consistory

American  

[kuhn-sis-tuh-ree] / kənˈsɪs tə ri /

noun

plural

consistories

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• consistorial adjective
• consistorian adjective
• nonconsistorial adjective

Etymology

Origin of consistory

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

Example Sentences

Francis turns 87 in December and whether he convokes another consistory next year or in 2025 depends on how long he lives.

From Reuters • Sep. 30, 2023

Two days after the August consistory, the pope will reconvene the cardinals to discuss the new Vatican constitution, which took effect on June 5.

From Washington Post • Jun. 20, 2022

In announcing the Aug. 27 consistory, Francis also announced he would host two days of talks the following week to brief the cardinals about his recent apostolic constitution reforming the Vatican bureaucracy.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 4, 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

The Holy Father in the consistory of July 6, 1855, protested vigorously against the evils and spoliation of the Church in Spain.

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