THE cardinalsalso called purple, are high prelates appointed by the Pope. From the first centuries of Christianity, but their role has changed significantly over time. Today the cardinals are 252, but only 135 of them participate in the election of the Pope: In fact, those who are more than 80 years old are excluded from the vote. Most of the current cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis; The country from which the greatest number comes is Italy. Some purple are considered “eligible”that is, eligible for the pontificate. However, the forecasts of the eve not always proved to be founded and reliable.
Who are the cardinals
THE cardinals They are high ecclesiastical highs that support the Pope in the administration of the Holy See. They are appointed by the Pope during special meetings called concistlers. The origin of the figure of the Cardinal dates back to the first centuries of Christianity, when the parish priests and the deacons of the churches of Rome were indicated, in addition to the bishops of the Suburbicaries diocesesthat is, the dioceses close to Rome, who collaborated with the bishop of Rome, the Pope, in the management of ecclesiastical affairs. The term cardinal derives from the Latin thistle“cardinal”, to indicate theirs fundamental role: in fact, the pins around which the administration of the Church revolves are considered. Over the centuries, The functions of the cardinals have changed deeplyalso following the evolution of the role of the Pope, who towards the end of the first millennium DC has increasingly assumed the guidance function of the Catholic Church. In the 1059Pope Niccolò II he attributed to the cardinals, in particular to those who were also bishops, the exclusive right to elect the pontiff and only later, in 1179Pope Alexander III extended this right to all cardinalseven to those who were not bishops. In the past, in fact, the cardinals were not necessarily bishops, but in 1962 Pope John XXIIII He established that all the purple, at the time of the appointment, should be elevated to the bishop’s dignity. Until the nineteenth century, many cardinals came from noble families.
After the 1870 And the end of the temporal power of the popes, the number of aristocrats appointed cardinals has gradually decreased. Originally, the number of cardinals was between 20 and 40. In 16th centuryPope Sixtus V He fixed the maximum limit to 70, but in the following centuries this number has grown further. The cardinals wear a color dress purple redfrom which their nickname derives: “purple”.
The members of the college are divided into Cardinals of Curiawhich reside in Rome and participate in the government of the Holy See, e residential cardinalswho live in their diocese.
The cardinal considered more important at the moment is the so -called chamberlainwhich presides over Vatican finances and assumes control of the vacant seat in the case of the Pope’s death or resignation. The current Camerlengo has been, since 2019, the Irishman Kevin Joseph Farrell.
How to choose the cardinals
The cardinals are chosen by the Pope. There are no precise rules for the appointment and, in theory, each pontiff can appoint cardinal whoever wants. However, the Popes respect some customs. For example, the bishops of the most important dioceses They are always (or almost always) appointed cardinals. In Italy the diocese of Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Turin, Venice and the vicariate for the diocese of Rome have this “privilege”. In addition, the popes choose the cardinals taking into account several factorslike thepolitical orientation and the geographical originwith the aim of guaranteeing a balanced representation of all Catholic territories. Pope Francis, for example, has appointed mainly cardinals from extra -European countries.
The Cardinal College and the Cardinal Vlectors
The Cardinal College is the set of all cardinals. In the past the entire college was called to elect the Pope but in 1970 Paul VI, with the Motu proprio Ingravescentem Aetatem he established that only the cardinals could participate in the election they hadn’t turned eighty years of age at the time of the opening of the conclave. Consequently, it was determined a distinction between the cardinal voters (who are under 80 years old) and the others. The rule was confirmed by the subsequent popes. The number of cardinal voters, according to what is established by Paolo VI himself in 1973, it shouldn’t exceed 120but the last popes, including Francesco, did not respect the limit and have appointed a greater number of purple.
How many cardinals, since they are in office and where they come from
Currently the cardinal voters are 135 and non -voters 117, for a total of 252. Of these, 149 were appointed by Francesco (108 voters and 41 non -voters), 62 by Benedict XVI (22 voters and 40 non -voters) e 41 by John Paul II (5 voters and 36 non -voters). This means that at the next conclave there will be one Net majority of Cardinals appointed by Francesco. There geographical distribution of the purple is very varied. The continent from which it comes The largest number is Europeof which 114 cardinals originated (53 voters and 61 non -voters), followed by Asia (37, of which 23 voters), South America (32, of which 17 voters), Africa (29, of which 18 voters), North America (28, of which 16 voters), Central America (8, of which 4 voters) e Oceania (4, all voters).
The country from which the greatest number of cardinals comes is theItaly: the purple born in the peninsula are well 51 (17 voters and 34 non -voters)equal to about a fifth of the total. The United States follow (17 cardinals, including 10 voters) and Spain (13, of which 8 voters).
What makes some cardinals “eligible”
Some cardinals are considered “Pepobili”that is, potential candidates for the role of Pontiff. However, there is no precise rule to distinguish the porporated piles of those who are not, also because, in theory, any Christian male and celibate could be elected pope. In practice, however, those cardinals who have some characteristics considered important are considered eligible: political charisma, not too advanced age, never having been involved in unclear scandals or events andnaturally, a broad consensus among voters of the conclave. It must be said, however, that the Pope is not always chosen among the most popular candidates. In the 1978for example, few would bet on the election of the Polish cardinal Karol Wojtyławhich became John Paul II. Also in 2013the election of the Argentine seventy -six year old Jorge Mario Bergogliobecome Pope Francisit was a surprise: many considered him too old to go up to the papal throne.
