Until late in the Middle Ages the title of cardinal was given to prominent priests of important churches, e.g., at Constantinople, Milan, Ravenna, Naples, Sens, Trier, Magdeburg, and Cologne. In keeping with this custom we find the term Cardinalis applied at Rome from the end of the fifth century to priests permanently attached to the (twenty-five to twenty-eight) Roman tituli, or quasi-parishes (quasi diæceses), belonging to the church of the Bishop of Rome, the pope;therefore to the Cardo ecclesia par excellence in which tituli the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance were administered, and which were also often called tituli cardinales. In the course of time and according as the papal headship of the Church manifested itself more and more, the volume of ecclesiastical and temporal business increased greatly at Rome, in consequence of which the popes called in neighbouring bishops to represent them at episcopal functions and to aid them with their counsel. They also followed the custom, widespread in the early medieval period, of dealing with the important questions in synodal meetings. (New Advent Article on the history of Cardinals)
Hallowedground 
Piero Marini will be appointed cardinal.
Will he? Sad news indeed. Too bad not Guido Marini. Well, for every one bad apple, you get a good: Arch. Burke will probably be made a cardinal now also.
Humboldt,
Where did you read this??
I haven’t heard it. All presidents of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses have been cardinals.
Woah!
Wait a sec!
Will you stop putting my humble webpage to shame?
Seriously: Killer pics! Thanks a lot!
P.S.: Are you sure that the 4th photo from the bottom shows a cardinal? It does look like a bishop’s biretta and cappa (sorry for nitpicking).
Leo, do you mean the Montreal Eucharistic congress pic? I think it is a Cardinal, but then again you know your stuff. If I’m wrong nobody will ever know (unless they read the comments!)
No, the Montreal Eucharistic Congress is Cardinal Vannutelli. I mean the 4th from bottom, with the ermine and the trousers showing. The biretta has a pompom and the train doesn’t look like watered silk.
And, of course, I’m not gonna tell 😉
Cyril Cowderoy, and yeah, I just checked, not a Cardinal. Man, I butchered this post!
Cardinal Piero Marini?
Oh wonderful.
Maybe, since it hasn’t happened yet, it might not happen for a while yet, right???
Cardinal Serédi Jusztinián Esztergom, Hungary