The word “cardinal” and the phrase “prince of the Church”, with all their pomp and circumstance suggestiveness, raise the hackles of my Evangelical brother. Yet the men in this book, some saintly, some scholarly, others shrewd and sensible administrators, have all played their part in the Christian heritage of this country. The authors, priests in the Westminster archdiocese, relate a fascinating story in these brief essays which are lavishly illustrated, full of historical detail and brought alive by many anecdotes.

Reforms of the Church in the eleventh century formalised the role played by cardinals. In 1245 Pope Innocent IV prescribed the distinctive red hat, with its 15 tassels on each side, which hangs in faded splendour above the tombs of some of its wearers. These men fall into three groups: powerful medieval and Renaissance prelates; the cardinals of penal times; and those chosen after the restoration of the English hierarchy in 1850. Notable among the first group is Nicholas Breakspear who became the only English pope, as Adrian IV in 1154. Thomas Bourchier, 1411-1486, receives a rather dry school report: he “does not seem to have dazzled anyone with particular academic gifts”. Cardinal John Morton, 1420-1500, is of interest partially because the young Thomas More served as a page under him at Lambeth Palace.

Thomas Wolsey, 1470-1530, played by Orson Welles in the film A Man for All Seasons, received his red hat in 1515; in the procession the cross was borne by a humbler and holier man, the future martyr John Fisher. Yet Wolsey, sinner rather than saint, had “a genuine concern for the wellbeing of the Church”. The crimson robes worn by cardinals are to demonstrate that their wearers are prepared to shed their blood for Christ. Among the English cardinals only St John Fisher was granted this privilege, deliberately executed by Henry VIII before he could receive his red hat. Cardinal Reginald Pole, exiled from England and living in Rome, was considered papabile; had he, a known supporter of Church reform, been elected pope at the conclave of 1549, the Reformation might have taken a less brutally divisive form. He lost by one vote, returned to England in the reign of Queen Mary and died on the same day as his sovereign.

Cardinal Allen, 1532-94, was notable in founding the English College at Douai, to prepare priests for the “English mission”. Cardinal York, brother of Bonnie Prince Charlie, never visited England. Nicholas Wiseman, referred to by his Irish servant as “His immense” (he enjoyed his food), became Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster in 1850, the year of the hierarchy’s return. He is the author of the hymn “Full in the panting heart of Rome” which our small (but ardently ultramontane) parish sings every 29 June with the papal flag flying from its flagpole.

Cardinal Manning took only 14 years to travel from Anglican archdeacon to a Catholic archbishop. Cardinal Newman’s biglietto speech on receiving his red hat is reprinted in full; a justly celebrated attack on the notion “that one creed is as good as another”, it sent shivers down my spine as I read its prophetic words. The same day I had bumped into an elderly lady of my acquaintance who informed me that as we are all going to heaven she could see no point in different churches. Highly indignant that a friend of hers had been debarred from communion because she was not baptised she became indignant with me for mildly disagreeing with her.

Cardinal Griffin, 1899-1956, according to Adrian Hastings, “the least important Archbishop of Westminster of the century” was treated with great respect by my family at least, whom he met holidaying in County Kerry in the early 1950s; indeed, my younger sister was so overcome that she addressed him as “Your Majesty”. Cardinal Godfrey, 1889-1963, was a well-loved rector of the English College in Rome. His biretta was found in a waste paper basket and given a new lease of life by a priest I know who was a seminarian there after the war. Cardinal Basil Hume steered a welcoming course to convert Anglican clergy; he was followed by our present Archbishop, Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, hailing from a stalwart Catholic family in which 3 brothers became priests. The authors have produced an excellent reference book, replete with each cardinal’s colourful coat of arms and motto. Cor Ad Cor Loquitor is my favourite.

© 2007 Francis Phillips

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