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 make up an institution known as the College of Cardinals , which usually advises the Catholic leader. There are cardinals who also direct organizations of the Catholic Church and dioceses.
The Code of Canon Law indicates that cardinals can belong to three orders: diaconal (the cardinal deacons ), presbyteral (the cardinal priests ) or episcopal (the cardinal bishops ). 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 titulus of Saint Robert Bellarmine .
Although the cardinals are in charge of electing the pope, in the past this was not the case. Initially, this was done by members of the Church of Rome. The procedure went through several changes throughout the Middle Ages, to the point where only a group of clergy of the Roman diocese, the cardinals, became the only ones with the right to determine who would be the successor of Saint Peter the Apostle. .
With the apostolic constitution In nomine Domini , which Pope Nicholas II promulgated in 1059, the power was limited to Roman cardinals who, in turn, were bishops. More than a century later, Pope Alexander III granted this right to all other cardinals. In the year 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, like the first, remains in force.
The clothing that characterizes the cardinal has been the same since the mid-15th century, a scarlet purple color that has given rise to the nickname of cardinals . The choral habit, for its part, is made up of a cassock, a cardinal's hat and a biretta, all three parts red, and a ring that symbolizes his marriage to the Church.
Cardinal, on the other hand, is the name given to several birds native to 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 tuft. They generally have black feathers around the beak. The song of the cardinals is highly appreciated by most people.
The stain that appears on the skin from the accumulation of blood is also called a bruise. This accumulation is due to internal bleeding that occurs due to a blow .
The plant called Pelargonium hortorum is known by several names, such as common geranium, malvón, garden geranium or cardinal . It is generally used in gardening to make natural decorations. It is native to North America, grows as a shrub and belongs to the Geraniaceae family.
The stem of the cardinal is pubescent, upright, 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 toothed edges. Its flowers are hermaphrodite, red, and measure no 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, Cardenal is a fairly common surname in Spanish-speaking countries . The writer and priest Ernesto Cardenal , the singer-songwriter Katia Cardenal and the journalist Juan Pablo Cardenal are personalities who share this surname.