A
cardinal (Latin:
sanctae romanae ecclesiae cardinalis, literally
cardinal of the Holy Roman Church) is a senior
ecclesiastical leader, an ecclesiastical
prince, and usually (now always for those created when still within the voting age-range) an ordained
bishop of the
Roman Catholic Church. The cardinals of the Church are collectively known as the
College of Cardinals. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available individually or in groups to the
Pope as requested. Most have additional duties, such as leading a
diocese or
archdiocese or managing a
department of the
Roman Curia. A cardinal's primary duty is
electing the pope when the
see becomes vacant. During the
sede vacante (the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor), the day-to-day governance of the Holy See is in the hands of the College of Cardinals. The right to enter the
conclave of cardinals where the pope is elected is limited to those who have not reached the age of 80 years by the day the vacancy occurs.
