Only a few dozen cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church have been excommunicated by the Catholic Church. A cardinal is a Roman Catholic priest, deacon, or bishop entitled to vote in a papal election. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals.
Excommunication—literally, the denial of communion—usually means that a person is barred from participating in the Sacraments or holding ecclesiastical office. Ne Romani (1311), promulgated by Pope Clement V during the Council of Vienne, extended suffrage in papal election to excommunicated cardinals in an attempt to limit schisms.Miranda, S. 1998. "Guide to documents and events". Florida International University.
This list includes only cardinals who have been explicitly excommunicated by a pope or ecumenical council, rather than those who (depending on one's interpretation) may have been excommunicated latae sententiae. For example, several precepts of papal election law prescribed automatic excommunication, such as Licet de vitanda of the Lateran Council which prohibited election by one-third, and Pope Pius X's Commissum Nobis, which made the exercise of the jus exclusivae by any cardinal punishable by excommunication.Miranda, S. 1998. "Guide to documents and events". Florida International University.Miranda, S. 1998. "Guide to documents and events". Florida International University. It also does not include excommunicated quasi-cardinals (cardinals elevated by antipopes) or clerics excommunicated before receiving the red hat.
Many excommunicated cardinals reconciled (most often with the successor of their excommunicator) and had their offices restored. Some would later be elected pope; for example, Formosus and Sergius III.
9th century
CardinalElevating popeDate of elevationExcommunicating pope or councilDate of excommunicationReasonNotesRodoaldo, bishop of PortoLeo IV853Nicholas I864SimonyMiranda, S. 1998. "19th Century (795-900)". Florida International University.Anastasio il BibliotecarioLeo IV847Council of RomeCouncil of RavennaCouncil of RomeDecember 16, 850May 29, 853December 8, 853Intrigue against the popeReconciled with Nicholas I and Adrian IIFormosusNicholas I861John VIII867Various chargesReconciled with Marinus I; future Pope Formosus; re-excommunicated posthumously by the Cadaver SynodSergioStephen Vante 897John IX/Roman SynodApril 898Role in the Cadaver SynodLater reconciled; future Pope Sergius IIIBenedettoFormosusante 896John IX/Roman SynodApril 898Role in the Cadaver SynodMartinoFormosusante 896John IX/Roman SynodApril 898Role in the Cadaver SynodGiovanniFormosusante 896John IX/Roman SynodApril 898Role in the Cadaver SynodPasqualeFormosusante 896John IX/Roman SynodApril 898Role in the Cadaver SynodLeoneFormosusante 896John IX/Roman SynodApril 898Role in the Cadaver Synod
11th century
CardinalElevating popeDate of elevationExcommunicating pope or councilDate of excommunicationReasonNotesHugh of RemiremontLeo IX1049Gregory VII/Roman synod of LetranMarch 3, 1078SimonyJoined Antipope Clement IIIMiranda, S. 1998. "11th Century (999-1099)". Florida International University.Richard MilhauGregory VIIAnte May 7, 1078Victor III/Council of BeneventoAugust 1087Joined allegiance of Antipope Clement IIIMiranda, S. 1998. "Consistory of 1078 (V)". Florida International University.
12th century CardinalElevating popeDate of elevationExcommunicating pope or councilDate of excommunicationReasonNotesPietro PierleoniPaschal IIca.1112Innocent II/Council of ReimsOctober 18, 1131Election as Antipope Anacletus IIMiranda, S. 1998. "12th Century (1099-1198)". Florida International University.Ottaviano de' MonticelliInnocent II1138Alexander III1162 and 1163Election as Antipope Victor IV
13th century CardinalElevating popeDate of elevationExcommunicating pope or councilDate of excommunicationReasonNotesRiccardoInnocent IV or Alexander IVBetween 1252 and 1256Alexander IVApril 10, 1259He participated in the coronation of Manfred HohenstaufMiranda, S. 1998. "13th Century (1198-1303)". Florida International University.Klaus Ganzer: Die Entwicklung des auswärtigen Kardinalats im hohen Mittelalter, Max Niemeyer Verlag Tübingen 1963, pp. 169-171 no. 86.Giacomo ColonnaNicholas IIIMarch 12, 1278Boniface VIIIMay 10, 1297He corresponded secretly with Frederick III of Sicily and with Philip IV of France; and refused to surrender to the pope the fortresses that he possessedRehabilitated by Benedict XI (1303–1304) and reinstated by Clement V on December 17, 1305Pietro ColonnaNicholas IVMay 16, 1288Boniface VIIIMay 10, 1297He corresponded secretly with Frederick III of Sicily and with Philip IV of France; and refused to surrender to the pope the fortresses that he possessedRehabilitated by Benedict XI (1303–1304) and reinstated by Clement V on December 17, 1305
15th century CardinalElevating popeDate of elevationExcommunicating pope or councilDate of excommunicationReasonNotesLouis AlemanEugene IVEugene IVDecember 11, 1440Role in the Council of BaselReconciled with Nicholas VMiranda, S. 1998. "Consistory of December 19, 1449 (IV)". Florida International University.
16th century
CardinalElevating popeDate of elevationExcommunicating pope or councilDate of excommunicationReasonNotesFrancisco de BorjaAlexander VISeptember 28, 1500Julius IIOctober 24, 1511Role in the Council of PisaCardinal-nephew; Died before his conciliar colleagues reconciledMiranda, S. 1998. "Consistory of September 28, 1500 (IX)". Florida International University.Federico di SanseverinoInnocent VIIIMarch 9, 1489Julius IIOctober 24, 1511Role in the Council of PisaReconciled with Leo XMiranda, S. 1998. "Conclaves of the 16th Century (1503-1592)". Florida International University.Bernardino López de CarvajalAlexander VISeptember 20, 1493Julius IIOctober 24, 1511Role in the Council of PisaReconciled with Leo XGuillaume BriçonnetAlexander VIJanuary 16, 1495Julius IIOctober 24, 1511Role in the Council of PisaReconciled with Leo XRené de PrieJulius IIDecember 18, 1506Julius IIOctober 24, 1511Role in the Council of PisaReconciled with Leo XOdet de ColignyClement VII7 November 1533Pius IV31 March 1563Apostasy (conversion to Calvinism)Never ordained. Died in exile in England, buried in Canterbury Cathedral
18th century CardinalElevating popeDate of elevationExcommunicating pope or councilDate of excommunicationReasonNotesNiccolò CosciaBenedict XIIIJune 11, 1725Clement XIIMay 9, 1733Financial irregularitiesReconciled with Clement XIIMiranda, S. 1998. "18th Century (1700-1799)". Florida International University.
See also List of people excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church
References