Monday, May 04, 2009

New Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina Taking Possession

On Low Sunday, José Cardinal Saraiva Martins C.M.F., Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, took possession of the suburbicarian diocese of Palestrina. He had been appointed Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina by Pope Benedict on 24 February, following the death of the previous titular, Card. Gantin, in 2008.

For those who are less familiar with the interior workings of the College of Cardinals: As Can. 350 §1 of the Code of Canon Law states:

The College of Cardinals is divided into three orders: the episcopal order, to which belong those Cardinals to whom the Roman Pontiff assigns the title of a suburbicarian Church, and eastern-rite Patriarchs who are made members of the College of Cardinals; the presbyteral order, and the diaconal order
.
For more details see, e.g., EWTN's page on the Sacred College.

I have found some pictures of the occasion from the Osservatore Romano. The first two show the reception of the Cardinal at the door of the Cathedral, where he is given a Crucifix to kiss and then Holy Water to sprinkle those present, as foreseen for the reception of a bishop. The other images show the Cardinal during Mass, for which he wore a rather beautiful Roman chasuble and the pontifical dalmatic. The MC is Msgr. Francesco Camaldo, one of the papal MCs.





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