Michael Brooks
Cardinals are senior members of the Catholic Church's clergy who serve as advisors to the pope. They are chosen and appointed by the pope and typically hold the title for life. The College of Cardinals, which is made up of cardinals from all over the world, is responsible for electing a new pope. Cardinals have the power to elect a new pope, but their authority is restricted to this and a few other areas. They also have the task of assisting the Pope in becoming more like Jesus.
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What You'll Learn
- Cardinals advise the Pope and assist with addressing worldwide issues
- They have the power to elect a new Pope, usually from among themselves
- Cardinals are chosen and created by the Pope and typically hold the title for life
- They are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church
- Cardinals are responsible for the whole church throughout the world
Cardinals advise the Pope and assist with addressing worldwide issues
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are appointed by the Pope and typically hold the title for life. They are the Pope's closest advisors and assist him in addressing worldwide issues.
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. They are responsible for electing a new pope in a conclave, usually from among themselves. During the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor, the College of Cardinals is in charge of the day-to-day governance of the Holy See.
Cardinals are also responsible for the administration of papal finances and possessions, as well as the synodal disposition of important matters. They are assigned throughout the world and bring the Pope's perspective to the ground where they are stationed. They also take the issues from their respective areas to the Pope.
Cardinals have no ruling power except during the sede vacante (papal vacancy) period. Even then, their powers are extremely limited by the terms of the current law, which is laid down in the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.
The Cardinal Electors are those members of the College of Cardinals who have not reached their 80th birthday on the day of a "Vacancy of the Apostolic See". Cardinals who have reached the age of 80 before the day the see becomes vacant are not eligible to vote.
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They have the power to elect a new Pope, usually from among themselves
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen and formally created by the pope and typically hold the title for life. The College of Cardinals, which is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church, has the power to elect a new Pope, usually from among themselves. This is done through a special gathering called a Papal Conclave, which is governed by Papal Law, currently the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis. The right to participate in a conclave is limited to cardinals under the age of 80. The conclave is convened on the death or resignation of a pope to elect a successor.
The election of a new pope by the College of Cardinals represented a significant shift in the balance of power in the Early Medieval world. The College of Cardinals acquired particular importance following the crowning of Henry IV as King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor at the age of six, after the unexpected death of Henry III in 1056. Until then, the Holy See was often bitterly fought over by Rome's aristocratic families.
The cardinals' role in electing a new pope is their most solemn responsibility. During the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor, the day-to-day governance of the Holy See is in the hands of the College of Cardinals. The cardinals also decide the funeral of the Pope and any other ordinary business of the Holy See that cannot wait.
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Cardinals are chosen and created by the Pope and typically hold the title for life
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church, and they serve as advisors to the pope. They are chosen by the pope and formally created in a consistory, and they typically hold the title for life.
The pope has the final authority in appointing cardinals, and he may make changes as he sees fit. For example, Pope Francis has shown interest in building a global church by appointing cardinals in unexpected places like Tonga, Myanmar, and Santiago de Cabo Verde. The pope may also wish to recognise the work of a particular cleric or theologian.
Cardinals are drawn from a variety of backgrounds, and most are bishops and archbishops leading dioceses and archdioceses around the world. They are generally ordained bishops and hold important roles within the church. Some cardinals are also priests recognised by the pope for their service to the Church.
Cardinals are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, and one of their primary duties is to elect a new pope, usually from among their members, when the Holy See is vacant. During this period, the day-to-day governance of the Holy See is in the hands of the College of Cardinals.
Cardinals are also involved in General Congregations, which are meetings to decide on significant matters related to the Papal Interregnum, and Particular Congregations, which handle the ordinary business of the Roman Church.
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They are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen and formally created by the pope and typically hold the title for life. They are also the pope's closest advisors. Cardinals are assigned throughout the world and assist the pope with addressing global issues. They are also responsible for the whole church throughout the world, as is the pope.
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. As of 15 June 2025, there were 251 cardinals, of whom 132 were eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are also referred to as "Princes of the Church", a title rejected by Pope Francis, who stated that their role is to "serve like Him and with Him".
Cardinals have the task of assisting the pope to be more like Jesus. As bishops, their role is to lead people to be more like Jesus. Cardinals are generally bishops, and in modern times, most cardinals are also bishops or archbishops. Cardinals are also responsible for electing a new pope in a conclave, almost always from among themselves. During the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of their successor, the day-to-day governance of the Holy See is in the hands of the College of Cardinals.
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Cardinals are responsible for the whole church throughout the world
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are appointed by the pope and typically hold the title for life. They are responsible for the whole church throughout the world and assist the pope in addressing global issues. Cardinals are also responsible for electing a new pope in a conclave, usually from among themselves. During the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of a successor, the day-to-day governance of the Holy See falls to the College of Cardinals.
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. As of 15 June 2025, there were 251 cardinals, of whom 132 were eligible to vote in a conclave. Cardinals are chosen by the pope and typically hold the title for life. The right to participate in a conclave is limited to cardinals under the age of 80.
Cardinals are leading bishops and members of the College of Cardinals. They are the Pope's closest advisors and have been since the time of Pope Sylvester I, around 315 AD. They have been given pastoral responsibility for the seven suburban dioceses of the Roman Province, as well as the Roman churches and deaconries. Cardinals are generally bishops, but they do not have actual responsibility for the dioceses, parishes, and deaconries.
Cardinals have a variety of duties, including missions within the Roman Curia, the governmental body of the Holy See. They assist the Pope in liturgical functions, caring for the poor, administering papal finances, and making important synodal decisions. They also have the task of assisting the Pope in becoming more like Jesus, as well as leading the Catholic Church in doing the same.
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Frequently asked questions
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen and appointed by the Pope and typically hold the title for life.
Cardinals have the power to elect a new Pope in a conclave, almost always from among themselves. They also assist the Pope with addressing worldly issues, bringing the Pope's perspective to the ground and taking issues from the ground to the Pope. Cardinals also have the power to lead and guide Bishops, who govern local regions known as dioceses.
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. They constitute the College of Cardinals and meet in General Congregations to decide on significant matters related to the Papal Interregnum.
The ecclesiastical rank of Cardinal dates back to Pope Sylvester I, around 315 AD. It was given to the closest advisors of the Pope. Over time, the role became reserved for those with pastoral responsibility for the 7 suburban dioceses of the Roman Province, as well as the Roman churches and deaconries.
