Cardinal - High ecclesiastic appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals and ranking above every other ecclesiastic but the pope.

A senior clergyman in the Roman Catholic Church, next down in rank to the Pope. The Cardinals elect a new Pope from one of their own number.

a title applied to those whom the Pope has designated papal electors should he die. They also serve as his advisors. The Cardinalate is usually conferred upon the Archbishops of major dioceses (such as Paris, Madrid, Chicago, Mexico City etc.) and also upon the heads of the Roman Curial offices. However, the Pope may give the honor to whom he wills, and John Paul II has conferred it on simply priests (eg theologian Henri de Lubac) and in history it has even been conferred on lay men. (EWTN)

Cardinal is a vivid red, which gets its name from the cassocks worn by Catholic cardinals. (wikipedia)