| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Deacons | Kayla | Sunday, June 1, 2008 |
Question: In a previous reply you said that a man must be a priest in order to be elected Cardinal. There are many current Cardinal Deacons in the College, including Cardinal Jorge Medina, who announced the election of Pope Benedict XVI. |
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| Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary
Dear Kayla: A Cardinal Deacon is a priest. All Cardinals must be priests since 1918. It was possible to not be a priest and appointed a Cardinal only before 1918. There are three orders of Cardinals: 1) Cardinal Bishops; 2) Cardinal Priests; and 3) Cardinal Deacons. Cardinal Bishops usually holds title to one of the suburbicarian sees or is a patriarch of an Eastern Catholic church. They have no role in the election of the Pope. There are six of them. (see list) Cardinal Priests are usually archbishops. This rank is the most numerous. (see list) Cardinal Deacons tend to be either officials of the Roman Curia or priests elevated after their eightieth birthday. There are some 30 Cardinal Deacons. (see list) God Bless, |
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