Summa de Ecclesia

From what we have already expounded concerning the state of perfection and the sublimity of dignity of the lord Cardinals of the holy Roman Church, we have been able to know in clear light that the state of the Cardinals themselves is deservedly to be preferred in honour to all ecclesiastical dignities and states after the Papal. First indeed from this, that as we explained in the preceding chapter, the apostolic dignity in which the sacred senate of the lord Cardinals succeeds the sacred college of the apostles is prior to the other ecclesiastical dignities in institution and origin, and that whose institution is prior ought deservedly to go before the others in honour, according to ch. 1, m. 3, et obe. Moreover, secondly, this is most openly shown from this: that the aforesaid lord Cardinals have a care of rule and government, a solicitude, broader than the other prelates of the Church, for since they are called into the assistance of the supreme pontiff they are said to assume the care of the whole Church and the solicitude of all the churches, according to ch. Bone. Extra on the postulation of prelates. But the other prelates of the Church, of whatever eminence they may be, since they are called not in the fullness of power but into a share of solicitude, as in ch. Decreto, ii, q. vi, and in ch. Qui se scit, are said to preside not over the universal Church but over the particular churches to which they are deputed; it is most clear that he is to be preferred to the rest in honour who has a greater care and solicitude of rule than the rest. For this reason the Antiochene synod, as in ch. Per singulas provincias, 9, q. 3, instituted that archbishops be preferred in honour to bishops. Further, thirdly, this is gathered from this, that as is had in ch. Constantinus, dist. 96, there is conceded to the lord Cardinals that summit of singular power and preeminence with whose glory the most ample senate is seen to be adorned: since no greater dignity is held after the empire than the senatorial or patrician dignity, as in the Code on consuls, book 12. Nor ought it seem strange or irksome to anyone if the lord Cardinals of the Roman Church are preferred in honour to all others after the supreme pontiff, to whom by divine right all bow the head. Fourthly, the same is gathered from this, that as we have said, the lord Cardinals of the holy Roman Church are said to be judges of the world by reason of the amplitude of their authority, for they themselves, assisting the Pope, judge all the faithful, inferiors as well as superiors, even bishops, archbishops, and patriarchs. But it is known that he who judges is of greater dignity than those who are judged, as in ch. inferior, dist. 21. Fifthly, this authority arises from the fact that the Cardinals are said to be part of the body of the Pope. Hence when they are sent to rule provinces they are deemed to be sent from the side of the Pope, as blessed Gregory says in ch. decreto, 2, q. 6, and blessed Bernard, speaking of them to Eugenius in the book on consideration, calls them the collaterals of the Pope and his coadjutors. But there is no doubt to anyone that those who are deemed one person with the supreme pontiff deservedly come to be preferred in honour to all other prelates of the Church. Let it suffice to have said this much to show how reasonably the lord Cardinals after the Roman pontiff are preferred in honour to all other prelates of the Church.