Lay Cardinals: Possible?

[amicatholic2000]

Since the Pope can change Canon Law at any time, could he change it to allow laypersons to become Cardinals while remaining laypersons?

Right now, Canon law says that all Cardinals must be already bishops or must be ordained bishop once they are named a Cardinal. As far as I know, all Cardinals in history have been at least ordained deacons. Does this mean a Cardinal must be an ordained person and no Pope can change that?

This does broach on the possibility of female Cardinals, since if laypeople can be cardinals, then you don’t even need to have a debate about deaconesses in order to have female Cardinals.

 

[Corki]

Yes, it’s theoretically possible but highly unlikely. Search recent thread for long discussions on this topic.

 

[PietroPaolo]

Yes, it’s possible. There were lay cardinals in the past, although they weren’t really “laymen” as they were in minor orders, but they were commonly called “lay cardinals” as they were not bishops, priests, or deacons and were free to marry. The last “lay cardinal” was Teodolfo Mertel who became a cardinal in 1858 (he was shortly made a deacon, he is also the last cardinal to not have been a priest). Since minor orders were suppressed by Paul VI, there hasn’t been any lay cardinals and probably won’t be again (unless minor orders are restored).

Pope Francis himself is already on record as saying he will not appoint a woman a cardinal. There has never been a cardinal not in any kind of orders. Holy orders (even the minor ones) are only open to men.

 

[amicatholic2000]

But there are no minor orders in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

There also is less of a final word on whether or not minor orders could be open to women if the Church wanted it to be than there is on whether the ordained diaconate could be open to women (that is, if there is a final word on even that).

As for the “replacements” for minor orders in the Ordinary Form: Instituted Acolytes and Lectors, which are lay ministries and not new minor orders (although they sound like minor orders), they are currently reserved only to men with the explanation that that is how it has always been. But it has not yet been defined as a matter of Church doctrine that this need always be the case.

Now, going back to my original question, would a male layperson have to receive minor orders in the Extraordinary Rite (since they do not exist in the Ordinary Rite) before becoming a Cardinal in order for you to have a Cardinal that is not ordained to at least the Diaconate? I’m not sure that we have a final ruling on this either.

 

[Corki]

But there are no minor orders in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

There also is less of a final word on whether or not minor orders could be open to women if the Church wanted it to be than there is on whether the ordained diaconate could be open to women (that is, if there is a final word on even that).

As for the “replacements” for minor orders in the Ordinary Form: Instituted Acolytes and Lectors, which are lay ministries and not new minor orders (although they sound like minor orders), they are currently reserved only to men with the explanation that that is how it has always been. But it has not yet been defined as a matter of Church doctrine that this need always be the case.

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Orders are not open to women. Even where they have reinstated the function of acolyte, which used to be a minor order, it is open only to men. It’s not because “that’s how it has always been”. It’s because of the close connection to Holy Orders and because men on the path to priesthood still exercise these roles.

Now, going back to my original question, would a male layperson have to receive minor orders in the Extraordinary Rite (since they do not exist in the Ordinary Rite) before becoming a Cardinal in order for you to have a Cardinal that is not ordained to at least the Diaconate? I’m not sure that we have a final ruling on this either

No. If the Church was to allow lay Cardinals, large sections of Canon law would need to be revised. The issue of minor orders would be taken up with that revision.

 

[amicatholic2000]

Orders are not open to women. Even where they have reinstated the function of acolyte, which used to be a minor order, it is open only to men. It’s not because “that’s how it has always been”. It’s because of the close connection to Holy Orders and because men on the path to priesthood still exercise these roles.

That explanation makes a lot of sense. I’m just not sure that it is up there with Ordinatio Sacerdotalis in terms of how definitive a teaching it is.

But this thread isn’t about women in minor orders anyway. It’s about lay people becoming and and voting in conclaves as cardinals without receiving any orders whatsoever. You seem to have indicated that it is possible with a drastic revision of Canon Law - ie, that there is nothing in doctrine based on our current understanding of it that prevents it. So that answers my question.