What is the difference between Cardinals and Bishops?

PioMagnus · Dec 24, 2004

This is an interesting question, that is both straightforward and complex.

In most cases, a Cardinal is a Bishop. However, in the past (and maybe even now, I'm not sure) there have been Cardinal Deacons and Cardinal Priests.

Cardinals elect the pope, bishops do not. However, all Bishops are equal as bishops.

The Roman Curia is the whole group of administrators (Cardinal Prefects) that head up different departments in the church, such as Tribunals, congregations etc. etc. They act kind of like the cabinet members of the Pope. They lead up these congregations: Bishops, Catholic Education, Causes of the Saints, Clergy, Divine Worshi and discipline of the Sacraments, Evangelization of Peoples etc.

Cardinals lead many commisions and councils, as well as three high courst os the Church, Apostolic penitentiary, Apostolic Signatura, and Roman Rota, all of these have to do with Canon law and it's interpretation.

A cardinal who does not work in any of the above ways is the bishop of an arch-diocese, they usually supervise two or more diocese as a metropolitan. He doesn't have immediate authority over neighboring bishops though. He still has to report to Rome.

Hope that cleared things up.

God bless,
Pio Magnus

PioMagnus · Dec 24, 2004

I forgot to mention that much of the above information came from Catholicism for Dummies. I don't want to plagarize.

God Bless,
Pio Magnus

Jamme · Dec 24, 2004

Well I must be a real dummy because you confused me there!

I look at it from the point of view of my own arch diocese: Our archbishop is also a Cardinal (he was made one just over a year ago) so he still has responsibilities as Archbishop of the diocese but he now ALSO has special responsibilities in Rome.

geocajun · Dec 24, 2004

PioMagnus said:
In most cases, a Cardinal is a Bishop. However, in the past (and maybe even now, I'm not sure) there have been Cardinal Deacons and Cardinal Priests.

Hi Pio,
It is true that historically there have been Cardinal-Priests/Deacons. What happens how, is that a Priest or Deacon can be appointed a Cardinal, but before they are given the vestment, they receive the full Sacrament of Holy Orders, that is to say, they become a Bishop.

geocajun · Dec 24, 2004

Jamme said:
Well I must be a real dummy because you confused me there!

I look at it from the point of view of my own arch diocese: Our archbishop is also a Cardinal (he was made one just over a year ago) so he still has responsibilities as Archbishop of the diocese but he now ALSO has special responsibilities in Rome.

Thats really the easiest way to explain it right there.
Cardinals do some special work for the Pope directly, above or beyond the normal work of a Bishop.

A little trivia - Cardinals also have the special and unique priviledge of having faculties to hear confessions anywhere in the world without first asking the Bishop of that area for them.

Maggie893 · Dec 24, 2004

geocajun said:
A little trivia - Cardinals also have the special and unique priviledge of having faculties to hear confessions anywhere in the world without first asking the Bishop of that area for them.

Interesting. I had no idea that there was a restriction on priests as to where they could hear confessions. So a priest visiting Maine from NY can not hear a confession when asked unless the Bishop knows in advance that he's here and will hear confessions?

Polycarp1 · Dec 24, 2004

There are a bunch of issues being conflated here.

Every diocese has one or more bishops, who are, subject to strictures from the Pope or a Council, in charge of that diocese, deciding what may or may not be done by the clergy and laity in it. Dioceses are grouped together into archdioceses, sometimes called provinces, over which there is an archbishop, with limited authority over his bishops.

The assisting ("suffragan") bishops of a larger diocese are named as titular bishops of a city that once had a large Christian population but now does not, such as Utica in Tunisia or Palmyra in Syria. Sometimes a bishop will be named as archbishop in personam, which means that he has the rank of archbishop (sometimes with a titular archiepiscopal see) but is in charge of his diocese, not an archdiocese.

Competent senior bishops are named as Cardinals by the Pope, making them members of the College of Cardinals which advises him when called on to do so and which elects the next pope when he dies.

