In the Roman Catholic Church, a "lay cardinal" was a cardinal who had never been given major orders, i.e. who had never been ordained a deacon, priest, or bishop.
Properly speaking these cardinals were not laymen, since they were all given what was called first tonsure, by which at that time one became a cleric, and cease to be a layman. In addition they were given minor orders, which were no obstacle to marrying or to living in a marriage previously contracted. The freedom to marry and to live in marriage is doubtless the reason that cardinals who were not in major orders were popularly, though inaccurately, referred to as lay cardinals.
Read more about Lay Cardinal: Examples, Confusion Concerning The Title of "cardinal", Changes in Canon Law
Famous quotes containing the words lay and/or cardinal:
“I lay upon my baby;
Ye little childer dear,
I looked on my cold baby
When the morn grew frosty and clear.”
—William Butler Yeats (18651939)
“What people dont realize is that intimacy has its conventions as well as ordinary social intercourse. There are three cardinal rulesdont take somebody elses boyfriend unless youve been specifically invited to do so, dont take a drink without being asked, and keep a scrupulous accounting in financial matters.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)