Timothy Cardinal Radcliffe, OP

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It took a bit of time but the arms used by Timothy Cardinal Radcliffe, OP the Dominican friar who was created cardinal just last autumn by the late pope and who will now be an elector in the upcoming Conclave, has now been published.

He has not been ordained a bishop so there is no episcopal cross behind the shield in the achievement. Overall, he has chosen very Dominican looking symbols and a differenced version of the arms of Radcliffe. A very handsome coat of arms.

5 thoughts on “Timothy Cardinal Radcliffe, OP”

  1. manareleven's avatarmanareleven

    Dear Fr Guy,

    Only just in time to vote as he turns 80 in August.The will need to be a swift episcopal ordination should he be elected.

    What interesting arms – is there a description? They may be granted arms as they include the arms of the Radcliffe baronets.

    Regards,

    Richard d’Apice AM KCSG AIH

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  2. dqw266's avatardqw266

    Dear Fr. Selvester, A very interesting entry. [1] Neither Wiki article nor you chose to include a blazon.

    Might you create and send me a blazon of his eminence’s arms ??

    [2] The Radcliffe Baronetcy wiki article included an illustration of the Baronets’ arms, but there was no blazon there either. However, the baronetcy arms constitutes the 1st and 4th quarters of the Cardinal Radcliffe’s arms, so that’s interesting. [3] Cardinal Radcliffe is a Cardinal-Deacon. When did the Catholic Church stop more or less creating cardinal-deacons ? I know Cardinal J. H. Newman was a Cardinal Deacon and he died in 1890. Okay, so cardinal-deacons don’t get an archiepiscopal cross. Bishops get one with one crosspiece and archbishops get two cross pieces, right ? Cardinal Richelieu of France was Bishop of Luçon and so a Cardinal-Bishop. We think of him today as a politician and statesman rather than as religious prelate, but as a cardinal-bishop his arms be could be shown with an archiepiscopal cross with one cross piece, right ?

    Best Wishes ! Dwyer

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    1. guyselvester's avatarguyselvester Post author

      You have made a common error in thinking that the terms “Cardinal-Deacon”, “Cardinal-Priest” and Cardinal-Bishop” refer to the cardinal’s rank in addition to being a cardinal. That is not the case. The terms Cardinal-Deacon, Cardinal-Priest and Cardinal-Bishop are rankings within the College of Cardinals. They use the three levels of holy orders because, originally, the cardinals were the clergy of Rome. Even now, the cardinal-Deacons and Cardinal-Priests are assigned titular churches in Rome to indicate they are attached as clergy to a Roman church. The Cardinal-Bishops were historically the bishops of the suburbican dioceses immediately in the vicinity of Rome. St. John XXIII made a rule that all cardinals had to be bishops. If they weren’t bishops at the time they were created cardinal then they would shortly thereafter receive episcopal ordination. However, it was possible to request dispensation from this rule and up to the Pope to decide whether or not to grant it. There have been several Cardinals since the time of John XXIII who requested such dispensation, including Avery Dulles and also Timothy Radcliffe.

      The Cardinal-Deacons today are composed of those cardinals who, primarily, make up the Roman Curia and are resident full-time in Rome. In addition, Cardinals who are being honored later in life (like Radcliffe) usually also rank among the Cardinal-Deacons. The current Cardinal Proto-Deacon (highest ranking of the Cardinal-Deacons, and who will announce the election of the new pope) is an archbishop. The current Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church—Cardinal Farrell—is, at present a high-ranking prelate responsible for the care of the Church and is the Regent of the Vatican City-State. Yet, he is a Cardinal-Deacon. He is also a bishop but was never made an archbishop, so the episcopal cross in his arms has only one horizontal bar.

      My point is that Radcliffe wasn’t made a Cardinal-Deacon BECAUSE he’s not a bishop. Similarly, your point about Richelieu is also incorrect. Being a bishop does not mean one is automatically a Cardinal-Bishop. In fact, Richelieu was a Cardinal-Priest. The large majority of the Cardinals are Cardinal-Priests. At present there are only about 11 Cardinal-Bishops composed of those who are titular bishops of the Roman Suburbican Sees and several others designated as Cardinal-Bishops by the late Pope to reflect the growing size of the College. Cardinal Parolin—who will have a presiding role in the Conclave as the most senior Cardinal-Bishop who is also of voting age (The Dean and Sub-Dean both being over 80) had his titular as a Cardinal-Priest elevated to the rank of Cardinal-Bishop “pro hac vice” by Pope Francis. He is not a titular bishop of one of the suburbican Sees and yet he is a Cardinal-Bishop. In addition, St. Paul VI decided that those Eastern Rite prelates who are Metropolitans and/or Patriarchs in their own churches and are created cardinals would retain their own titles and rank among the Cardinal-Bishops. So, they are also included among the Cardinal-Bishops in addition to the 11 Latin-Rite Cardinal-Bishops.

      So, whether a man is a priest, a bishop, or an archbishop does not have any bearing on whether or not he is appointed Cardinal-Deacon; Cardinal-Priest or Cardinal-Bishop. There are currently 252 living Cardinals and 134 of them are under 80 and may vote (one is under 80 who may NOT vote). Of all the living cardinals there are 13 Cardinal Bishops; 205 Cardinal Priests and 34 Cardinal Deacons.

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  3. dqw266's avatardqw266

    It seems an addendum is in order:

    Last year I donated my heraldic library which included a large Catholic section to a younger member of the Society of Scottish Armigers (SSA). Then 84, I felt it time.. So today, I am much more dependant on Wikipedia ( even though they sometimes make mistakes ) So after writing you, I looked up on Wiki about cardinals. And found how ignorant this lifelong Catholic was. Read up about Cardinals: cardinal bishops, cardinal priests and cardinal deacons its kind of complicated to me..

    Anyhow our late Pope Francis must have thought a lot of Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP to appoint him a Cardinal Deacon in Dec 2024 as a priest. And now Cardinal Radcliffe, OP will be one of the Electors… Regarding his arms: we know that quarters 1 & 4 are Radcliffe. My newly re-bot BGR shows on page 834 Radcliffe, Milnsbridge House, Bart.: Argent, a bend engrailed Sable, charged with a crescent of the field for difference… Quarter 2 is (I think in admiration) of Blackfriars Hall of which he was once Prior: Gyronny Sable and Argent, a cross flory counterchanged. Quarter 4 is a mystery to me. Don’t know where it came from ? Perhaps you know ?

    Can blazon it for me ?

    Appreciate whatever you can do, thanks !

    Best Wishes ! Dwyer

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    1. guyselvester's avatarguyselvester Post author

      Both the second and third quarters contain elements that are typical for Dominicans. The second quarter with the gyronny of eight and a cross fleury counterchanged is one of the versions of the coat of arms of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans). The third quarter depicts a dog with a burning torch in its mouth. This, too, is frequently used as a symbol of the Dominicans—“Domini Canus”—the “dogs of the Lord”. It is intersting to note that the arms of Radcliffe are merely Argent and Sable and so, too, the arms associated with the Dominicans are similarly Argent and Sable. Not a lot of variety in terms of tincture but a very distinguished looking armorial achievement nonetheless.

      I would blazon this: Arms qurtered; 1st & 4th Argent, on a bend engrailed Sable a crescent Argent; 2nd, gyronny of eight Argent and Sable, overall a cross fleury Counterchanged; 3rd, Argent, a dog rampant reguardant Sable and Argent, collared Or and holding in its mouth a torch Sable enflamed Or.

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