Size of the College of Cardinals
Encyclopedia
The size of the College of Cardinals
has historically been limited by pope
s, ecumenical council
s, and even the College itself. From 1099 to 1986, the total number of cardinal
s was approximately 2900 (excluding possible undocumented 12th century cardinals, cardinals appointed during the Western Schism
by pontiffs now considered to be antipopes, and subject to some other sources of uncertainty), nearly half of which were created after 1655.
(1316—1334) formalized this norm by limiting the College to twenty members. In the ensuing century, increasing the size of the College became a method for the pope to raise funds for construction or war, cultivate European alliances, and dillute the strength of the College as a spiritual and political counterweight to papal supremacy.
The conclave capitulation
of the papal conclave, 1352
limited the size of the College to twenty, and decreed that no new cardinals could be created until the size of the College had dropped to 16; however, Pope Innocent VI
declared the capitulation invalid the following year.
The Council of Basel
(1431—1437, later transferred to Ferrara and then Florence) limited the size of the College to twenty-four, as did the capitulation of the papal conclave, 1464
. The capitulations of the 1484 (Pope Innocent VIII
) and 1513 (Pope Leo X
) conclaves contained the same restriction. The capitulation of the papal conclave, 1492
also is known to have contained some restriction on the creation of new cardinals.
The Fifth Council of the Lateran
(1512—1517), despite its lengthy regulation of the lives of cardinals, did not speak to the size of the College.
(1555—1559) capped the College at forty members, but his immediate successor, Pope Pius IV
(1559—1565) raised the limit to seventy-six. However, the Council of Trent
under Pius IV (session 23, July 15, 1563—session 24, November 24, 1563) did not proscribe a limit to the size of the College, although such a limit had been sought by Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
(who had complained about the size and quality of the College in an October 9, 1560 allocution to his legates, and sought a hard limit of twenty-six in his reform plans) as well as French orators (who preferred a maximum size of twenty-four).
Pope Sixtus V
(1585—1590) limited the College to seventy members in his December 3, 1587 papal bull, Postquam verus ille, which lasted until Pope John XXIII
(1958—1963), who increased the number of cardinals in successive consistories
to seventy-five (1958), eighty-eight (1960), and ninety (1962). Pope Paul VI
(1963—1978) increased the size of the college to 105 (1965), 120 (1967), 136 (1969) and finally 144 (1973); however, in 1973, Paul VI limited the number of cardinal-electors to 120, having disqualified cardinals from voting in conclaves
upon reaching the age of eighty in 1970.
Pope John Paul II
officially maintained this limit, but approved "temporary derogations" of it on multiple occasions, even when doing so required him to create new titular churches out of those constructed after World War II
on the outskirts of Rome. Pope Benedict XVI
also increased the size of the body, and there are currently more than 175 cardinals.
partly account for the increases in the size of the College.
, sources speaking to the size of the College of Cardinals are most frequently those relating to papal elections and conclaves
.
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
has historically been limited by pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
s, ecumenical council
Ecumenical council
An ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....
s, and even the College itself. From 1099 to 1986, the total number of cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
s was approximately 2900 (excluding possible undocumented 12th century cardinals, cardinals appointed during the Western Schism
Western Schism
The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Two men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance . The simultaneous claims to the papal chair...
by pontiffs now considered to be antipopes, and subject to some other sources of uncertainty), nearly half of which were created after 1655.
Before 1555
From the 13th to 15th centuries, the size of the College of Cardinals never exceeded thirty, although there were more than thirty parishes and diaconal districts which could potentially have a titular holder; Pope John XXIIPope John XXII
Pope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...
(1316—1334) formalized this norm by limiting the College to twenty members. In the ensuing century, increasing the size of the College became a method for the pope to raise funds for construction or war, cultivate European alliances, and dillute the strength of the College as a spiritual and political counterweight to papal supremacy.
The conclave capitulation
Conclave capitulation
A conclave capitulation is a capitulation drawn up by the College of Cardinals during a papal conclave, attempting to constrain the actions of the Pope elected by the conclave. Generally, all cardinals would swear to uphold it if elected Pope, and the capitulation would be finished before the first...
of the papal conclave, 1352
Papal conclave, 1352
Papal conclave 1352 convened after the death of Pope Clement VI, elected as his successor cardinal Etienne Aubert, who under the name Innocent VI became fifth Pope of the period of Avignon Papacy...
limited the size of the College to twenty, and decreed that no new cardinals could be created until the size of the College had dropped to 16; however, Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI , born Étienne Aubert; his father was Adhemar Aubert seigneur de Montel-De-Gelas in Limousin province. His niece was Catherine Aubert, Dame de Boutheon, also the wife of Randon II baron de Joyeuse; she is La Fayette's ancestor...
declared the capitulation invalid the following year.
