The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-12-05
COLLEGE OF CARDINALS.

and Customs Regulating the CareInaI-
ate.
Three classes of Cardinals compose
the college, the sessions of which are
termed consistories. and of which the
Pope is ex-officio the presiding officer.
either in person or by representative
The first or highest class are the Cardt
nal-Bishops, who, although requiring
the appointment at the hands of the
Pope, yet are by usage the occupants
OF the six Roman Bishoprics, viz: Por-
tus, Ostia. trans. THEREIN, cum Sta Ru-
fina Pra -eneste, Sabina, Tusculum and
Albano. sees whose occupants derive
their appointments directly from the
Pope and up to the twelfth century
composed the Roman Synod. 1t will be
seen that usually none but Italians are
eligible to this class.
The second or larger class is that of
Cardnal-priests or those holding in fact
or as honorary appointments the vicar
lates OF certain churches or parishes in
Rome by whose titles they are desig-
mated. To this class the late Archbishop
OF New York belonged. having had
assigned to him the Church of Sta
Maria Sopra Minerva (the only Gothic
church in the City of Rome, built as in
dcated by name upon the ruins of the
ancient temple of Minerva,) by which
title he was designated. The remaining
Cardinals of the English tongue
Henry Edward Manning, Archbishop
OF Westminster, and Edward Howard.
having respectively the designations
OF Cardinal Presbyter of IS. s. Andrew
and Gregory on the Celan HILL" and
rs. 5. John and Paul" the. latter since
elevated to the Cardinal Bishopric of
the See of Frascat. The churches in
Rome whose Wears or Cardinals bear
over the main entrance the arms of
their present incumbents, CHARTERED
with those of his State or country, the
reigning Pope and the Roman See.
The fashion of naming titular pastors
over certain of the Roman churches
dates from the time of Pope Marcellus,
A. ID. 304.
The third class of cardinals are the
Cardinal-Deacons. the dignity, although
equal without the Consistory, being a
more humble one within that body.
Although rarely bestowed upon any one
of less rank than that of the priesthood,
it still may be conferred upon deacons
only, for reasons of especial utility in
statecraft, etc. The titles are derived
from the chapels attached to the sick
and poor institutions or hospitals of
Rome, as st. Hadrian, ST. Theodore.
etc. To this class the English
convert, John Henry Newman, ID. D..
was elevated by the present Fontff.
under the title of "St. George in
Velabro.a
The present composition of the college
is that of Sixtus ", A. ID. 1886, under
letter or bull "Postquam vetus,n by
which the total number is not to exceed
seventy, distributed as follows: OF
"Cardinales Episcopi," holding the old
suburban sees of Rome. six in numbers
of "Cardinales Presbyteri," holding
titles or parishes in Rome, fifty, and Of
"Cardinales Daconi.n fourteen. The
"Almanach de Gotha" for 1885 shows
fifty-two of these positions as possess
ing occupants.
For long time the title of Cardinal
Bishop was unknown, the Roman Pom
tiff alone presiding as such. The Car
dinal Deacons, originally seven in num-
Der, in imitation of the ancient apostolic
usage in the twelfth century were in
creased to eighteen to afford means of
promotion of semi-laymen to the pom
tificate, and so remained until the de-
cree of Sixtus V.
All Cardinals owe their appointment
to the Pope, either directly or indirectly,
and are named by him in person or BY
his vicar IN petto at one Consistory and
announced at another. Three formal
visits to the Consstorial sessions are
then required, portion of the first
being allowable by proxy, the red cap
or bretta being often sent to distant
nominees, but the conferral of the red
hat is always in person and with SOL
emn ceremonial. At a second session
the mouth of the newly-invested official
is ''closed"-i. e., he is formally for
hidden to speak at Consistories-and at
third session he finally is given per-
mission to speak, with his ring and
title. The general title Cardinal is de-
rived from the Latin cardinals, the
hinges of a door or that about which a
thing revolves.
All grades of Cardinals now take pre-
cedence of other prelates (this was not
originally the usage-the custom having
been gradually introduced). their juris-
diction extending throughout the entire
known world, while other prelates, as
Archbishops, Bishops or Mtred Abbots,
are limited as to that dignity respectively
to their own provinces, dioceses, or
houses over which they are named.
Another mystery still remains unex-
planned to all but Roman Catholic
Church men, the apparent presence of
two Archbishops in the same province,
yet without conflict of authority. Here
a hasty explanation of a convenient
ecclesiastical fiction will enable us to
appreciate the remarkable fitness of the
machinery of that organization for
avoiding all dilemmas. In the absence
of any apostolic warrant or usage for
the vacation of sees, whose occupants
had become inefficient, schismatic or
hereto. save by the death of the incum-
bent the device of nominating Bishops
or Archbishops and consecrating them
by title for these practically vacant
sees arose, the dignitary SO created
being denominated Bishop or Arch
bishop OF -, lin partitus infidelium."
Since the accession of Leo XIII. this
has been changed to the designation
..ttular Bishop" or Archbishop of -.
These officials being possessed of the full
Episcopal office or authority, and then
available for the exercise of their func-
tions as assistants to feeble or over
worked provincials, etc.. under the
added title of coadjutor or of admins
TRAITOR, if in complete control. as during
complete suspension of the Episcopal
authority of the titular of the See.
These instances of delegated office may
be further extended by the Supreme
Pontif to what is entitled the right of
succession. Such was the case with
the present occupant of the archepis-
copal throne of the Province of New
York-Dr. Corrigan-transate at the
request of the late Archbishop John
McCloskey from the See of Newark. of
which he was bishop, to the vacant
Province of Petra, in Syria, with i'm
mediate succession to the Province of
New York, u. S. N. A. He thus be-
came at once upon the demise of the
former without the delay of awaiting
l.