What does a cardinal do?

Over the two thousand years of its existence, the Catholic Church has developed complicated and elaborate leadership structures, with strict rules about who can take which roles and why. These structures can be confusing even for cradle Catholics, who may not be sure about the exact differences between a bishop and an archbishop, or what the different colored robes for different ranks in the church are meant to symbolize.  Some of the highest-ranking church leaders are easily recognizable for their bright red robes. These are the “cardinals” of the Catholic Church, and their tradition of wearing scarlet has been around for centuries. In fact, when European colonizers encountered bright red birds in the Americas, they named them after these similarly adorned princes of the Catholic Church.  But what is the role of cardinals in the church? What do they do? And how does one become a cardinal? Is it possible, as some Catholic reformers suggest, that the rank of cardinal might theoretically be open to women? On this episode of the podcast, guest Don Clemmer talks about the role cardinals play in the leadership and teaching of the church. Clemmer is the editor of Connection magazine for the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and coproducer of the Just Politics podcast. He has written extensively for U.S. Catholic, as well as for many other publications, and previously worked in the media relations office of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Clemmer’s writing, in these links.  “How does the church choose its cardinals?” by John Switzer. https://uscatholic.org/articles/201505/how-does-the-church-choose-its-cardinals/ “Cardinal Bishop, Cardinal Deacon, Cardinal Priest: What’s the Difference?” by Julie Bosman. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2002/04/cardinal-bishop-cardinal-deacon-cardinal-priest-what-s-the-difference.html “Can the church change?” by Don Clemmer. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202308/can-the-church-change/ “Can you hear us? A look at the ongoing synod,” by Don Clemmer. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202209/can-you-hear-us-a-look-at-the-ongoing-synod/