The Council of Basel
Council of Florence
The Council of Florence was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It began in 1431 in Basel, Switzerland, and became known as the Council of Ferrara after its transfer to Ferrara was decreed by Pope Eugene IV, to convene in 1438...
(1431—1437, later transferred to Ferrara and then Florence) limited the size of the College to twenty-four, as did the capitulation of the papal conclave, 1464
Papal conclave, 1464
Papal conclave 1464 convened after the death of Pope Pius II, elected as his successor cardinal Pietro Barbo, who took the name Paul II.-List of participants:...
. The capitulations of the 1484 (Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:Giovanni Battista Cybo was born at Genoa of Greek extraction...
) and 1513 (Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
) conclaves contained the same restriction. The capitulation of the papal conclave, 1492
Papal conclave, 1492
The papal conclave of 1492 convened after the death of Pope Innocent VIII , elected unanimously on the fourth ballot Cardinal Rodrigo Borja as Pope Alexander VI...
also is known to have contained some restriction on the creation of new cardinals.
The Fifth Council of the Lateran
Fifth Council of the Lateran
The Fifth Council of the Lateran was the last Ecumenical council of the Catholic Church before reformation.When elected pope in 1503, Pope Julius II , promised under oath that he would soon convoke a general council. However, as time passed the promise was not fulfilled...
(1512—1517), despite its lengthy regulation of the lives of cardinals, did not speak to the size of the College.
After 1555
Pope Paul IVPope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, C.R. , né Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was Pope from 23 May 1555 until his death.-Early life:Giovanni Pietro Carafa was born in Capriglia Irpina, near Avellino, into a prominent noble family of Naples...
(1555—1559) capped the College at forty members, but his immediate successor, Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV , born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was Pope from 1559 to 1565. He is notable for presiding over the culmination of the Council of Trent.-Biography:...
(1559—1565) raised the limit to seventy-six. However, the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
under Pius IV (session 23, July 15, 1563—session 24, November 24, 1563) did not proscribe a limit to the size of the College, although such a limit had been sought by Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
(who had complained about the size and quality of the College in an October 9, 1560 allocution to his legates, and sought a hard limit of twenty-six in his reform plans) as well as French orators (who preferred a maximum size of twenty-four).
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V , born Felice Peretti di Montalto, was Pope from 1585 to 1590.-Early life:The chronicler Andrija Zmajević states that Felice's family originated from modern-day Montenegro...
(1585—1590) limited the College to seventy members in his December 3, 1587 papal bull, Postquam verus ille, which lasted until Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
(1958—1963), who increased the number of cardinals in successive consistories
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
to seventy-five (1958), eighty-eight (1960), and ninety (1962). Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
(1963—1978) increased the size of the college to 105 (1965), 120 (1967), 136 (1969) and finally 144 (1973); however, in 1973, Paul VI limited the number of cardinal-electors to 120, having disqualified cardinals from voting in conclaves
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
upon reaching the age of eighty in 1970.
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
officially maintained this limit, but approved "temporary derogations" of it on multiple occasions, even when doing so required him to create new titular churches out of those constructed after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on the outskirts of Rome. Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
also increased the size of the body, and there are currently more than 175 cardinals.
Determinants
Most cardinals exit the College only by death, although a few leave it by election to the papacy, resignation, or dismissal, and thus changes in life expectancyLife expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
partly account for the increases in the size of the College.
Sources
For the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, sources speaking to the size of the College of Cardinals are most frequently those relating to papal elections and conclaves
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
.
| Year | Size of the College |
|---|---|
| 1099 | 18 |
| 1118 | 46 |
| 1119 | 46 or 47 |
| 1124 | 44 |
| 1130 | 44 |
| 1145 | 44 |
| 1198 | 26 |
| 1216 | 26 |
| 1227 | 18 |
| 1241 | 12 or 13 |
| 1244 | 6 |
| 1261 | 8 |
| 1264 | 21 |
| 1276 | 10 |
| 1277 | 7 |
| 1288 | 10 |
| 1294 (July) | 11 |
| 1294 (December) | 21 |
| 1303 | 18 |
| 1304 | 19 |
| 1312 | 16 |
| 1316 | 30 |
| 1327 | 16 |
| 1338 | 16 |
| 1348 | 16 |
| 1361 | 17 |
| 1371 | 30 |
| 1374 | 18 |
| Source: Broderick, 1987, pp. 13-14. | |
External links
- Next Cardinal Creating Consistory by Pope Benedict XVI -- The Required Background Data (including statistical data and links). Popes and the Papcy website (Anura Guruge). Retrieved 2010-09-08.