a term commonly used to denote a council-house of ecclesiastical persons, or place of justice in the spiritual court, and also a session or assembly of prelates.

Consistory, at Rome, denotes the college of cardinals, or the pope's senate and council, before which causes are pleaded. Du Cange derives the word from consistorium, that is, locus ubi consistitur; a vestibule, gallery, or antichamber, where the courtiers wait for admission, and so called a consistente multitudine.

The consistory is the first court, or tribunal of Rome, and never meets, except when the pope chooses to convene it. The pope presides in it in person, mounted on a magnificent throne, and habited in his pontifical robes; whilst on the right are the cardinal-bishops and priests, and on the left the cardinal-deacons. The place where it is held is a large hall in the apostolic palace, where princes and ambassadors of kings are received. The rest of the prelates, the protonotaries, auditors of the rota, and other officers, are seated on the steps of the throne; whilst the courtiers sit on the ground, ambassadors on the right, and consistorial and fiscal advocates behind the cardinals.

Besides the public, there is also a private consistory, held in a retired chamber, and called the chamber of pepegay, where the pope's throne is only raised two steps high. Nobody is admitted except the cardinals, whose opinions are collected, and called sentences. Here are first proposed and passed all bulls for bishoprics, abbeys, and the like; and hence bishoprics and abbeys are said to be consistorial benefices, because they must be proposed in the consistory, the annates paid to the pope; and his bulls taken. Anciently they were elective; but by the concordat, which abolishes elections, they are appointed to be collated by the pope alone, on the nomination of the prince.

Consistory is also used in the reformed church to signify a council or assembly of ministers and elders, convened in order to regulate matters of discipline, and other church affairs.

Court Christian, in the English law, is a council of ecclesiastical persons, or the place of justice in an ecclesiastical or spiritual court. Every archbishop and bishop has a consistorial court, which is held before his chancellor or commissary, either in his cathedral, or in some chapel, aisle, or portico, belonging thereto, or in some other convenient place of his diocese, for the trial of ecclesiastical causes.