ON THE CARDINALS AND TITULAR CHURCHES

ON THE CARDINALS AND TITULAR CHURCHES

√WHAT’S THE MEANING OF TITULAR?

Titular refers to title, honor without power, authority or responsibility. Merriam Webster dictionary describes it as having the title and usually the honors belonging to an office or dignity without the duties, functions, or responsibilities. So, a titular person in the churches understanding has a a title or an honor without the responsibility, power or authority over the object of honor.

✓WHAT IS A TITULAR CHURCH?

According to Catholic encyclopedia, “in the Catholic Church, a titular church is a Catholic within the jurisdiction of the diocese of Rome, that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal, who becomes the titular priest or deacon of that church.

✓HOW MANY ORDERS OF CARDINALS EXISTS?

According to Canon 350 para. 1, there are three:
a)The Episcopal Order referred to as Cardinal-Bishops like Cardinal Arinze.

b)The Presbyterial order referred to as the Cardinal-Priest. Bishops who govern dioceses are created cardinal priests, like Cardinal Okpalaeke of Ekwulọbịa Diocese and,

c)The Diaconal Order referred to as the Cardinal-deacon. These are either officials of the Roman Curia or priests elevated after their 80th birthday.

✓HOW MANY RANKS OF TITULAR CHURCHES DO WE HAVE?

There are two ranks of titular churches: Titles and Deaconries
1. Titles: A title (Latin: titulus) is a titular church that is assigned to a cardinal priest.
2. Deaconries: A deaconry (Latin: diaconia) is titular church normally assigned to a cardinal deacon.

Cardinal Okpalaeke is a Cardinal-priest and was assigned the title of the Cardinal priests of Sancti Martiri dell’Uganda a Poggio Ameno, that is, the Church of the Holy Ugandan Martyrs at Poggio Ameno. This is a 20th-century parochial church and TITULAR church in Rome, dedicated to the Uganda Martyrs.

✓WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A TITULAR CHURCH?

Titular Churches serve as honorary designations symbolising the relationship of cardinals to the pope, the bishop of Rome.
Also, these churches symbolize the unity between themselves in their respective local areas and the Roman Catholic Church in Rome. They indicate and promote accord among the Catholics and demonstrate that the Roman Catholic Church is represented all over the world.

In the early times, the cardinals made up the administrative body of the primitive Roman church under the authority of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. They fell into three categories: Priests, responsible for individual places of worship (the original tituli/churches), deacons responsible for centres of charitable activity (the so-called diaconiae) and bishops of the suburbicarian dioceses which were recognised as being under the authority of the Bishop of Rome.

This tradition had been symbolically preserved by appointing present-day cardinals as titular priests  and deacon of Roman churches, even though most of them are bishops elsewhere like Ebere Cardinal Okpalaeke.

✓WHAT SHOWS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CARDINAL AND A TITULAR?

The patronal relationship of a Cardinal Priest to his titular church includes the inscription of his name and coat of arms on a plaque within the church, in addition to maintenance and restoration responsibility.

✓HOW DOES A CARDINAL TAKE CANONICAL POSSESSION OF A TITULAR CHURCH?

It’s customary that a cardinal takes possession of a titular church through the “Rite of Possession.”

✓CAN THE “RITE OF POSSESSION” BE DESCRIBED?

The Rite of Possession of a titular church takes place within the context of a solemn celebration of the Eucharist. The rite begins when a representative of the pope formally welcomes the cardinal at the door of the church. The cardinal reverences a small crucifix presented to him on behalf of the pope and sprinkles the congregation with holy water. After processing to the tabernacle, the cardinal kneels in a moment of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, as Cardinal Okpalaeke does in the picture.

Following the entrance hymn, the Sign of the Cross and the introductory liturgical greeting, a papal bull assigning the titular church to the cardinal is read aloud. A solemn celebration of Mass follows, highlighting the Eucharist as the source and summit of life in the Universal Church.

✓FROM WHERE DOES TITULAR CHURCHES GET THEIR NAMES?

The titles or names used may differ in wording from the names of the churches concerned, and in a few examples are completely different. Previously each titular church gets it’s name by the name of the founder. But today, titular church’s name indicates the bond of unity between a certain local church and the Church of Rome. For example Martiri dell’Uganda a Poggio Ameno which shows the relationship between the Ugandan Church and the Church of Rome.

✓WHAT TITULAR CHURCH IS ASSIGNED TO A CARDINAL BISHOP?

The Cardinal-bishops like Cardinal Arinze unlike a cardinal priest or deacons, are assigned by the Roman Pontiff the tittle of a suburbicarian Church. These are the seven suburbicarian dioceses; Roman Catholic dioceses located in the vicinity of Rome, who are the (now six) ordinary members of the highest-ranking order of cardinals. However, Pope Francis has, in addition, co-opted five cardinals of the Latin Church to join the ranks of the Cardinal-Bishops without any suburbicarian church attached to them.

✓WHAT HAPPENS IF A CARDINAL IS PROMOTED TO A NEW ORDER?

If a cardinal priest or a cardinal deacon is later made a cardinal bishop, he is typically transferred from his titular church and assigned the vacant title of a suburbicarian diocese in the vicinity of Rome.

✓WHO CREATES A TITULAR CHURCH?

Churches are designated as a “titulus ecclesiae” , that is, titular churches by authority of the pope who can (and who historically have) also revoked such a status.

✓WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A TITULAR CHURCH IS CREATED?

When the status of titular church is given, it is specified whether it is a presbyterial or a diaconal title. If it’s presbyterial, a Cardinal priests is to take canonical possession of it , while if it’s diaconal, a cardinal deacon is to take canonical possession of it.

✓HOW MANY TITULAR CHURCHES DO WE HAVE?

It is worth noting that not every church in Rome is a titular church, and as of 10 January 2023, there are 237 existing titular churches, 168 of which are titles and 69 of which are deaconries, and 7 suburbicarian dioceses. Currently, 21 titular churches (11 titles and 10 deaconries) and one title of a suburbicarian diocese are vacant.

✓CAN A CARDINAL BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER TITULAR CHURCH?

A cardinal may request that he be transferred to another titular church in a consistory(the assembly or council of cardinals presided over by the Pope). When a cardinal deacon opts to become a cardinal priest which is usually after ten years, he may request either that his deaconry be elevated to a title or that he be transferred from his deaconry to a vacant title. Occasionally, a titular church may be retained in commendam (‘in trust’) by a cardinal who has been transferred to another titular church or a suburbicarian diocese.

✓WHAT AUTHORITY DOES A CARDINAL HAS OVER HIS TITULAR CHURCH?

When a cardinal is assigned and takes possession of his titular church in Rome what he is therefore doing is SYMBOLICALLY being made the titular, that is, the. primary priest of that church within Rome.

Therefore, according to the 1983 Code of Canon Law, Canon 357 para. 1, a cardinal may assist his titular church through counsel or through patronage, although he has no power of governance over it, and he should not for any reason interfere in matters concerning the administration of its good, or its discipline, or the service of the church.

Fada Henry Charles Umelechi
Truth Series

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