as
sist and advise the sovereign poutin In
the government OF the Church; and tho
constitution OF this body was continually
perfected until 1t was ultimately liked IN its
present form by Pope Sixtus v. at the end OF the
sixteenth century. An eminent authority says
cardinals have the rank OF secular princes in
Rome, and the highest nOnors are accorded to
them. Their insignia besides those worn BY
bishops which all cardinals, even those who are
not In sacred orders, are entitled to use) are Q
purple mantle, a scarlet hat ana ring ofsapphtre
set In gold. They are divided into three classes
cardinal bishops cardinal priests and cardinal
deacons-and the maximum number or these
classes are respectively six, fifty and fourteen.
The first class, when iull consists of the bishops
OF the six suffragan sees of the former States
OF the Church-Ostla, Porto. Albano, Tuscuum,
Sabina and Palestrlna. Their title arose nom
the circumstance that they were obliged to ofnci.
ate pontincaly on certain days in the greater
bascas OF Rome, and were inaugurated into
these functions The cardinal priests were origi.
naily the priests who presided over the clergy At
tacned to the principal churches. The cardinal
deacons sprang from the resident deacons, a
whom each one had charge over the poor In q Ger.
tain district or the city. In modern times the
cardinal priests are very frequently archbishops
and bishops. Each one, however derives his title
from particular church, and IN that church he
has special jurisdiction. The cardinal deacons
may be priests, deacons, sub.deacons or merely In
minor orders. Every Caroinal, whatever order he
may have received, exercises episcopal jurisdiction
in his Church. gives solemn benedlction and issues
dispensations. Those who are priests can admin.
lister the minor orders OF priesthood They take
precedence OF all prelates, even patrarchs, and
have deciding voice in general councils. The
appointment Of . cardinal rests exclusively With
the Pope. The number Is never quite flied, and
there are always some reserved In petto to be an.
nounced when death occurs or any suitable on.
portunity presents ITSELF
THE DEGREES OF TIE COUNCIL
OF Trent and the constitution OF sixtus Y. direct
that the cardinals should be selected, 50 far -
possible, from all nations. The reason OF this d.
recuon is evident; Tor, as the Pope exercises
supreme authority over so many national churcuss
III different parts OF the world, he the advice
OF Wise aud learned men from all civilized Coun.
tries In his administration.
When foreign cishop Is created Roman Car.
dinal be Is allowed years. grace before II 10
necessary lor hun to pay visit to Rome. For
merry the ceremony preceding The receptlOn OF the
tn
IN the palace OF the Ambassador OF the new prince
Of me Cnu,ch. The elevation OF prela'e to the
dignity OF Ca dnal does not increase his revenues
In the slightest degree indeed, the only provision
made Tor cardinals in this respect Is when the
religious order OF which poverty Is a rule Conse.
quently there Will be no material change IN the
temporal welfare OF our venerable Archbishop
occasioned by his elevation TO the high position In
tEe Catholic Churcn 10 which bis virtues and
public mnd having been some vi hat exercised over
this highest honor from Rome 10 the United States
It Will oe interesting briefly to trace this eccle.
siastlcal dignity from the beginning.
It's be ieved from an expression in the Lt0er
Pontyfcatts, that ST. Hyginus, who was Pope from
1Ss to 142 A. D.. made decree relative to the vari.
Gus orders and functions OF clerics, in which 10
discovered the origin OF cardinals aud general
opinion, however, assigns the name and
DIGNITY OF THE CARDINALATE
TO far more recent date. though 1t Is conceded
tnat ST.: hygi9us' VINO va, was a martyr pope was
bishops, which were afterward given exclusively to
cardinals 1t Is universally allowed that the title
OF ST. Pascal l., who died after violent sediuon
at Rome, IN February. s24 having been Pontir ioi
eight years. fhe cardinals then, however, were
lew in number, and the title was gwen to the
principal ministers in the Roman clergy. Under
amounted to seven; under John xii A. b. 1880,
1t had increased to twenty, and at the time OF the
Council OF constance the number was thirty
Jour. This number was increased by Leo X. to
sixty-fve; by Paul w., in 1885, to seventy, and
Sixtus ", in 1885. decreed that seventy was the
number OF the seignlOrles III Israeli also of our
Lords nrst discpes 1t should remain at That
STANDARD. During the reign OF Nicholas IL, made
sell aiterward Gregory the VII, the uull was
Issued which called the College OF Cardinals into
existence as body invested with the elective
franchise for the cnolce OF a head OF the Uhurcn.
since That time tpe cardinals alone elected the
popes; but previous to that the clergy generally
OF ST. Symmacnus, 49s-5l4, a council was conveyed
IN the basllca o. st. Peter. March l, ~ d. 49A 70
order 10 preclude the recurrence Of ne canvassng
and factions winch haa marked that Pom.
s who He mad been
ana the difficulty had to be referred
Tor settlement to the decision or King Theodore
AT Ravenna. The decision was that Symmacnus
had been first elected and had received the great.
est number oil SURFACES, and was therefore, to be
recognized as supreme Ponuh Three canons
were drawn up ~ The Council. One essentially
prevented any priest, deacon or cleric promising
his suffrage TO any aspirant durIpg the lifetime o
the reIgnIng Pontff; the second provided that II
the Pope died suddenly without having made al.
rangements Tor the election of mis- successor M
VINO had received the SURFACES OF ali the clergy
should be consecrated If no division, and II
DIVISION that the majority should prevail; the
third decreed that any person having any knowl
euge. in Whatever manner acquired, Of culpapie
lntrigues should make them known, and accom-
plices were promised u pardon should they revex
the crime, thus shutting out a hope OF conceal
ment from the authors. The DEGREES were sisnec
by the seventy-two bishops sixty-seven prtesu
ana i've deacons present. Lawrence also sub
scribng.
THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS
had the election OF the Pope IN their own hsnd0
from the time OF Nicholas ii. until in ll7o Alex.
ander III, having seen the terrible perplexities
surrounding Pontlf1's election and rern con-
voked the eleventh General or the third Latersn
council There were present 302 bishops from ali
the provinces OF the Catholic world. with a great
number oil apbots. rhe freedom OF the Church
and the peace OF Christianity were the two funda-
mental points TO be settled and In regard to the
former 1t was decreed mat the candidate for the
Papal throne IN case the SURFACES OF the cardi.
na- were not unanlmousj who received q two
thirds vote should be declared elected. a decree