The Irish standard., 1891-07-11
CARDINAL JOHN IRELAND
Continued from First Page. }

OF the ~ elders whom Moses had as
counselors and helpers. The college of
cardinals form the senate of the Pope.
There are three orders of cardinals,
viz: Cardinal bishops, cardinal priests
and cardinal deacons. OF the total
number of seventy, six are cardinal
bishops, fifty cardinal priests and four
teen cardinal deacons. The six car
dinal bishops have the six suburban
cities Of Rome as titles, the cardinal
priests and deacons receive their titles
from a church in the city OF Rome
itself. The appointment of cardinals
| is reserved entirely to the Pope, and
the mere publication OF such an ap
pointment to the consistory is alone re-
quired. When the Pope has selected a
person his name is in time announced
in a consistory, and this is styled pro-
motion of cardinals. The red calOtte,
skull cap. is then dispatched to the
new cardinal by a member of the
Pope's noble guard, and If he be not
resident of Rome, an ablegate with a
| brief and credentials is sent with the
biretta, which is formally presented to
the cardinal, generally in the cathedral
church. Within a year he must pro-
coed to Rome to receive the other
insignia. The closing and opening of
the month of new cardinals is che first
ceremony. The ring and title are con-
ferred together. after the unsealing of
| the month. The cardinal, kneellng
before the Pope, receives the gold ring,
set with d sapphire. which the Pope
places on his finger and commits the
titular church to his care. The con-
signing of the pontidcal hat is the last
of the ceremonies. Innocent w., at
the council of Lyons ia 1915, bestowed
the red hat upon cardinals as token
that thew should be ever ready to shed
their blood for the defense of the liber.
ties Of the Church and of Christian
nations. In placing the hat upon the
head of the new cardinal, the sovereign
pontif addresses him i'm these words:
''To the praise Of God Almighty, and
for the ornament OF the holy apostolic
see, receive this red hat, special iusig-
MIA Of the cardinalate; by it is expressed
that thou shouldest show thyself intre-
pid unto death, and even unto the
shedding of blood, for the exaltation
OF the holy faith, for the peace and
tranquility of Christian nations, for the
increase and prosperity of the Holy
Roman Church."
This hat is of red cloth, lined with
red silk, with a red silk cord around the
crown and tassels of red silk in five
rows. 1t is merely one of the insignia
and is not worn. Each cardinal priest
is assigned to a church in Rome. Car
dinals are sometimes said to be created
In pltto, and the meaning of this is that
the Pope merely announces that he has
chosen one or more for the dignity of
cardinal without mentioning the name,
which is to be announced in some sue
ceeding consistory. This method Is
considered extraordinary and is not
resorted to unless there be very special
reasons.
Originally the dignity of the cardinal
ate was not considered above the epis-
copacy, but gradually it has become the
most lofty dignity in the church next to
that of the papacy. The reason of tn s
is that the duty Of electing the. Pope
now devolyes exclusively on the car
dlnals, and. moreover, to them is en-
trusted all the important matters in the
government OF the Church. The coun
Gil Of Trent decreed that the Cardinals
should be selected from all nations of
the Christian world.
Beside the Office of electing the Pope
and of assisting the Pope in the govern
naent of the Church, the cardinals are
assigned other special duties relative
to their titular church. The six
suburban cardinals are actually the
| bishops of their respective sees. but
cardinal priests and deacons may be
bishops of other sees far removed from
Rome, and hence from the church
| whence they derive their title. They
may even not be bishops at all, but
simply priests or deacons, These latter
have certain authority IN their titular
church, and they are required to exer-
else certain vigilance ia the admiois
tration of it's affairs. AS to the resi-
dence Of cardinals. the six suburban
cardinals are bound to reside in Rome,
unless they are assigned to some other
diocese. But all cardinals who are
bishops of other sees are obliged to
eside IN their wn diocese the same as
any bishop, and they must perform all
the duties Of a bishop.
M. j. DoNNELLY.
II have often wondered, Scheme!y .
WHY Won chriatnnad vnnr danohtar