The dean of the College of Cardinals () presides over the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, serving as primus inter pares (first among equals). The position was established in the 12th century. He always holds the rank of a cardinal bishop, and is assisted by a vice-dean. Both are elected by and from the cardinal bishops who are not Eastern Catholic patriarchs, with their election subject to papal confirmation. Except for presiding over the college, the dean and vice-dean have no power over the other cardinals. In the order of precedence in the Catholic Church, the dean and vice-dean, as the two most senior cardinals, are placed second and third, respectively, after the pope.
It had been customary for centuries for the longest-serving of the six cardinal bishops of suburbicarian sees to be the dean. This was required by canon law from 1917 until 1965, when Pope Paul VI empowered the six to elect the dean from among their number. This election was a formality until the time of Pope John Paul II.
In 2019, upon accepting Cardinal Angelo Sodano's resignation as dean of the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis established that the dean would henceforth serve a five-year term that may be renewed once. Sodano received the title "dean emeritus" upon resigning on 21 December 2019. In anticipation of the election of Sodano's successor, Francis said: "I am hoping they will elect someone who can carry this important responsibility full time." Previously, the dean held the position until death or resignation; there was no mandatory age of retirement.
Responsibilities
The dean summons the conclave for the purposes of electing a new pope following a death or resignation. The Dean presides over the daily meetings of the College of Cardinals in advance of the conclave and then presides over the conclave if his age does not prohibit his participation. The dean also has the responsibility of communicating the "news of the Pope's death to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See and to the Heads of the respective Nations". He is the public face of the Holy See until a new pope is elected. If he participates in the conclave, the dean asks the pope-elect if he accepts the election, and then asks the new pope what name he wishes to use. If the dean himself is elected pope, the afore mentioned tasks are assumed by the sub-dean of the College of Cardinals. If the newly elected pope is not already a bishop, the dean ordains him a bishop.
The dean has "the title of the diocese of Ostia, together with that of any other church to which he already has a title," such as his suburbicarian diocese. This has been the case since 1914, by decree of Pope Pius X—previous deans had given up their suburbicarian see and taken the joint title of Ostia and Velletri, which were separated in that same 1914 decree.
Deans elected pope
Nine Deans have been elected pope: Corrado Demitri, elected in 1153 as Pope Anastasius IV Ubaldo Allucingoli, elected Pope Lucius III in 1181 Ugolino di Conti was elected Pope Gregory IX in 1227 Rinaldo di Jenne was elected Pope Alexander IV in 1254 Pedro Julião was elected Pope John XXI in September 1276 Rodrigo Borgia was elected Pope Alexander VI in 1492 Alessandro Farnese was elected Pope Paul III in 1534 Gian Pietro Carafa was elected Pope Paul IV in May 1555 Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005
List of deans
The following is the list of deans of the Sacred College of Cardinals, separated into three groups to account for the Western Schism, which ended after the Council of Constance. The earliest attested reference to the "College of Cardinals" is at the Council of Reims in 1148.
Each name in the following list includes years of birth and death, then comma-separated years of cardinalate and deanship.
Before the Western Schism
12th century
Pietro Senex (d. 1134) (1102, before 1130) Guillaume (d. 1137/39) (1122, 1130) Corrado della Suburra (1073–1154) (1114, 1137/39) Elected Pope Anastasius IV in 1153 Imar of Tusculum (d. 1161) (1142, 1153, deposed 1159) Gregorio de Suburra (d. 1163) (1140, 1159) Ubaldo Allucingoli (1097–1185) (1138, 1163) Elected Pope Lucius III in 1181 Conrad of Wittelsbach (1120/25–1200) (1165, 1181)