The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-11-11
rsr SACRED COLLEGE,.
a stmp,e Explanation OF Its Compost.
t,ou and the Custom Regulating
the Cardinalate.

oomparative status Of the late Arch.
bishop of New York and his success
sor This will most readily appear
bv a brief study Of the Sacred COL
lere-its Origin and present position
in the Roman hierarchy.
Three classes OF Cardinals com.
pose the College, the sessions OF
which are termed Consistories. and
ofwbich the Pope is ex-officio the
nresiding officer. either in person or
by representative. The first OF
highest class are the Cardinal Bis
hons. who although requiring the
appointment at the hands of the
Pope, vet are by usage the occu-
pants of the six Roman Bishoprics,
AK. Portas, 0stia, trans-Tiberem,
cum Sta RufiEa Pra-eneste, Sabina,
Tusculam and Albano, sees whose
occupants derive their appoint
ments 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 Cardinal-priests or those holding
In fact or as honorary appointments
the vicsrates of certain churches OF
parishes in Rome by whose titles
they are designated. To this class
the late Archbishop of New York
belonged, having had assigned to
him the Church Eof st Maria Sopra
Minerva (the only Gothic church IN
the city of Rome, built as indicated
By name upon the ruins OF the an
cient temple Of Minerva), by which
title be wss designated. The re-
naming Cardinals OF the English
tongue-Henry Edward Manning
Archbishop OF Westminster, and
Edward Howard, having respective
ly the designations OF Cardinal Pres
byter OFFS. 5. Andrew and Gregory
on the C@lian Hill, IS. 5. John
and Paul, the latter since elevated
to the CARDINAL -Bishopric of the Set
Frascati. The church Of Rome
whose Wears or Cardinals bear ovei
the main entrance the arms of theil
present iDcumbents, quartered with
those Of his State or country, the
reigning Pope and of the Roman Sec
This fashion of naming titular pas
tors over certain Of the Roman
churches dates from the time o.
Pope Marcellus, A. d. 304.
The third class of Cardinals art
the Cardinal Deacons, the dignity
although equal without the Consls'
tory, being more humble one with
in that body. Although rarely bes
towed upon any one of less rank
than that of the priesthood, Il still
may be conferred upon deaconi
only for reasons of especial utility
in statecraft. etc. The titles are de
rived from the chapels attached Il
the sick and poor institutions o.
hospitals OF Rome, as st. Hadrian
st. Theodore, ect To this class the
famous English convert, John Henry
Newman, ID. d., was elevated by
the present Pontifi, under the title
Of st. George in Velabro."
The present composition of th'
College is that of Sixtus v, A. ID
1856, under letter or bull ''Postquan
vetus, by which the total numbel
is not TO exceed seventy, distributed
as follows 0f"Cardinales Episcopi,
holding the old suburban sees o
Rome six in number of "Cardinale:
Presbyteri," holding titles or par
ishes in Rome, fifty, and Of "Cardi
males Diaconi," fourteen. The "Al
manach de Gotha" for 1885 show:
fifty-two Of these positions as pos,
sessing occupants
For a long time the title of Cardi
nal Bishop was unknown, the Ro
man Pontiff alone presiding as such
The Cardinal Deacons, originally
seven in number, in imitation O
the ancient apostolic usage, in tn,
twelfth century were increased tc
eighteen, to afford means of promo
ton of semi-laymen to the pontifi
cate, and so remained until the de
cree of Sixtus V.
All Cardinals owe their appoint
ment to the Pope, either directly ol
indirectly, and are named by hin
in person or by his vicar IN petit
at one Consistory and announced a
another. Three formal visits to the
Consistorial session are then requir
ed, a portion of the first being al
lowable by proxy, the red cap ol
biretta being often sent to distan
nominees, but the conferral of tn,
red hat is always in person anC
with solemn ceremonial. At sec
ond session the mouth of the new
ly-invested official is closed. e.
he is formally forbidden to speak al
Consistories-and at third session
he finally is given permission {,
speak, with his ring and title. Tn,
general title CARDINALS derived from
the Latin cardiadlis, the hinges of
door or that about which things re
volve.
All grades of Cardinals now tax,
precedence of other prelates (thi
was not originally the usage-th,
custom having been gradually in
troduced), their jurisdiction extend
ing throughout the entire know
world, while other prelstes, as Arch
bishops, Bishops or Mitred Abbots
are limited as to that dignity respec
lively to their own provinces, dio
ceses, or houses over which they ar,
named. The title prelate is explain
ed in the following definition taker
from the most recent work on th,
subject: "a general name for an &c
clesiastical dignitary, whether anon,
the secular or regular clergy, wh,
has a jurisdiction inherent in his OF
ifce and not merely one transmittet
to him as the delegate of super
ior."
Another mystery remains unex
planned to all but Roman Church
men, the apparent presence of tw,
Archbishops in the same province
vet without conflict of authority
Here a hasty explanation of con
venient ecclesiastical fiction will en-
able US TO appreciate the remarkabl
fitness of the machinery of that or
ganization for avoiding all dilemma: