The Sacred College.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 6, 6 February 1902, Page 20

The Sacred College.

Unless some Cardinal dies between this and the assembling of the next Consistory, there will be only four red hats to be bestowed by his Holiness then. The Sacred College, when filled, consists of 70 Cardinals, corresponding to the 70 disciples, divided among the three orders, thus : Six Cardinal Bishops, 50 Cardinal priests and 14 Cardinal deacons. Seldom is the college filled, and when once its ranks are completed, they do not remain so long. For most of their Eminences are old men when they receive the red hat, and do not long retain it. Not before, since the election of Leo Xl f 1., has the college had so many members as now. In 1892 it had 50 members ; in 1882 and again in 1889 it had 65 Cardinals. In his reign of nearly 25 years Leo Xlfl. has created at least 139 Cardinals, of whom nearly 80 have died. Only three of thoße who tock part in his election still survive.