In pectore

In pectore (Latin for "in the breast/heart"; pronounced /ɪn ˈpɛktɒrɛ/) is a term used in the Catholic Church to refer to appointments to the College of Cardinals by the Pope whose names are not publicly revealed (hence reserved by the Pope "in his bosom"). This right of the pope is rarely exercised, usually in circumstances where the pope wants to make a statement for later historians about the honour due a particular cleric, while not wanting to endanger that same cleric in his present circumstances of persecution.

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Popes may choose to keep cardinals' identities secret out of consideration for:

Cardinals appointed in pectore are not necessarily informed of their status, and their cardinalate is calculated from the time of appointment rather than the announcement of that fact. Such an appointee cannot function as cardinal until his appointment is publicly announced, which once done, affords him enjoyment of seniority in the College. This includes eligibility to participate in papal conclaves, which is only permissible if they are publicly named by the Pope before his death. Should a pope fail to do so, the cardinalate of an appointee ceases upon the appointing pontiff's death. Four popes, Innocent X,Benedict XIV, Gregory XVI and Pius IX, were originally created as cardinals in pectore but all were published quite soon afterward.