CARDINAL, more particularly, signifies an ecclesiastical prince in the Romish church, being one who has a voice in the conclave at the election of a Pope.— The cardinals were originally nothing more than deacons, to whom was en trusted the care of distributing the alms to the poor of the several quarters of Rome ; and as they held assemblies of the poor in certain churches of their several districts, they took the title of these churches. They began to be call ed cardinals in the year 300, during the pontificate of St. Sylvester, by which ap pellation was meant the chief priests of a parish, and next in dignity to a bishop.— This office grew more considerable after wards, and by small degrees arrived at its present height, in which it is the re ward of such as have served his holiness well, even princes thinking it no diminu tion of their honour to become members -if the college of cardinals.
The cardinals compose the Pope's council, and till the time of Urban VIII. were styled most illustrious ; but by a de cree of that Pope in 1630, they had the title of eminence conferred upon them.
At the creation of a new cardinal, the Pope performs the ceremony of shutting and opening his mouth, which is done in a private consistory. The shutting his
mouth, implies the depriving him of the liberty of giving his opinion in congrega tions ; and the opening his mouth, which is performed fifteen days after, signifies the taking off this restraint. However, ;f the Pope happens to die during the time a cardinal's mouth is shut, he can neither give his voice in the election of a new Pope, nor be himself advanced to that dignity.
The privileges of the cardinals are very great : they have an absolute power in the church during the vacancy of the holy see : they have a right to elect the new Pope, and are the only persons on whom the choice can fall: most of the grand offices in the court of Rome are filled by cardinals. The dress of a cardi nal is a red sourtanne, a rochet, a short purple mantle, and a red hat. When they are sent to the courts of pririces, it is in quality of legates a latere : and when they are appointed governors of towns, their government is called by the name of legation.