24 February 2013 | Draft
Social Science and Natural Science Disciplines of Catholic Cardinals
Analysis of the educational background of those engaged in the selection of the new Pope
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Explanation
Checklist of Catholic cardinals with disciplines
Commentary
Explanation
The election of a successor to Pope Benedict XVI in March 2013 raises the question as to the range of "disciplines" which might be called upon (or valued) by the members of the College of Cardinals, namely by those cardinals recognized as being allowed to engage in the selection process.
The following table is an extract from that presented in Wikipedia (Sortable list of living cardinals). For this purpose, the list has been sorted by ascending age in order to enable exclusion of those members of the College of Cardinals who cannot engage in the electoral process of the Papal Conclave.
Pope Paul VI limited the electors to cardinals under 80 years of age. A two-thirds supermajority vote is required to elect the new pope, which also requires acceptance from the person elected. The list should not be considered authoritative because of the complication of actual birthdays in relation to the time of the conclave, the meaning of "under", and the implication of the fact that at the age of 75 Catholic Bishops are required by canon law to submit an offer of resignation to the Pope. It is therefore unclear whether those whose resignation was accepted should be included in the following list. Those over 80 have been excluded from the table. Others eligible to attend are under pressure to decline because of their alleged complicity in the clerical sex abuse scandals, as recently summarized (Lizzy Davies, Difficult path to papal conclave as Rome prepares for new era, The Observer, 23 February 2013).
To the extracted list have been added the two columns on "social science" disciplines and "natural science" disciplines. The procedure used was to access the profiles of each of the cardinals in Wikipedia. The profiles were then scanned for reference to formal academic training. Any "disciplines" found were apportioned to either of the two columns. When this was not fully clear, the discipline was placed in parentheses. A more systematic analysis is however required. Another attempt at such a systemic analysis, focusing on the doctorates of current cardinals is available separately (Does the next Pope have an S.T.D.? Catholic Light, 16 February 2013; Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, Cardinals and their doctorates, or not, Fr. Z's blog, 18 February 2013 by ). This notes that Canon Law #378 lists several official requirements for the bishops (who may be named cardinals), and one is that he hold a doctorate or at least a licentiate in sacred Scripture, theology or canon law, from an institute of higher studies approved by the Apostolic See, or at least be well versed in these disciplines.
The implications of the table below are self-evident. The absence of disciplines from the right hand column makes it clear that very few cardinals have any formal training in the "natural sciences", most notably in mathematics. It would be an exaggeration to claim that cardinals were dangerously innumerate -- as this might however be claimed by mathematicians (or by other faiths attaching greater significance to numbers and their symbolism). See below the table for further commentary.
Checklist of Catholic cardinals with disciplines
| Checklist of Catholic cardinals with disciplines | ||||
| Cardinal | Country | Age | "Social science" disciplines |
"Natural science" disciplines |
| Cleemis, Baselios | India | 53 | theology | |
| Tagle, Luis Antonio | Philippines | 55 | theology | |
| Woelki, Rainer | Germany | 56 | theology, philosophy | |
| Eijk, Willem Jacobus | Netherlands | 59 | medical ethics | medicine |
| Marx, Reinhard | Germany | 59 | theology | |
| Erdő, Péter | Hungary | 60 | theology, canon law | |
| Barbarin, Philippe | France | 62 | (theology) | |
| Koch, Kurt | Switzerland | 62 | theology | |
