What Are a Cardinal's Duties?

Cardinals work and reside in the Vatican.

Cardinals are bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, but not all bishops are cardinals. They are secondary only to the pope and are selected by him. There are 120 cardinals in the church, subdivided into groups of cardinal bishops, cardinal priests and cardinal deacons. Each group has duties specific to it. Since 1630, cardinals have been addressed or referred to as "Your Eminence" or "His Eminence," and their first names are always used before the title of cardinal. Each cardinal has a gold ring, given to him by the pope, which is a symbol of the bond between him and the papacy. It is this ring that is kissed by Catholics when they meet a cardinal.

Main Duty

Cardinals elect the new Pope when the former one passes away.

The main duty of a cardinal is to elect a new pope upon the death of the previous one. The College of Cardinals has been doing this since 1179. Upon the death of the pope, the 117 cardinals enter into a conclave in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City in Rome. They are led by the acting cardinal camerlegno (or chamberlain) in a secret vote to determine the next pontiff, which is decided by a two-thirds majority.

Helping the Pontiff

Many cardinals reside in the Vatican in order to advise the pope on ecclesiastical issues.

The cardinals also help the pope deal with questions regarding the Roman Catholic faith and advise him on the correct course of action that should be taken on issues such as contraception or other matters that are of concern to the world's Catholics. As such, they are his window to the world and sometimes they are his voice, as well. They also deal with the daily administration of the church.

Sub-division of Duties

Cardinal bishops are full-time administrators of the Roman Catholic Church's affairs. Cardinal priests head dioceses located outside Rome, which they are responsible for administering. Cardinal deacons are bishops only in name and work for the Roman Curia, the governing body of the Holy See.

References

• Aquinas Multimedia: Cardinals And The College - The Inner Workings...
• Catholic Education Resource Center: Who are the Cardinals?
• PrayWay: Conclave: How Papal Election Works