I am looking for a website that lists the offices of the cardinals, or whatever it may be called. I am looking to find out who holds these offices or titles: Dean of College of Cardinals SubDean of College of Cardinals Secretary of the College of Cardinals Cardinal Camerlengo Sr. Cardinal (induction/precedence) Sr. Cardinal of Episcopal Order Sr. Cardinal of Presbyteral Order Sr. Cardinal of Diaconal Order Secretary of State Sub-Prefect (Asst) Secretary of State President of Pont. Comm. Cardinal Major Penitentiary Cardinal Vicar General of Diocese of Rome Cardinal ArchPriest of Vatican Basilica Vicar General of Vatican City Prefect of Papal HouseHold

I am not asking anyone to look these up individually, but rather to point me to a website/s that I can glean the information. Thanks in advance, Timothy Sloane, Columbia, SC, USA

-- Timothy Sloane (timsloane@bellsouth.net), February 26, 2005

Answers

Try these:

http://www.trosch.org/com/vatican.htm

http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/consistories-xx.htm (current "redhats" are at the bottom, with some of their titles)

Let me guess. You are one of the hundreds of oft-frustrated journalists who have been expecting (for a decade or more) that the pope will die soon, and you are getting ready to write an article in which the above-mentioned personages need to be named. My guess is based on your mentioning the office of "Cardinal Camerlengo" (Chamberlain), who administers the Church's non-theological affairs during a papal interregnum.

-- (You'll@wait.longer), February 26, 2005.

Try these too:

site #1

site #2

-- (You'll@wait.longer), February 26, 2005.

And this:

site #3

-- (You'll@wait.longer), February 26, 2005.

Thanks for the links !!!

No, I am not a journalist, and most certainly do not wish for the Pope's early passing. I am just trying to learn who are the "higher- ups" amoung the current Cardinals, in an effort to guess who the next Pope may be, provided of course that it is a Cardinal who is chosen as such.

Some of the names I fancy for the next Pope are: Leo XIV, Sixtus VI, and Constantine II

-- Timothy Sloane (timsloane@bellsouth.net), February 27, 2005.

Such speculation is only natural when it appears that a new Pope may have to be chosen in the not too distant future. However, learn a lesson from the last time this occurred. Speculation was running wild, and all the "top candidates" were debated endlessly. But the Holy Spirit simply bypassed all of them, selecting a humble, holy man from Poland whom most Catholics had never heard of at the time. Humans speculating about the mind of God are really reaching beyond the range of their faculties. Rather like earthworms speculating about the minds of human beings. The Holy Spirit will choose whomever God in His infinite wisdom wills to be chosen.

Of course, those who do most of the speculating are those who have already decided that the Church is in spiritual freefall, no longer guided by the Holy Spirit, and that selection of the next Pope will therefore be nothing more than a political power play. No wonder they are worried! Catholics who trust in the promise of Christ, "I will be with you until the end of time", have nothing to fear, but should look forward with excitement and awe to whatever surprises the Holy Spirit has in store as He continues to guide His Holy Church into all truth.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 27, 2005.

You know Paul, what I wonder most about the selection of the next Pope is what it means for the church in terms of teaching. What will the Holy Spirit's emphasis be? What areas need correction the most? It would seem from a human perspective that we will get a bit of a conservative backlash to some of the things that have been occurring in the church, but as you say, who knows? It would be interesting indeed if the cardinals are guided to promote a flaming liberal, but it could happen.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), February 28, 2005.

It would seem from a human perspective that we will get a bit of a conservative backlash to some of the things that have been occurring in the church, but as you say, who knows?

from my understanding from a time book that was produced on the life of JPII, HE was a suprisingly conservative backlash already. lets hope the trend continues.

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), February 28, 2005.

After searching high and low, it seems that I have come up with a close approximation of the list of information I was wanting. I attempted to find the current holders of these offices, but it is possible that some of my sources were out of date. Please feel free to correct any mistakes I may have inadvertently made. 1. Dean of College of Cardinals: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger - Germany - born 04/26/27; Order: Cardinal-Bishop (of 9); Date of College Appt - 6/27/1977 by Paul VI.

2. SubDean of College of Cardinals: Angelo Cardinal Sodano - Italy - born 11/23/27; Order: Cardinal-Bishop (of 9); Date of College Appt - 6/28/91 by JohnPaul II.