| Bozanić, Josip | Croatia | 63 | theology | |
| DiNardo, Daniel | United States | 63 | theology, philosophy | |
| Dolan, Timothy Michael | United States | 63 | (theology), philosopjhy | |
| Harvey, James Michael | United States | 63 | canon law | |
| Nycz, Kazimierz | Poland | 63 | theology | |
| Robles Ortega, Francisco | Mexico | 63 | theology, philsoopjy | |
| Scherer, Odilo Pedro | Brazil | 63 | theology | |
| Burke, Raymond Leo | United States | 64 | (theology, philosophy) | |
| Turkson, Peter Kodwo Appiah | Ghana | 64 | theology | |
| Betori, Giuseppe | Italy | 65 | theology | |
| Braz de Aviz, João | Brazil | 65 | pilosophy, theology | |
| Ranjith Patabendige Don, Albert Malcolm | Sri Lanka | 65 | pilosophy, theology | |
| Collins, Thomas Christopher | Canada | 66 | theology | |
| Filoni, Fernando | Italy | 66 | phlosophy, canon law | |
| Alencherry, George | India | 67 | economics, theology, philosophy | |
| Cañizares Llovera, Antonio | Spain | 67 | theology | |
| Puljić, Vinko | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 67 | (theology) | |
| Ryłko, Stanisław | Poland | 67 | moral theology, social sciences |
|
| Sarah, Robert | Guinea | 67 | theology | |
| Gracias, Oswald | India | 68 | philosophy, theology | |
| Njue, John | Kenya | 68 | philosophy, pastoral theology | |
| O'Malley, Seán Patrick | United States | 68 | religious education | |
| Ouellet, Marc | Canada | 68 | philosophy, dogmatic theology | |
| Pengo, Polycarp | Tanzania | 68 | moral theology | |
| Piacenza, Mauro | Italy | 68 | (theology), canon law | |
| Ricard, Jean-Pierre | France | 68 | philosophy, theology | |
| Schönborn, Christoph, OP | Austria | 68 | theology, philosphy, psychology | |
| Cipriani Thorne, Juan Luis | Peru | 69 | theology | industrial engineering |
| Comastri, Angelo | Italy | 69 | sacred theology | |
| Dominik Duka | 69 | theology | ||
| Onaiyekan, John | Nigeria | 69 | religious studies | |
| Sandri, Leonardo | Argentina | 69 | philosophy, theology | |
| Sepe, Crescenzio | Italy | 69 | philosophy, theology, canon law | |
| Tauran, Jean-Louis | France | 69 | philosophy, theology, canon law | |
| Versaldi, Giuseppe | Italy | 69 | psychology, canon law | |
| Bagnasco, Angelo | Italy | 70 | theology, metaphysics | |
| Bertello, Giuseppe | Italy | 70 | pastoral theology, canon law | |
| Calcagno, Domenico | Italy | 70 | dogmatic theology | |
| Ravasi, Gianfranco | Italy | 70 | theology | |
| Rivera Carrera, Norberto | Mexico | 70 | theology, ecclesiology | |
| Rodríguez Maradiaga, Oscar Andrés, SDB | Honduras | 70 | theology, theology, clinical psychologyy, psychotherapy | |
| Salazar Gómez, Rúben | Colombia | 70 | dogmatic theology | |
| Urosa Savino, Jorge | Venezuela | 70 | philosophy, theology | |
| Vingt-Trois, André | France | 70 | moral theology | |
| Napier, Wilfrid Fox | South Africa | 71 | (theology) | |
| Pell, George | Australia | 71 | sacred theology, philosophy | |
| Scola, Angelo | Italy | 71 | theology, philosophy | |
| Zubeir Wako, Gabriel | Sudan | 71 | (theology) | |
| al-Rahi, Bechara Boutros | Lebanon | 72 | (theology) | |
| Vallini, Agostino | Italy | 72 | theology, canon law, civil law |
|
| Wuerl, Donald William | United States | 72 | theology, philosopjhy | |
| Brady, Seán | Ireland Northern Ireland |
73 | sacred theology | |
| Dziwisz, Stanisław | Poland | 73 | philosophy, theology | |
| Grocholewski, Zenon | Poland | 73 | (theology), (canon law) | |
| Monsengwo Pasinya, Laurent | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 73 | philosophy, biblical studies | |
| O'Brien, Edwin Frederick | United States | 73 | (theology) | |
| Tong Hon, John | Hong Kong | 73 | philosophy | |
| Toppo, Telesphore | India | 73 | (theology) | |
| Amato, Angelo, SDB | Italy | 74 | philosophy, theology | |
| Caffarra, Carlo | Italy | 74 | moral theology, medical ethics | |
| Coccopalmerio, Francesco | Italy | 74 | theology, canon law | |
| Monteiro de Castro, Manuel | Portugal | 74 | philosophy, theology | |
| O'Brien, Keith Michael Patrick | Scotland | 74 | theology, education | chemistry, science, mathematics |
