In pectore (Latin for "in the breast/heart") is a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret. It is most often used when there is a papal appointment to the College of Cardinals without a public announcement of the name of that cardinal. The pope reserves that name to himself. The Italian language version of the phrase – in petto – is sometimes used. When the name of a new cardinal is announced or made public, it is sometimes said to be published.
Since the practice arose in the sixteenth century its use has varied greatly. Some popes have used it rarely or not at all, while others have used it regularly. In the first half of the 19th century, Pope Gregory XVI appointed half of his 75 cardinals in pectore and left several unidentified at his death.
Inpectore (Latin for "in the breast/heart") is a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret...
non-Catholic states in Europe. Twice he was offered a bishopric and twice he refused. On 21 March 1825, Cappellari was created cardinal inpectore (published 13...
since 1439. In 1880, the pope named three cardinals "inpectore", announcing them in 1882 and 1884. In 1882, he named another cardinal inpectore, announcing...
sunt et tota inpectore capitis officia gerunt, nisi quod oculos in humeris habere dicuntur". XVII, 5 : est etiam in Brixonte insula in homines sine qua...
Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death, in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope included the construction of the...
František Tomášek and Joseph-Marie Trịnh Như Khuê "inpectore" in 1976, only announcing the former in 1977 and the latter at the 1976 consistory itself...
titular archbishop of Petra, nuncio in Portugal (inpectore published on 2 July 1832) – cardinal priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme (received the title on...
seventy that Pope Sixtus V established in 1586. The pope also reserved three additional cardinals "inpectore" in 1960 which meant he secretly named cardinals...
their titular churches and deaconries. Of the two cardinals he created inpectore, he revealed the name of Štěpán Trochta on 5 March 1973, and at the same...
created 231 cardinals in nine consistories held at roughly three-year intervals. Three of those cardinals were first created inpectore, that is, without...
made a cardinal inpectorein 1839, and in 1840 was publicly announced as cardinal-priest of Santi Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano. As in Spoleto, his episcopal...
the Henry Benedict Stuart (1747). The pope also reserved one cardinal inpectore and revealed that name at a later time, therefore validating the creation...
happened frequently at other times. Cardinals may be created inpectore ('in the breast'), in which case their identities are not publicly revealed by the...
Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death, in December 1521. Born into the prominent political and banking Medici family...
in his place. In the March 1816 consistory, the former bishop of Saint-Malo Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny was among the cardinals created inpectore in...
30 cardinals in four consistories. Innocent named twelve cardinals at his first consistory and reserved the names of two more inpectore. Giacomo Antonio...
place. In that 1542 consistory, according to Conradus Eubel, the pope is said to have reserved an undefined number of other cardinals inpectore. During...
Pope Pius XI and one name, that of the German Adolf Bertram, reserved inpectore for three years. With Europe at war, Pope Benedict created six cardinals...
consistory, by naming Adolf Bertram as a cardinal "inpectore", Benedict XV hoped not to provoke any negativity in his selection from the Allies, particularly...
synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata (in Latin). Holmiae. (Laurentii Salvii). p. 185. M. pectore nigro, recticibus duabus lateralibus dimidiato...
Croce in Gerusalemme (received the title on 19 June 1709), † 20 March 1728 Antonio Francesco Sanvitale, archbishop of Urbino (created inpectore, published...
July 1661 Scipione Pannocchieschi d’Elci, archbishop of Pisa (created inpectore, published on 29 April 1658) – cardinal-priest of S. Sabina (received...
Gherardo and Sanseverino (both created inpectore), had not been published, thus making them ineligible to participate in the conclave; however, both were published...
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