Definition of "consistory" [con•sis•to•ry]

• Roman Catholic Church An assembly of cardinals presided over by the pope for the solemn promulgation of papal acts, such as the canonization of a saint. (noun)
• A governing body of a local congregation in certain Reformed churches. (noun)
• A court appointed to regulate ecclesiastical affairs in Lutheran state churches. (noun)
• An Anglican diocesan court presided over by a bishop's chancellor or commissary. (noun)
• The meeting of a consistory. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "And then, if that were not enough, the pope has called a consistory, which is a meeting of all the cardinals, cardinals being, if you want, the ministers or the number one people in the Catholic Church below the pope, of course."
• "Cardinals Win One consistory Speaking to faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on Friday to celebrate the Epiphany, the pope said he planned to elevate the prelates to the rank of cardinal during a Feb. 18 ceremony, known as a consistory."
• "Speaking to faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on Friday to celebrate the Epiphany, the pope said he planned to elevate the prelates to the rank of cardinal during a Feb. 18 ceremony, known as a consistory."