Editing Cardinal (Catholic Church) (section)

=== Cardinal priests ===

Cardinal priests ({{Langx|la|cardinales presbyteri}}) are the most numerous of the three orders of cardinals in the Catholic Church, ranking above the cardinal deacons and below the cardinal bishops.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=32336 |first=John |last=Hardon |work=Modern Catholic Dictionary |title=Cardinal Priest |publisher=Catholic Culture |access-date=1 September 2013 |archive-date=30 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630185803/https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=32336 |url-status=live }}</ref> Those who are named cardinal priests today are generally also [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|bishop]]s of important [[diocese]]s throughout the world, though some hold [[Roman Curia|Curial]] positions.

In modern times, the term ''cardinal priest'' is interpreted as meaning a cardinal who is of the order of priests. Originally this referred to certain key priests of important churches of the [[Diocese of Rome]], who were recognized as the {{em|cardinal}} priests – the important priests chosen by the pope to advise him in his duties as [[Bishop]] of [[diocese of Rome|Rome]]. Certain clerics in many dioceses at the time, not just that of Rome, were said to be the key personnel—the term gradually became exclusive to Rome to indicate those entrusted with electing the Bishop of Rome, the pope.

[[File:Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.jpg|thumb|Cardinal-priest [[Thomas Wolsey]]]]
While the cardinalate has long been expanded beyond the Roman pastoral clergy and [[Roman Curia]], every cardinal priest has a [[titular church]] in Rome, though they may be bishops or archbishops elsewhere, just as cardinal bishops were given one of the [[suburbicarian diocese]]s around Rome. [[Pope Paul VI]] abolished all administrative rights cardinals had with regard to their titular churches, though the cardinal's name and coat of arms are still posted in the church, and they are expected to celebrate Mass and preach there if convenient when they are in Rome.

While the number of cardinals was small from the times of the [[Roman Empire]] to the [[Renaissance]], and frequently smaller than the number of recognized churches entitled to a cardinal priest, in the 16th century the college expanded markedly. In 1587, [[Pope Sixtus V]] sought to arrest this growth by fixing the maximum [[Size of the College of Cardinals|size of the college]] at 70, including 50 cardinal priests, about twice the historical number. This limit was respected until 1958, and the list of titular churches modified only on rare occasions, generally when a building fell into disrepair. When [[Pope John XXIII]] abolished the limit, he began to add new churches to the list, which Popes [[Pope Paul VI|Paul VI]] and [[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]] continued to do. Today there are close to 150 titular churches, out of over 300 churches in Rome.

The cardinal who is the longest-serving member of the order of cardinal priests is titled ''cardinal [[protopriest]]''. He had certain ceremonial duties in the conclave that have effectively ceased because he would generally have already reached age 80, at which cardinals are barred from the conclave. The current cardinal protopriest is [[Michael Michai Kitbunchu]] of [[Thailand]].