History and theology support the laity being Cardinals. So why doesn't current

Church law?

There is nothing in Catholic theology that prevents members of the laity from being Cardinals, and lay people were Cardinals for hundreds of years. Why not now? Why does current Church law -- which could be easily changed -- not allow this? Is it because the male Church hierarchy would have no excuse not to appoint women to those positions, too?

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=9939

Rome, Jul 23, 2007 / 11:11 am (CNA).- In an interview with the Italian daily “ “Il Messaggero”, the director of the German language programming for Vatican Radio, Jesuit Father Eberhard von Gemminger, said he hopes future popes will be elected by a College of Cardinals in which “at least half” of the members are women.

“Why not dream that sixty illustrious women could elect the Pope? I would be happy to see sixty male and sixty female cardinals in the Sistine Chapel,” the German Jesuit said in reference to the total number of permitted cardinal-electors.

Father Von Gemminger said he thought it was “improbable that the Vatican would immediately open” the doors to women cardinals, but he added, “perhaps it will happen in ten years, since the change in mentality will come, even if slowly.”

The German Jesuit argued that throughout history it has not been necessary to be a priest in order to be named a cardinal. Therefore, “Why not think that in the future there will be women cardinals?” he asked.

SNIP

Here is one of the last lay cardinals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Antonelli

Here is the current canon law on cardinals.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P19.HTM

He is absolutely correct. The status of cardinals is entirely governed by social and political mores, not scriptural or theological.

The entire culture of the church has to be changed before it happens. Perhaps the priest shortage and greater lay participation in the affairs of the church will be that change. But if the change is that profound, then the whole notion of the College of Cardinals is likely to be discarded.

I could definitely see it with members — of either gender — elevated from the laity, but it seems like a necessary layer of management, just from a logistical viewpoint.

The social and internal changes necessary to promote women to widespread leadership positions in the church are likely, I think, to reorganize the management structure of the church itself.

For instance, if the male priesthood and their sacraments, set apart because of theology, are detached from all the administrative functions and social functions of the church, the ladder of priest to bishop to cardinal will be broken. All those other functions can be served by lay members, and in many instances even non Catholics.

If this ever happens, the organizational structure would of necessity change to reflect the new reality of church leadership.

Instead of various congregations composing a curia reporting to the Pope, populated by clerics of various ranks, there might develop a closed structure akin to a board of directors (compare how many Catholic hospital systems have evolved) or a more open international system like the the Lambeth Conference. The College of Cardinals has never really followed either model.

Provided the purely theological functions are reserved to ordained deacons, priests and bishops, everything else is wide open.

However it develops, it could develop only if the only role to full leadership is removed from the clerics and shared with the laity and if women fully particpate in these newly opened roles. The College of Cardinals is incompatible with either of these phenomena.

IMHO.