Talk:Lay cardinal

Not sure how to reformat this page, but there are two main errors. Those in minor orders were laics not clerics (cleric state began at subdiaconate - now it is upon ordination to the deaconate.

Secondly Cardinal Mertel was not a lay cardinal http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmert.html he was a deacon. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.77.194.185 (talk) 17:39, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

I agree that the article, as previously written, had muddled various relevant concepts, such as "clergy," "laity," "minor orders," and "major orders." (By the way, tonsure used to be the beginning of the clerical state; subdiaconate was the beginning of major orders). You are correct that the article's labeling of Mertel as a "lay cardinal" is misleading without further explanation, since he was quickly ordained a deacon once created cardinal. I have rewritten the article to address these concerns. Jdcompguy (talk) 20:26, 22 April 2022 (UTC)