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Author Topic: Cardinals Appointed "In Pectore"  (Read 299 times)

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Offline de Lugo

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Cardinals Appointed "In Pectore"
« on: November 17, 2022, 04:33:01 AM »
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    • I just recently learned of a process by which some popes have created secret cardinals (referred to as "in pectore"), for various reasons.

    You can read about it here: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08025b.htm 

    And: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_pectore 

    Although I could only find "in pectore" appointments relative to cardinals, it got me wondering whether popes could also consecrate bishops "in pectore."

    Does anyone know?
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    Offline Ladislaus

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    Re: Cardinals Appointed "In Pectore"
    « Reply #1 on: November 17, 2022, 07:56:28 AM »
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    • No, a Pope could not consecrate a bishop "in pectore".  Sacraments cannot be conferred that way.

    He could in theory "appoint" a bishop to a diocese or other position, or could "designate" that someone should become a bishop, but as per your link, these cardinals "in pectore" acquire no rights until their appointments are made public, and so a bishop "in pectore" would be meaningless.

    Now, there have been "secret" consecrations, where the Church thought it best not to announce that an inividual was had been consecrated a bishop because he might be, for example, operating in an area (behind the old Iron Curtain) where he would be arrested, perhaps killed, and unable to carry out his mission.
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