I noticed that CNN and Fox News use the former, and MSNBC uses the latter. Is there a correct way to insert “Cardinal” into the name of a Roman Catholic official? Or is either one proper?
There have been a lot of threads on this topic. You can dig them all up to listen to everybody say that it’s just a matter of style and there is no right answer.
Except for the people who firmly believe that their style is correct.
John Cardinal Doe is the formal traditional usage. Cardinal John Doe is the more informal modern usage. Using cardinal between one’s given name and one’s surname was a parellel to titles of nobility (Edward, Duke of Windsor) since cardinal are regarded as princes of the church. Alot of media outlets consider the traditional usage archaic, but I’ve seen old news reports from the 70s (on MSNBC!) that used Karol Cardinal Wojtyła.
Actually, I thought I’d posted this in the thread I started or maybe I found it through there. To recap:
I don’t buy “analogy with noble titles” since William, Lord Kelvin was born William Thompson and also there’s a comma added.
I don’t buy “originated before last names” because so did archbishop, which goes at the front of the name.
I don’t but “analogy with Latin” for similar reasons.
I do, however, at least tentatively buy this:
There’s the historical reason.