PANAJI
Borim Parish Priest Fr Victor Ferrao on Sunday stated that the office of cardinal is of great prominence in the Catholic Church.
“A cardinal is a consular or assistant to the Holy Father. They perform the link function in the Church at different levels. This is why the word cardinal is derived from the Latin word “Cardo” meaning hinges. They are the hinges around which life, especially administration, in the Church revolves,” explained Fr Ferrao.
“There are three orders of cardinals in the Catholic Church: Cardinal Bishops, Cardinal Priests and Cardinal Deacons. The most important order of cardinals is one of the Bishops.”
“India had four active Bishop cardinals up until this point. All cardinals are appointed for life. Today we got two more, which include Archbishop Filipe Neri. For now, we will soon have six active cardinals.”
“Cardinals are chosen by a special papal meeting called consistory. A cardinal works either in the Papal Curia in Rome or at the levels of dioceses and Archdioceses across the several regions of the globe. Cardinals form a college or group that elect the pope when the need arises in the Church,” added Fr Ferrao.
