Q. 1.What is a consistory in the Catholic Church?

A. 1. A consistory in the Roman Catholic Church is a formal meeting of the entire body of Cardinals, summoned and presided by the Pope.

The word “consistory” comes from the Latin “con-sistere” or “consistorium” which mean to “stand together.”

There are three kinds of Consistories: secret or ordinary, public or extraordinary and semi-public.

(1) The secret consistory is so called because no one save the pope and the cardinals is present at its deliberations.

(2) The public consistory is so called because persons foreign to the Sacred College of Cardinals, such as Apostolic prothonotaries, the auditors of the Sacred Rota, and other prelates are called to it. Laymen also, who have made previous application, are permitted to be present.

(3) The semi-public consistory is so called because, besides the cardinals, bishops also take part in it. To this consistory the bishops residing within one hundred miles of Rome are summoned, while invitations are sent to all the other bishops of Italy; moreover, titular patriarchs and archbishops and bishops who live in Rome, as well as bishops who happen to be sojourning there at the time, are likewise present.