All Cardinals are bishops. But the members of the College of Cardinals have particular roles with relation to the Diocese of Rome -- remember that the Pope is also Bishop of Rome -- and as such they get titles that correspond to the work of clergy in a normal diocese. So Joseph, Cardinal O'Brien, Bishop of Providence RI (he is made up for this purpose), is a "Cardinal Priest" assigned to one church in Rome, purely as an honorary designation (though some Cardinals, as an exercise in humility and ecumenicity, will celebrate Mass or hear confessions at their Roman church when in Rome). Most Cardinals who are Archbishops throughout the world are "Cardinal Priests" in this way. The "Cardinal Bishops" are the Pope's suffragans for the "suburban sees" of Rome, and the "Cardinal Deacons" are the (usually arch-)bishops who head the Sacred Congregations -- functioning as the Pope's assistants for special ministries, in the same way as normal deacons do for their own bishops.

geocajun · Dec 24, 2004

Maggie893 said:
Interesting. I had no idea that there was a restriction on priests as to where they could hear confessions. So a priest visiting Maine from NY can not hear a confession when asked unless the Bishop knows in advance that he's here and will hear confessions?

right, a Priest must have received "faculties" to hear confessions and forgive sins from the Bishop.
I think the current practice in the USA is that all Priests are assumed to have faculties in every diocese, unless the Bishop of that particular diocese has told them otherwise.

artnalex · Dec 24, 2004

Polycarp1 said:
All Cardinals are bishops.

Not really.

Under current Canon Law there is no requirement for a Cardinal to be a bishop. In fact, there have been Cardinals who were not even priests.

There are currently four cardinals who are NOT bishops. They are:

- Avery Robert Cardinal Dulles
- Tomá Cardinal pidlík
- Roberto Cardinal Tucci
- Leo Cardinal Scheffczyk

artnalex · Dec 24, 2004

According to The Catholic Almanac:

"Previously there had been cardinals who were not priests (e.g., Cardinal Giacomo Antonelli, d. 1876, Secretary of State to Pius IX, was a deacon)."

I guess this means I still have a shot! How does Cardinal Arthur Zavala sound to you all?

Michelina · Dec 24, 2004

artnalex said:
I guess this means I still have a shot! How does Cardinal Arthur Zavala sound to you all?

Sounds Great to me, Art. (Will I still call you Art?)

How do you say Arthur in Latin? (My memory is shot.)

Fine point: the CIC (351.1) does now require all Cardinals to become Bishops (if they aren't already). But this requirement can be dispensed by the Pope, of course.

geocajun · Dec 24, 2004

Michelina said:
Fine point: the CIC (351.1) does now require all Cardinals to become Bishops (if they aren't already). But this requirement can be dispensed by the Pope, of course.

Thanks for pointing that out. I was looking for it, but couldn't find it.
Also, Cardinal Dulles did request a dispensation from Rome and received it.
This was extraordinary, as Michelina has pointed out.

artnalex · Dec 24, 2004

geocajun said:
Thanks for pointing that out. I was looking for it, but couldn't find it.
Also, Cardinal Dulles did request a dispensation from Rome and received it.
This was extraordinary, as Michelina has pointed out.

Yes, in fact he did decline it. I wonder why? Anyone know?

Anyway, I was just trying to point out that not all Cardinals are Bishops.

Michelina · Dec 24, 2004

artnalex said:
Yes, in fact he did decline it. I wonder why? Anyone know?

From what I know, he loves peace and quiet, his books and prayer life. He's fairly old.

When the Swiss theologian Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar was similarly honored, he requested the dispensation for the same reasons. (He didn't live long enough to receive his red hat. Too bad, he was a great theolgian, one of the Holy Father's favorites.)

Anyway, I was just trying to point out that not all Cardinals are Bishops.

You're right, as always, Art. Will you ask for the dispensation?

artnalex · Dec 24, 2004

Michelina said:
You're right, as always, Art.

My wife will disagree with that statement.

Michelina said:
Will you ask for the dispensation?

I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Michelina · Dec 24, 2004

Michelina said:
Will you ask for the dispensation?

Artnalex said:
I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

LOLOL! Feliz Navidad!

Cosmic Charlie · Dec 24, 2004

This si the way I always think about it. Cardinals are the suits who run the store. They hold the executive and administrative positions in the Vatican and tend to the Pope's needs and orders.

The bishops (those bishops actually in commanding a diocese) are the line managers. The are responsible the the day to day operation of the the church. They do the churchs business.

artnalex · Dec 24, 2004

Michelina said:
LOLOL! Feliz Navidad!

Thanks!

Buon Natale!

What is the difference between Cardinals and Bishops?

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