CARDINALS

9:1 Cardinals are high official of the church ranking just below the Archbishop, consisting of cardinal bishops, priests and deacons. As the clergy attached to the church of The Mystical Order, they form a major element of the Mystical Court. The term ‘cardinal’ means hinge and refers to the fact that cardinal bishops held two clerical positions, as bishops of a The Mystical Order and a Commanding Officer within The Mystical Court. Cardinals are appointed by the Patriarch on the advice of the Archbishop.

9:2 Cardinal bishops (cardinals of the episcopal order) are among the senior prelates of the The Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc. Though in this church all cardinals are also bishops.

9:3 A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Mystical Order. A cardinal may also be an Archbishop in charge of a diocese. He would be referred to as Cardinal <name> and addressed as Your Eminence.

(9) 2

9:a.) The Cardinal shall be appointed by the Patriarch on the advice of the Archbishop and shall hold office at the pleasure of the Patriarch.
9:b.) The office is ceremonial and shall not impede the functions of the other offices
9:c.) The Cardinal will serve the Patriarch and shall be responsible to the Office of the Archbishop
9:d.) He shall be addressed and “His Eminence”
9:e.) The Cardinal shall be distinguished by his Biretta without a pom pom
9:f.) He shall be a Licensed Minister with the State and be so registered.
9:g.) He shall be seated in the Mystical Court and be an Assistant Grand Commanding Officer.
9:h.) He shall be a bishop of the Mystical Order for at least one year before his appointment.
9:i.) He shall not be less that age forty-five (45) years to fill this office
9:j.) Shall be of equivalent status to the Apostle
9:k.) Shall assist the Patriarch whenever he is attending a ceremonial function
9:l.) Is first in line of succession to the Archbishop

(9) 3 CARDINAL AND EPISCOPAL CARDINAL

1. In each Church the Patriarch on the advice of the Archbishop must appoint a Cardinal who is provided with ordinary power according to the norm of the following Rules and Bylaws of The Mystical Order, and who is to assist him in the governance of the whole Church.
2. As a general rule, one Cardinal is to be appointed unless the size of the church, the number of inhabitants, or other pastoral reasons suggest otherwise.
3. Whenever the correct governance of a church requires it, the Patriarch on the advice of the Archbishop can also appoint one or more episcopal Cardinal, namely, those who in a specific part of the Church or in a certain type of affairs or over the faithful of a specific rite or offer certain groups of persons possess the same ordinary power which a Cardinal has by universal law, according to the norm of the following rules.
4. The Patriarch on the advice of the Archbishop freely appoints a cardinal and an episcopal cardinal and can freely remove them, without prejudice to the prescript of the Rules and Bylaws.
5. An episcopal cardinal who is a bishop is to be appointed only for a time to be determined in the act of appointment.
6. When a cardinal is absent or legitimately impeded, an Archbishop can appoint another to take his place; the same norm applies to an episcopal Cardinal.
7. A Cardinal and an episcopal cardinal are to be Bishops not less than forty years old, doctors or licensed to preach or theology or at least truly expert in these disciplines, and recommended by sound doctrine, integrity, prudence, and experience in handling matters.
8. The function of cardinal and episcopal cardinal can neither be appointed if they were incarcerated nor be entrusted to blood relatives of the bishop up to the fourth degree.
9. By virtue of office, the cardinal has the executive power offer the whole church which belongs to the Archbishop by law, namely, the power to place all administrative acts except those, however, which the Archbishop has reserved to himself or which require a special mandate of the Archbishop by law.
10. By the law itself an episcopal cardinal has the same power mentioned in ( 1 ) but only offer the specific part of the ministry or the type of affairs or the faithful of a specific rite or group for which he was appointed, except those cases which the Archbishop has reserved to himself or to a cardinal or which require a special mandate of the Archbishop by law.
11. Within the limit of their competence, the habitual faculties granted by the Patriarchal See to the Archbishop and the execution of an announcement also pertain to a cardinal and an episcopal cardinal, unless it has been expressly provided otherwise or the personal qualifications of the Archbishop were chosen.
12. A cardinal and an episcopal cardinal must report to the Archbishop concerning the more important affairs which are to be handled or have been handled, and they are never to act contrary to the intention and mind of the Archbishop.
13. The power of a cardinal and an episcopal cardinal ceases at the expiration of the time of the mandate, by resignation, by removal made known to them by the Archbishop, without prejudice to the rules and bylaws, and at the vacancy of the Patriarchal see.
14. When the function of the Archbishop is suspended, the power of a cardinal and an episcopal cardinal is suspended also unless they are Archbishops.