cardinal
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cardinal
A high-ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church who is appointed by the pope and has the right to take part in the election of a pope.
Der Papst hat drei neue Kardinäle ernannt.
The pope appointed three new cardinals.
Since this word has two very different meanings, context is crucial. Religious terms like 'Papst' (pope), 'Kirche' (church), or 'ernennen' (to appoint) point to the church official, while nature-related words like 'Vogel' (bird), 'Garten' (garden), or 'rot' (red) point to the bird.
Der Kardinal reiste für die wichtige Zeremonie nach Rom.
The cardinal traveled to Rome for the important ceremony.
In the church context, a cardinal is not simply elected, but appointed to his office by a higher authority, the pope. Typical verbs are therefore 'einen Kardinal ernennen' (to appoint a cardinal) or 'jemanden zum Kardinal erheben' (to elevate someone to cardinal).
Der Bischof wurde letztes Jahr zum Kardinal erhoben.
The bishop was elevated to cardinal last year.
When referring to the bird, its striking color is often mentioned. A very common combination is therefore 'der rote Kardinal' (the red cardinal). Typical verbs are 'sehen' (to see), 'beobachten' (to observe/watch), or 'hören' (to hear).
Hast du den roten Kardinal auf dem Baum gesehen?
Did you see the red cardinal in the tree?
pope
'der Papst' and 'der Kardinal' both belong to the Roman Catholic Church and refer to high-ranking church figures. The difference is their rank and role: the pope is the head of the Church and of the Vatican. A cardinal is a very high-ranking official, but he is below the pope and can take part in the election of a new pope. Learners may confuse the words because both often appear in news about the Catholic Church. As a practical rule: there is only one pope, but several cardinals.
Der Kardinal reiste nach Rom, um an wichtigen Gesprächen teilzunehmen.
The cardinal traveled to Rome to take part in important discussions.
Der Papst sprach am Sonntag vor vielen Menschen auf dem Petersplatz.
The pope spoke to many people in St. Peter's Square on Sunday.