The most important duty of a cardinal is to elect the Pope, but the responsibilities of the College of Cardinals have steadily evolved over the centuries. Cardinals are personally selected by the Pope. They give counsel to the Pope, contribute to the governance of the Church and act as papal envoys. Some are officers of the Roman Curia while many serve as bishops of major diocese around the world. Cardinals have been responsible for electing popes since 1059. They remain eligible to vote until age 80 and the number of voting cardinals is limited to 120.

When Archbishop Thomas Collins accepts the ring and biretta from Pope Benedict XVI he will be a cardinal priest — the middle rank between cardinal deacons and cardinal bishops. Some time after the ceremony he will also receive a titular church in Rome.

Dividing the College of Cardinals into bishops, priests and deacons can be a tad confusing, given that all cardinals must receive episcopal ordination upon being named to the college if they aren’t already bishops. The internal ranking of cardinals reflects a number of historical precedents.

Cardinal-designate Collins becomes the 16th cardinal in Canadian history. Here is the entire list.

Cardinal-designate Thomas Collins' press conference following mass at St. Michael's Cathedral on January 6, 2012.

For more visit www.archtoronto.org/cardinal and explore our own archives here on The Catholic Register.

- video courtesy of the archdiocese of Toronto

OTTAWA - Former Antigonish Bishop Raymond Lahey was sentenced to 15 months in prison Jan. 4, but will be released today as he has received a two-for-one credit for time served.

The Crown had sought an 18- to 22-month sentence.

Lahey has already served eight months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography for the purposes of importation to Canada in May. He was imprisoned after pleading guilty on his own request.

The latest edition of The Catholic Register looks back on the year that was with a special centre-spread. You can view a high-res PDF of this specially designed collage by clicking here or on the preview image below. 

And don't forget, every front cover of the paper from 2011 is now archived on facebook. You can view a slideshow of all these covers, irregardless of whether you have an account or not, by clicking here.

 

TORONTO — The new year will bring a new Chancellor of Temporal Affairs for the archdiocese of Toronto.

James Milway is to join the archdiocese in the spring, replacing outgoing chancellor John McGrath.

Milway is certainly no stranger in archdiocesan corridors. Over the past decade, he has had extensive consulting assignments with the archdiocese, including projects related to World Youth Day 2002, ShareLife, Catholic Charities and Catholic Cemeteries. He is currently working on the archdiocese's strategic planning process, and "his knowledge and experience working with us both past and present will be a tremendous asset as he begins his new assignment," said Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins in a statement.

Though Milway currently lives in the Hamilton diocese, his connection to Toronto runs deep. His formative years were spent here and he was educated at the University of St. Michael's College. His five children were born at St. Michael's Hospital and all were baptized in the archdiocese.

"I've been fortunate to work with many parts of the Chancery Office in my consulting career and look forward to reconnecting with the many friends I have there," said Milway.

"It will be tough to follow John McGrath — he's been such an effective Chancellor and I know he will be missed. But he and his predecessors have developed a strong foundation for someone like me to build on. I hope to follow well in their footsteps."

Milway has been executive director of the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity, a think-tank sponsored by the province of Ontario and the Rotman School at the University of Toronto, and spent 15 years with the Canada Consulting Group & Boston Consulting Group, including three years as vice-president.

McGrath will continue working with the archdiocese "for a reasonable period" to ensure an orderly transition, said Collins.

Do you think you or your children really know the story of Christmas? Tackle our children's trivia test and see how you get on!

MIDLAND, ONT. - Midland Town Council has 5,500 letters to read and ponder before its Dec. 7 meeting, at which it is scheduled to look again at its decision to green light an outdoor waste recycling business next door to the Martyrs' Shrine and Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons.

Forty protesters walked through falling snow Nov. 30 from Martyrs' Shrine to Midland Town Hall to deliver boxes containing at least 5,500 letters to Mayor Gord McKay. It was the last day for written submissions before the Dec. 7 council meeting.

The letters came from local Midland residents, Toronto parishes that make annual pilgrimages to the shrine and from as far away as the Vatican.

"Patron Saints of Cities"

See how you get on with the latest crossword in our new series. Select "file > print" in your browser to print off your own copy.