consistory

American  

[kuhn-sis-tuh-ree] / kənˈsɪs tə ri /

noun

consistories plural

1. any of various ecclesiastical councils or tribunals.

2. the place where such a council or tribunal meets.

3. the meeting of any such body.

4. Roman Catholic Church. a solemn assembly of the whole body of cardinals, summoned and presided over by the pope.

5. Anglican Church. a diocesan court for dealing with ecclesiastical and spiritual questions, held in the cathedral church and presided over by the bishop, the bishop's chancellor, or the commissary.

6. (in certain Reformed churches) the governing board of a local church or congregation.

7. any assembly or council.

8. Obsolete. a council chamber.

---

consistory British  

/ ˌkɒnsɪˈstɔːrɪəl, kənˈsɪstərɪ /

noun

1. Church of England

   1. the court of a diocese (other than Canterbury) administering ecclesiastical law

   2. the area in a church where the consistory meets

2. RC Church an assembly of the cardinals and the pope

3. (in certain Reformed Churches) the governing body of a local congregation or church

4. archaic a council or assembly

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• consistorial
  adjective
• consistorian
  adjective
• nonconsistorial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• consistories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of consistory

1275–1325; Middle English consistorie < Anglo-French < Late Latin consistōrium meeting place, equivalent to Latin consist ( ere ) ( see consist) + -( t ) ōrium -tory ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consistory consistories

At a ceremony in St. Peter's Square known as a consistory, Francis "created" 21 new cardinals, the red-hatted "princes of the Church" who are his closest advisers at the Vatican and around the world.

From Reuters ● Sep. 30, 2023

After the consistory, those from Europe will account for 42% of the College of Cardinals, compared to 52% in 2013, when Francis’ pontificate began.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 27, 2022

Van Looy had been one of 21 individuals Francis selected for the honor, a move that will be formalized — for the other 20 — during a consistory in August.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 17, 2022

Here is a list of the 21 men Pope Francis will install as Roman Catholic cardinals at a ceremony known as a consistory on Aug. 27.

From Reuters ● May 29, 2022

In the secret consistory, the Holy Father again referred to the insulting measures of the separation law.

From The War Upon Religion Being an Account of the Rise and Progress of Anti-christianism in Europe by Cunningham, Francis A. (Francis Aloysius)

But Pope Francis has now held eight consistories — gatherings of cardinals — to create new ones over the last nine years, and Gomez hasn’t even been whispered about as a contender.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2022

Popes don’t normally call for consistories at the end of summer, when Rome is still in vacation shutdown mode.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 7, 2022

In making his selections, now and in previous consistories, Francis has been upending centuries of tradition by choosing cardinals from cities that have never before had cardinals.

From New York Times ● May 29, 2022

Usually, consistories are full of parties and crowds, with days of receptions, Masses and dinners for the new cardinals and their friends.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 28, 2020

All communal and cultural affairs shall be put in charge of "directorates," one central directorate in Warsaw and local ones in every province of the Kingdom, after the pattern of the Jewish consistories of France.

From History of the Jews in Russia and Poland. Volume II From the death of Alexander I. until the death of Alexander III. (1825-1894) by Friedlaender, I.