3. Secretary to the College of Cardinals: ArchBishop Francesco Monterisi (non-Cardinal).

4. Cardinal Secretary of State (Vatican “Prime Minister” & “the Pope’s Exec Officer”): Angelo Cardinal Sodano - Italy - born 11/23/27; Order: Cardinal-Bishop (of 9); Date of College Appt - 6/28/91 by JohnPaul II.

5. Deputy Secretary of State, for Relations With States (Vatican “Foreign Minister”): ArchBishop Giovanni Lajolo (non-Cardinal).

6. Cardinal Camerlengo: Eduardo Cardinal Martínez Somalo - Spain - born 03/31/27; Order: Cardinal-Priest (of 144); Date of College Appt - 06/28/88 by JohnPaul II.

7. Senior Cardinal of the College (of 183): Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan - Korea - born 05/08/22; Order: Cardinal-Priest (of 144); Date of College Appt - 04/28/69 by Paul VI.

8. Senior Cardinal-Bishop (Episcopal Order of 9): Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger - Germany - born 04/26/27; Date of College Appt - 6/27/77 by Paul VI.

9. Senior Cardinal-Priest (Presbyteral Order of 144): Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan - Korea - born 05/08/22; Date of College Appt - 04/28/69 by Paul VI.

10. Senior Cardinal-Deacon (Diaconal Order of 30): Luigi Cardinal Poggi - Italy - born 11/25/17; Date of College Appt - 2/28/94 by JohnPaul II.

11. Cardinal Vicar General of Diocese of Rome: Camillo Cardinal Ruini - Italy - born 02/19/31; Order: Cardinal-Priest (of 144); Date of College Appt - 6/28/91 by JohnPaul II.

12. Cardinal Vicar General of Vatican City: Virgilio Cardinal Noč - Italy - born 03/30/22; Order: Cardinal-Priest (of 144); Date of College Appt - 6/28/91 by JohnPaul II.

13. Cardinal ArchPriest of St. Peter’s Basilica: Virgilio Cardinal Noč - Italy - born 03/30/22; Order: Cardinal-Priest (of 144); Date of College Appt - 6/28/91 by JohnPaul II.

14. Cardinal Major Penitentiary: William Wakefield Cardinal Baum - USA - born 11/21/26; Order: Cardinal-Priest (of 144); Date of College Appt - 5/24/76 by Paul VI. 15. Prefect of Papal HouseHold: Bishop James Harvey (non-Cardinal). end

-- Timothy (timsloane@bellsouth.net), February 28, 2005.

In response to Paul M.’s comment … … … I did not intend to imply that I was catholic, christian, or even theistic. My interest is strictly political in nature. From that standpoint alone, it seems to me that the following list of 24 Cardinals (of 183) are amoung the most politically favored to become the next pope. And as we are all aware, it is possible that the next pope may not be a cardinal at all. Cardinals Arinze; Baum; Danneels; Daoud; Etchegaray; Gantin; Ghattas; Hoyos; Lustiger; Maradiaga; Noč; Poggi; Ratzinger; Re; Ruini; Schönborn; Sfeir; Sodano; Somalo; Sou-hwan; Tettamanzi; Trujillo; Varela; & Vlk. Thanks to everyone for the pointers to the links, as well as the comment about divine intervention. We are all free to embrace any delutions we so choose, myself incuded.

-- Timothy (timsloane@bellsouth.net), February 28, 2005.

Timothy, your mistake is in thinking that the election of a Pope is “political in nature”. It is not. For that matter, political terms like “liberal” and “conservative” have little or no relevance to such matters. The ranking order of the cardinals is a matter of protocol only, and having a senior ranking does not make it more likely that a cardinal will be the next Pope. For another thing, it often happens that a man’s behavior changes quite dramatically when he becomes Pope and is no longer answerable to an earthly superior, but is answerable only to God for his actions. The fulness of his true personality then comes to the fore.

And other thing: I understand the Church forbids Catholics from speculation on who will be the next Pope during the life of the current Pope. Despite the mainstream media’s fascination with the subject. I can think of at least five men whom the media has solemnly pronounced and anointed as a sure bet to be the next Pope after JP2, all of whom are now dead.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), February 28, 2005.