The Latin word cardinālis, which can be translated as “fundamental”, came to our language as cardinal. The concept alludes to the ecclesiastics who make up the conclave that elects the pope.
The pope himself is responsible for granting the title of cardinal to prelates. The cardinals are part of an institution known as the College of Cardinals, which usually advises the Catholic leader. There are cardinals who also lead agencies of the Catholic Church and dioceses.
The Code of Law Canon indicates that the cardinals belong to three orders: diaconate (the Deacons Cardinals), priests (the priests Cardinals) or bishop (the bishops cardinals). Jorge Bergoglio, before becoming Pope Francis, was a cardinal priest, appointed by John Paul II. Pope Francis, in turn, chose Mario Aurelio Poli as his successor, naming him cardinal priest with the title of Saint Robert Bellarmine.
Although the cardinals are in charge of electing the pope, in the past this was not the case. In the beginning, this was done by the members of the Church of Rome. The procedure underwent several changes throughout the Middle Ages, to the point where only a group of clergy from the Roman diocese, the cardinals, became the only ones with the right to determine who would be the successor of Saint Peter the Apostle. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG for abbreviations related to Cardinal.
With the apostolic constitution In nomine Domini, which was promulgated by Pope Nicholas II in 1059, the power was limited to the Roman cardinals who, in turn, were bishops. More than a century later, Pope Alexander III granted this right to all other cardinals. In 1274, Pope Gregory X (who was named Blessed) determined that to elect the pope it was necessary to have two-thirds of the votes cast by the cardinals present. This constitution is called Ubi periculum and, as well as the first, continues in force.
The clothing that characterizes the cardinal is the same since the mid-15th century, a scarlet purple color that has given rise to the nickname of cardinals. The choir habit, for its part, is made up of a cassock, a cardinal’s hat and a mortarboard, all three parts red, and a ring that symbolizes their marriage to the Church.
Cardinal, on the other hand, is the name given to several birds originating in the American continent. In the genus Cardinalis, made up of three species, we can find animals between twelve and twenty centimeters in length, reddish in color and with a plume. They generally have black feathers around the beak. The song of the cardinals is highly appreciated by most of the people.
Also called cardinal is the spot that appears on the skin from the accumulation of blood. This accumulation is due to internal bleeding that occurs from a blow.
The plant called Pelargonium hortorum is known by several names, such as common geranium, mallow, garden geranium or cardinal. It is generally used in landscaping to make natural decorations. It is native to North America, grows as a shrub and belongs to the Geraniaceae family.
The cardinal’s stem is pubescent, erect, succulent, highly branched and has stipules at the base of its leaves. Its height ranges between 30 and 60 centimeters, its leaves are simple, with wide petals and very sinuous or serrated edges. Its flowers are hermaphroditic, red in color, and do not measure more than 3 centimeters in diameter. Its multiplication takes place by stolons (lateral shoots that arise at the base of the stem in a direction parallel to the ground).
Finally, Cardinal is a fairly common name in countries speaking. The writer and priest Ernesto Cardenal, the singer-songwriter Katia Cardenal and the journalist Juan Pablo Cardenal are personalities who share this surname.
