List of titular churches
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In the Catholic Church, a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal is assigned a titular church in Rome, Italy. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary designations signifying the relationship between cardinals and the pope, the bishop of Rome.[1][2] According to the Code of Canon Law, a cardinal may assist his titular church through counsel or patronage, although "he has no power of governance over it, and he should not for any reason interfere in matters concerning the administration of its good, or its discipline, or the service of the church".[3]
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There are two ranks of titular churches: titles and deaconries. A title (Latin: titulus) is a titular church that is assigned to a cardinal priest, whereas a deaconry (Latin: diaconia) is normally assigned to a cardinal deacon.[a][3] A cardinal may request that he be transferred to another titular church in a consistory; in addition, when a cardinal deacon opts to become a cardinal priest (usually after ten years), he may request either that his deaconry be elevated pro hac vice ('for this occasion') to a title or that he be transferred from his deaconry to a vacant title.[2][3] Occasionally, a titular church may be retained in commendam ('in trust') by a cardinal who has been transferred to another titular church or a suburbicarian diocese.[2][5]
If a cardinal priest or a cardinal deacon is later made a cardinal bishop, he may be transferred from his deaconry or titular church and assigned the title of a suburbicarian diocese in the vicinity of Rome.[b] The only cardinals who are assigned neither a titular church nor the title of a suburbicarian diocese are patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches: their respective patriarchates are considered to be their titles.[3][8][c]
As of 22 March 2026,[update] there are 255 extant titular churches, 184 of which are titles and 71 of which are deaconries, and 7 suburbicarian dioceses. Currently, 20 titular churches (13 titles and 7 deaconries) are vacant. The tables below also indicate the 58 titular churches (45 titles and 13 deaconries) that are designated as basilicas.
Titles
As of 22 March 2026,[update] there are 184 titles, thirteen of which are vacant.
Deaconries
As of 30 June 2025,[update] there are 71 deaconries, seven of which are vacant.
Suburbicarian dioceses
As many as six cardinal bishops may be assigned titles not to a titular church or deaconry but instead to suffragan dioceses known as suburbicarian dioceses. These are dioceses located within the ecclesiastical province of the Diocese of Rome. Suburbicarian dioceses are not titular churches, but serve a similar function as honorary assignments that signify the cardinals' relationship with the pope.[259]
Since 1914, the title of a seventh suburbicarian diocese, that of Ostia, has been assigned ex officio to the dean of the College of Cardinals, in addition to that of his first suburbicarian diocese.[3][260]
| Suburbicarian diocese | Cardinal | Since | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albano | Luis Antonio Tagle | 24 May 2025 | [261] |
| Frascati | Tarcisio Bertone | 10 May 2008 | [262][263] |
| Ostia | Giovanni Battista Re | 18 January 2020 | [264][265] |
| Palestrina | José Saraiva Martins | 24 February 2009 | [250][266] |
| Porto–Santa Rufina | Beniamino Stella | 1 May 2020 | [267][268] |
| Sabina–Poggio Mirteto | Giovanni Battista Re | 1 October 2002 | [264][269] |
| Velletri–Segni | Francis Arinze | 25 April 2005 | [270][271] |
See also
Notes
- The body of all cardinals, collectively known as the College of Cardinals, is divided into three orders: cardinal bishops, cardinal priests and cardinal deacons, with precedence in that sequence.[3][4]
- On occasion, cardinal priests or cardinal deacons may be "co-opted" as cardinal bishops without being transferred from their titular churches or deaconries. This first occurred on 28 June 2018, with no change to the status of three titular churches and one deaconry when their assigned cardinals being made cardinal bishops.[6] On 1 May 2020, one titular church was unchanged in similar circumstances.[7]
- As of 28 March 2022,[update] two Eastern Catholic patriarchs are cardinals: Béchara Boutros Raï[9] and Louis Raphaël I Sako.[10]
- Of suburbicarian rank pro hac vice since 28 June 2018
- Created a cardinal on 21 February 1998; transferred from the deaconry of Gesù Buon Pastore alla Montagnola
- Created a cardinal on 25 May 1985; transferred from the deaconry of Sant'Eugenio
- Originally created a cardinal in pectore on 21 February 1998
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 3 May 2021
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 1 July 2024
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 4 March 2022
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 19 May 2018
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 19 May 2018
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 20 May 2006
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 12 June 2014
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 20 June 2016
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 21 February 2011
- Elevated pro hac vice to a title on 24 February 2009
