Dean of the College of Cardinals

president of the College of Cardinals

The dean of the College of Cardinals (Latin: Decanus Collegii Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalium) is in charge over the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church. They are the primus inter pares (first among equals). The position was created in the early 12th century. He always holds the rank of a cardinal bishop

The dean is often, but not always, the longest-serving member of the whole College.[1]

In 2019, upon accepting Cardinal Angelo Sodano's resignation as dean of the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis made it that the dean would serve a five-year term that may be renewed once.[2][3]

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  1. Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF) (in Latin). Vol. IX, part II. 1917. p. 50, Canon 237. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  2. "A Letter in the form of a "Motu Proprio" regarding the Office of Dean of the College of Cardinals, 21.12.2019". 29 November 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  3. Senèze, Nicolas (21 December 2019). "Démission d'Angelo Sodano, doyen des cardinaux". La Croix (in French). Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  4. Former Pope Gregory XII of the Roman obedience
  5. Former Pisan Antipope John XXIII
  6. Although Pierre de Foix, bishop of Albano, was the most senior Cardinal-Bishop 1445–64, he was omitted in filling the post of Dean of the Sacred College, because he resided outside the Roman Curia
  7. Cardinal-bishop of Sabina. Former Antipope Felix V
  8. This cardinal is not referred to as dean by S. Miranda but his occupation of that post appears from the order of seniority
  9. He opted for the see of Ostia e Velletri in November 1503. From that time deans of the College of Cardinals usually opted for that see immediately after assuming that post, although few exceptions to this rule had occurred.
  10. Cardinal-bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina. According to L. Pastor "History of the Popes vol. XXXIV", London 1941 p. 303 and Valérie Pirie "The Triple Crown: An Account of the Papal Conclaves" he was Dean of the Sacred College in the Papal conclave, 1730. Also G. Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica da S. Pietro sino ai nostri giorni, vol. X, p. 15, affirms that he was dean of the Sacred College but never opted for the see of Ostia e Velletri.
  11. Salvador Miranda indicates that Fabrizio Serbelloni was dean of the Sacred College 1774–1775 [1], but according to G. Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica da S. Pietro sino ai nostri giorn vol. LXIV, p. 173, Serbelloni was named bishop of Ostia e Velletri on 18 April 1774 only for that reason, that Albani, who became dean at the death of Cavalchini, refused to resign the bishopric of Porto e Santa Rufina. However, Cardinal Albani eventually opted for the see of Ostia e Velletri after the death of Serbelloni in the following year