Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-06-17
Their Dignity Dates Back In
History to the Filth
Century.
Only Two Americans Have Ever
Worn the Title and.
Dignity.
FALL QUOTA RARELY COMPLETE

Inc recent CeleDTdtlOn III bdlll-
more in honor of the dual jubilee
of Cardinal Gibbons has caused
many to inquire: What is a Car
dinal?" Apropos of the question the
following information may be of
interest:
The title, of Cardinal, which
means a hinge, has existed in the
Catholic church since the close. of
the fourth century.
In 492 the dignity of Cardinal
took its specific rank among the
titular distinctions and in the
twelfth century to rank as a Car
dinal of the church was to be rated
with the sons of sovereign princes.
Since 1869 it has been usual to
select the Pope from the body of
Cardinals. Not always, however,
has an elected Pope previously worn
the purple. Urban w., Gregory x,
Celestine ", Urban V. and Urban
VI. had never possessed the Car
dinalatial dignity. The constitution
of the College of Cardinals was
drawn up in 1886 by Sixtus v. The
body was limited to seventy MEM
bers, namely six Bishops, fifty
priests and fourteen deacons. In
modern times this number is not
often complete. Not since 1866 and
1867 has the college been filled.
In 1916 Innocent w. ordained
that all Cardinals should wear the
red hat to show that they ought to
expose themselves to the shedding
of their blood for the church. The
scarlet skull cap and biretta were
instituted in the fifteenth century.
The creation of the largest number
of Cardinals by one Pope is recorded
to the late Pontiff, Leo XIII, who
gave the red hat to no fewer than
147. Eight Popes did not create a
single Cardinal. The total number
created since 1899 is 1859.
Two consistories, one private, the
other public, are held for the in
vestiture of Cardinals who are
present in Rome. The ceremonies
include the giving of the hat, the
accolade, the ring, the closing and
opening of the mouth and reading
of the letter comforting the title.
Absent Cardinals when created have
the scarlet cap sent to them by spe-
cial Papal courtier. The hat and
title are given only to those who
visit Rome, and since many through
old age and infirmity are unable to
undertake the journey they die
without becoming completely Car
dinalatial. Among those counted as
Cardinals are two who died before
| khnf q a m
Maresfield, an English priest, and a
Portuguese, Pablo de CarValho, both
of whom died but a rev days pre-
vious to their nomination.
Many saints have figured among
the Cardinals, namely Peter Igneo,
Peter Damian, Albert of Brabant,
Guarino Fuscari, Galdino Sala, Ray
mond Nonnanto, Charles Borromeo
and John Fisher. In 1885 Cardinal
Hohenlohe resigned his Cardinal
Bishopric to take inferior rank.
The United States has produced two
Cardinals-McCloskey and Gibbons.
English Cardinals number forty-two,
beginning with Uric in 1907, the
latest being Vaughan, 1S93-19O3.
Ireland has had four Cardinals
Cullen, McCabe, Logue and Moran.
Taschereau is the only Canadian.
Scotland had two, Beaton and
Erskine.
An interesting feature of the pres
ent composition of the Sacred Col
lege is the fact that never before,
with perhaps the exception of the
day of Avignon, was there a closer
proportion between Italian and mon
Italian Cardinals, there being at
present twenty-eight Italians and
twenty-one other nationalities. The
English speaking world is repre-
sented by three Cardinals, Moran,
Gibbons and Logue. France also
has three, Cardinals Couillie, Lucon
and Andrieu; Germany has only
two, Cardinals Koop and Fischer,
while Spain has four, Cardinals
Merry del Val, Wives Tuto.
Aguirre and Herrea, and Austria
has six.