HOW A CARDINAL IS CREATED.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 361, 21 February 1914, Page 1 (Supplement)

HOW A CARDINAL IS CREATED.

The recent" deaths of Cardinals Oreglia and Rampolla have raised the question as to whether the Pope will in the near future increase the present number of Cardinals. The full number of the Sacred College is 70, composed, of six Cardinal Bishops, 50 Cardinal Priests, and 14 Cardinal Deacons, but at present there are 12 vacancies. As Cardinal Oreglia’s death leaves only five Cardinal Bishops., it . is .thought likeiy that a successor in his see of Ostia will not long be wanting, and in that case it is possible that other princes of. the Church will be chosen at the same time. One of the first steps in the appotuvment of a Cardinal (says the Rome correspondent of the “Standard”) is the calling of the “Secret Consistory,’’ and over this gathering the Pope himself always presides, no one else being allowed at the meeting, except a reigning monarch. On the day previous to that on which the Coiisistoiw is to be held, a special official of the Vatican is admitted to the presence of the Pope, and, kneeling before his Holiness, asks the question: "Health and long life to you, O Holy is there to be a Secret Consistory on the morrow?” The Pope having replied in the affirmative, an hour is fixed, and the messengers are that evening despatched to all the Cardinals with the information, where-upon the latter prepare for the important event.

A hall in the Vatican is made ready for the Consistory,.and at the appointed hour all the Cardinals assemble before a throne of crimson, which is on a dais at the head of the room, to await the appearance of the Pope. As the Pope enters, followed by the prelates of his suite, the order is gipen by officials for, all those not immediately invited to leave the chamber, and the Pope delivers an address to his Cardinals on the duties of their office, and the importance of, their mission in the world. On some occasions these addresses have remained a secret, the outside world never hearing what has been said, but on latter occasions it has been the custom, to permit an authorised summary to oe published. After the address the Pope proclaims the name or names of those whom he has chosen, wheeupon. the members of the Consistory rise, and, doffing their red silk caps, bow to show their agreement with the choice. On rare occasions On rare occasions the Pope announces the creation of a Cardinal whose name is not announced for some time, perhaps for some years. In such a case *he Cardinal is said to be reserved “in petto” (that is to say, the namo remains in the bosom of the Pope). AftexJiis announcement the Pope , prefaces the list of new Cardinals with the words “By the authority of God Almighty and that of the Apostles Peter and Paul, aqd our own, we create the following Cardinals.” The Consistory is then over, but the recipients of the honour have still many formalities to go through. . Every new Cardinal residing in Rome receives a visit from a messenger of the office of the Secretary of State bearing a notice of his election: a visit from the Cancellaria giping him a decree of the Consistory: and a visit from the Master of Ceremonies stating when the Popw will be pleased to bestow the brietta. After receiving the brietta the new Cardinals are given the hat at public Consistory, and this ceremony is the most stately of all. It takes place in the Sala Regia of the Vatican, to which the leaders of Roman society are admittea, together with ambassadors to the Holy See.

The Pope’s throne on this occasion is a most" elaborate one. It has a canopy of violet silk, decorated with gold, and" round the throne is arranged a magnificent tapestry, on which is the figure of Religion, with her feet on the world. The elder Cardinals approach the throne * and kiss the Pope’s hand, afterwaras taking seats on either side of him. In a deep silence the audience waits on the Master of Ceremonies, who cries, “Leu them advance.” and the advocates of the Consistory and another official kneel before the throne, and read Latin petitions relating to the newly appointed Cardinals. On no occasion, however, is the reading allowed to continue, for at a sign from the Pope the Master of Ceremonies interrupts the petition, and the officials retire for the time being. Then a space before the throne is cleared, and several of the Cardinals leave in order to iead in the new Cardinals. While they are gone, the officials continue toread their petitions.

Each new Cardinal enters and advances between two Cardinals towards the throne. Three reverences are made, and each new Cardinal kisses the foot and the hand of the Pope, and is embraced. The Pope rises, and, walking round the chairs near the throne, embraces cacti Cardinal and the new members of the College. The new Cardinals then advance towards the throne, and the Pope, addressing them, presents each with the scarlet hat. The famous hat is of scarlet cloth and soarlet silk, with 15 scarlet tassels, and is only worn for a few minutes by the recipient. Henceforth it is his most treasured possession, and will bo placed on his bier when he is dead, and hung above his tomb. A French historian who had witnessed a Consistory, once remarked that “it was on’y when he was dead that a Cardinal gotany use out of his hat”—but this, of course, is merely a phrase. There is no dignitary of the Church who would not feel most highly honoured on being asked to accent the ancient and historic “Red Hat.”