THE CONSISTORY: I Titoli

The abbracci among cardinals new and old continue....

The one great mystery leading into today was the titles, or titular churches, to which each new cardinal would be assigned. The cardinals are, of course, the historical successors to the clergy of Rome, and this link is most emphasized by the entrustment to each of a particular parish church in the city, which they serve as a sort of honorary protector (and a financial one in many real ways).

Obviously, some jockeying goes into this, as getting a nice titular is a mark of pride. And it's not a foreign concept for the Romans engage in contortions to be given a church which belonged to a mentor or friend.... You get the idea.

The cardinals-designate usually find out what they're getting the night before, so they can arrange the possession-taking Mass (another rite rich in tradition) as quickly as possible.

Anyways, here's the list of titles assigned today straight from the Press Office.

1. Card. WILLIAM JOSEPH LEVADA, Diaconia di Santa Maria in Dominica

2. Card. FRANC RODÉ, C.M., Diaconia di San Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella

3. Card. AGOSTINO VALLINI, Diaconia di San Pier Damiani ai Monti di San Paolo

4. Card. JORGE LIBERATO UROSA SAVINO, Titolo di Santa Maria ai Monti

5. Card. GAUDENCIO B. ROSALES, Titolo del Santissimo Nome di Maria a Via Latina

6. Card. JEAN-PIERRE RICARD, Titolo di Sant’Agostino

7. Card. ANTONIO CAÑIZARES LLOVERA, Titolo di San Pancrazio

8. Card. NICHOLAS CHEONG JINSUK, Titolo di Santa Maria Immacolata di Lourdes a Boccea

9. Card. SEAN PATRICK O’MALLEY, O.F.M. Cap., Titolo di Santa Maria della Vittoria

10. Card. STANISŁAW DZIWISZ, Titolo di Santa Maria del Popolo

11. Card. CARLO CAFFARRA, Titolo di San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini

12. Card. JOSEPH ZEN ZE-KIUN, S.D.B., Titolo di Santa Maria Madre del Redentore a Tor Bella Monaca

13. Card. ANDREA CORDERO LANZA DI MONTEZEMOLO, Diaconia di Santa Maria in Portico

14. Card. PETER POREKU DERY, Diaconia di Sant’Elena fuori Porta Prenestina

15. Card. ALBERT VANHOYE, S.I., Diaconia di Santa Maria della Mercede e Sant’Adriano a Villa Albani

B16 had a very sweet moment with the wheelchair-bound Cardinal Dery, by the way, when the Ghanaian was brought forward to receive his red hat....


PHOTO: Reuters/Chris Helgren

-30-