| Martínez Sistach, Lluís | Spain | 75 | canon law, civil law | |
| Nicora, Attilio | Italy | 75 | canon law, theology | |
| Romeo, Paolo | Italy | 75 | canon law, theology | |
| Vegliò, Antonio Maria | Italy | 75 | (theology), diplomacy | |
| Antonelli, Ennio | Italy | 76 | sacred theology | |
| Bačkis, Audrys Juozas | Lithuania | 76 | philosophy, canon law | |
| Bergoglio, Jorge Mario | Argentina | 76 | philosophy, psychology, theology | [see addendum] |
| Damasceno Assis, Raymundo | Brazil | 76 | (theology) | philosophy of science |
| Dias, Ivan | India | 76 | (theology), canon law | |
| George, Francis Eugene | United States | 76 | theology | |
| Lehmann, Karl | Germany | 76 | philosophy, theology | |
| López Rodríguez, Nicolas de Jesús | Dominican Republic | 76 | social science | |
| Mahony, Roger Michael | United States | 76 | social work | |
| Okogie, Anthony Olubumni | Nigeria | 76 | sacred theology | |
| Ortega y Alamino, Jaime Lucas | Cuba | 76 | (theology) | |
| Policarpo, José | Portugal | 76 | theology | |
| Rouco Varela, Antonio María | Spain | 76 | theology, canon law, ecclesiastical law | |
| Sarr, Théodore-Adrien | Senegal | 76 | philosophy, theology | |
| Terrazas Sandoval, Julio | Bolivia | 76 | social ministry | |
| Turcotte, Jean-Claude | Canada | 76 | social ministry | |
| Abril y Castelló, Santos | Spain | 77 | social sciences, canon law | |
| Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, Andrea | Italy | 77 | theology, philosophy, canon law |
architecture |
| De Paolis, Velasio | Italy | 77 | canon law | |
| Naguib, Antonios | Egypt | 77 | theology | |
| Rigali, Justin Francis | United States | 77 | philosophy, theology | |
| Amigo Vallejo, Carlos, OFM | Spain | 78 | philosophy, psychology | |
| Bertone, Tarcisio | Italy | 78 | moral theology, canon law | |
| Cordes, Paul Josef | Germany | 78 | philosophy | (medicine) |
| Hummes, Cláudio | Brazil | 78 | theology | |
| Lajolo, Giovanni | Italy | 78 | philosophjy, theology, canon law | |
| Monterisi, Francesco | Italy | 78 | diplomacy, theology, canon law | |
| Phạm Minh Mẫn, Jean-Baptiste | Viet Nam | 78 | (theology) | |
| Rode, Franc | Slovenia | 78 | theology, missionology | |
| Sardi, Paolo | taly | 78 | theology, canon law, jurisprudence | |
| Tettamanzi, Dionigi | Italy | 78 | theology | |
| Agnelo, Geraldo Majella | Brazil | 79 | liturgy, sacramental theology |
|
| Danneels, Godfried | Belgium | 79 | philosophy, theology, liturgy | |
| Errázuriz Ossa, Francisco Javier | Chile | 79 | philosophy, theology | mathematics |
| Farina, Raffaele | Italy | 79 | theology | |
| Kasper, Walter | Germany | 79 | dogmatic theology | |
| Meisner, Joachim | Germany | 79 | theology | |
| Poletto, Severino | Italy | 79 | moral theology | |
| Re, Giovanni Battista | Italy | 79 | (theology) | |
| Sandoval Iñiguez, Juan | Mexico | 79 | (theology) | |
| Vela Chiriboga, Raúl Eduardo | Ecuador | 79 | (theology) | |
| Arinze, Francis | Nigeria | 80 | philosophy, sacred theology | |
| Egan, Edward Michael | United States | 80 | philosophy, sacred theology | |
| Lozano Barragán, Javier | Mexico | 80 | theology | |
| Martino, Renato Raffaele | taly | 80 | canon law | |
| Rosales, Gaudencio | Philippines | 80 | (theology) | (medicine) |
| Rubiano Sáenz, Pedro | Colombia | 80 | (theology) | |
| Scheid, Eusébio Oscar | Brazil | 80 | sacred theology, liturgy dogmatic theology | |
| Schwery, Henri | Switzerland | 80 | theology, philosophy | mathematics, theoretical physics, |
| Stafford, James Francis | United States | 80 | sacred theology | medicine |
| Vlk, Miloslav | Czech Republic | 80 | theology | archival science |
Addendum (following election of Pope Francis in March 2013): Wikipedia reported that he graduated from the technical secondary school Escuelas Técnicas Nã‚â?° 27, Hipólito Yrigoyen with the qualification of chemical technician. According to some sources (not including the Vatican, according to Wikipedia), he earned a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires. This information was also echoed by Hank Campbell (Francis: Pope, Chemist, Science 2.0, 13 March 2013).
