The cardinal system

[The_Harlequin_King]

Is anyone else annoyed by how so many bishops become cardinals solely because they're bishops of large cities? For example, literally every single Archbishop of Westminster has become a cardinal since that see's establishment in 1850.

Back in the good old days, though, you could have cardinals like Wolsey, who was merely Archbishop of York while the Archbishop of Canterbury (Warham) was not a cardinal. Likewise, Cardinal Pole spent 18 years as only a deacon before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury. Point is, there was a time when Churchmen got red hats for reasons other than happening to be bishops of big cities. And yes, it matters because these men all vote on who the next Pope is... from among themselves.

[Habitual_Ritual]

Ye,this keeps me up at night..... ;)

There are serious questions raised here tho,no doubt.

[Tim]

You're absolutely correct. Cardinals to get the "red hat" should have done some thing very significant.

tim

[CrusaderKing]

Agreed. What did Donald Wuerl ever do to merit being Cardinal Archbishop of D.C.?

[Prie dieu]

The answer is a better choice of who gets the mitre.  Though I agree, the red-hat should come for merit, and nothing else.  But so should the episcopacy.

[Maldon]

Be practical guys. If they raise the bar an inch, we'd end up with 3 cardinals.

[Vetus Ordo]

Though I agree, the red-hat should come for merit, and nothing else.  But so should the episcopacy.

I thought it came because the Holy Ghost chose so.

[FHM310]

Ye,this keeps me up at night.....

:laughing:

Though I agree, the red-hat should come for merit, and nothing else.  But so should the episcopacy.

I thought it came because the Holy Ghost chose so.

:laughing: :laughing:

[The_Harlequin_King]

Vetus, the Holy Ghost hasn't been to Los Angeles in a long time.

[Vetus Ordo]

Vetus, the Holy Ghost hasn't been to Los Angeles in a long time.

I thought the Holy Ghost was omnipresent.