Commentary
Curiously a significant number of cardinals are the product of many-children families. Such considerations reinforce arguments regarding the lack of ability of the Catholic Church to assess the numerical evidence regarding the ever-increasing world population and the ever-diminishing availability of resources: land, food, energy, etc. (Begetting: challenges and responsibilities of overpopulation, 2007). Put bluntly, it would appear that there is an institutionalized inability to count (Institutionalized Shunning of Overpopulation: challenge incommunicability of fundamentally inconvenient truth, 2008).
With regard to the other natural sciences, the evident lack of formal training is however relevant to the separate argument regarding the value of new insights from chemistry and physics into relationships (Bonding with an "other" articulated through the language of molecular bonding, 2012), especially regarding the nature of that bond (Subtler insights into the "chemistry" of the marriage bond, 2012; Ionic marriage versus Covalent marriage?, 2012).
It is curious to note, in the Wikipedia profiles of the cardinal,s that a degree of emphasis is given to the number of natural languages spoken by each. Clearly this capacity is considered significant to the roles cardinals are expected to perform and their capacity to communicate across cultures. However, disciplines may also be considered as languages. It is striking how few disciplines are represented in what amounts to a table of cognitive competence of those from whom guidance in world governance is expected. With theology as a traditional branch of philosophy, it might be stated that in disciplinary terms the College of Cardinals constitutes an essentially monolingual or unilingual culture.
The difficulty in assessing the competence of the cardinals in any discipline suggests that little value is attached to their capacity to function in the interdisciplinary environment presumably necessary to any adequate response to current and future global crises. Any claim that theology is essentially integrative, through being "transdisciplinary" (and primarily focused on the "transcendent"), would then merit careful examination. This apparent lack of capacity is appropriately echoed by the unfruitful outcomes of the various interfaith initiatives undertaken by the Catholic Church -- and the consequence for faith-based conflicts thereby exacerbated around the world.
As separately argued, the fundamental insights of the natural sciences into relationships and order of every form suggest that many theological preoccupations could be fruitfully informed by those languages through the neglected discipline of mathematical theology (Mathematical Theology: future science of confidence in belief, 2011). This might fruitfully enable interdisciplinary, intercultural and interfaith initiatives for the future.
There are surprisingly unexplored correspondences between mathematics and theology, as suggested by the language used in their framing of their most fundamental insights regarding higher degrees of order: transfinite, transcendental, infinite, aleph, and the like (Theories of Correspondences -- and potential equivalences between them in correlative thinking, 2007). The issue is how, through their complementarity, collective insight can be used to elicit more integrative approaches, of requisite credibility, to the strategic challenges of governance in this period. Absent, as yet, is a fruitful mapping of the array of disciplines and their relationship to the array of mathematical insights.
It is however very improbable that appreciation of the perspectives of a wider variety of disciplines will be considered of any relevance in the Papal Conclave (Cardinals seek identikit for new pope, Reuters, 17 February 2013)
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