Giovanni Battista Re, the incumbent dean

The dean of the College of Cardinals (Latin:Decanus Collegii Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalium) presides over the College of Cardinals in the 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.

For centuries, the cardinal bishop who had been a bishop of a suburbicarian see the longest was the dean. This custom became a requirement with the canon law of 1917. On 26 February 1965, Pope Paul VI empowered the cardinal bishops to elect the dean from among their number. Both the dean and subdean must reside in Rome.

Until December 2019, the dean held the position until death or resignation; there was no mandatory age of retirement. Then, 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. In anticipation of the election of a new dean, Francis said: "I am hoping they will elect someone who can carry this important responsibility full time." Nevertheless, on 6 February 2025, the Pope extended indefinitely Cardinal Re's mandate as dean.

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 unless his age prohibits 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 aforementioned 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:

  1. Corrado Demitri, elected Pope Anastasius IV in 1153
  2. Ubaldo Allucingoli, elected Pope Lucius III in 1181
  3. Ugolino di Conti was elected Pope Gregory IX in 1227
  4. Rinaldo di Jenne was elected Pope Alexander IV in 1254
  5. Pedro Julião was elected Pope John XXI in September 1276
  6. Roderic de Borja was elected Pope Alexander VI in 1492
  7. Alessandro Farnese was elected Pope Paul III in 1534
  8. Gian Pietro Carafa was elected Pope Paul IV in May 1555
  9. 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

13th century

14th century

During the Western Schism

The obedience of Rome (1378–1415) Tommaso da Frignano (1305–1381) (1378) Francesco Moricotti Prignano (d. 1394) (1378, 1381) Philippe d'Alençon (1338–1397) (1378, 1394) Pietro Pileo di Prata (1330–1400) (1378, 1397) Angelo Acciaioli (1349–1408) (1384, 1405) Enrico Minutoli (d. 1412) (1389, 1408) Antonio Correr (1369–1445) (1408, 1415)The obedience of Avignon (1378–1429) Ange de Grimoard (until 1388) Pietro Corsini (1335–1405) (1370, 1388) Gui de Malsec (d. 1412) (1375, 1405, deposed 1409, retained the post in the obedience of Pisa) Jean Flandrin (after 1301–1415) (1390, 1405) Julián Lobera y Valtierra (d. 1435) (1423, 1429)The obedience of Pisa (1409–1415) Gui de Malsec (until 1412) Jean Allarmet de Brogny (1342–1426) (1385, 1415)

After the Council of Constance

15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

ImageName of incumbentLife datesCardinalateDeanshipNotes
BirthDeath and age
Emmanuel–Theodose de Bouillon24 August 16432 March 1715(1715-03-02)(aged71)5 August 1669 by Pope Clement IX15 December 1700 – 2 March 1715 (14years, 77days)Died in office
Nicolò Acciaioli6 July 163023 February 1719(1719-02-23)(aged88)29 November 1669 by Pope Clement IX18 March 1715 – 23 February 1719 (3years, 342days)Died in office
Fulvio Astalli29 July 165514 January 1721(1721-01-14)(aged65)2 September 1686 by Pope Innocent XI26 April 1719 – 14 January 1721 (1year, 263days)Died in office
Sebastiano Antonio Tanara10 April 16505 May 1724(1724-05-05)(aged74)21 May 1696 by Pope Innocent XII3 March 1721 – 5 May 1724 (3years, 63days)Died in office
Francesco del Giudice7 December 164710 October 1725(1725-10-10)(aged77)13 February 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII12 June 1724 – 10 October 1725 (1year, 120days)Died in office
Fabrizio Paolucci2 April 165112 June 1726(1726-06-12)(aged75)19 December 1698 by Pope Innocent XII19 November 1725 – 12 June 1726 (205days)Died in office
Francesco Pignatelli6 February 165215 December 1734(1734-12-15)(aged82)17 December 1703 by Pope Clement XI12 June 1726 – 15 December 1734 (8years, 156days)Died in office. Declined to become Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia, as was traditionally held by the dean.
Francesco Barberini12 November 166217 August 1738(1738-08-17)(aged75)13 November 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII15 December 1734 – 17 August 1738 (3years, 246days)Died in office
Pietro Ottoboni2 July 166723 February 1740(1740-02-23)(aged72)7 November 1689 by Pope Alexander VIII3 September 1738 – 23 February 1740 (1year, 173days)Died in office
Tommaso Ruffo15 September 166316 February 1753(1753-02-16)(aged89)17 May 1706 by Pope Clement XI29 August 1740 – 16 February 1753 (12years, 171days)Died in office
Pier Luigi Carafa4 July 167715 December 1755(1755-12-15)(aged78)20 September 1728 by Pope Benedict XIII9 April 1753 – 15 December 1755 (2years, 250days)Died in office
Rainiero d'Elci7 March 167022 July 1761(1761-07-22)(aged91)20 December 1737 by Pope Clement XII12 January 1756 – 22 June 1761 (5years, 191days)Died in office
Giuseppe Spinelli1 February 169412 April 1763(1763-04-12)(aged69)17 January 1735 by Pope Clement XII17 July 1761 – 12 April 1763 (1year, 269days)Died in office
Carlo Alberto Guidoboni Cavalchini26 July 16837 March 1774(1774-03-07)(aged90)9 September 1743 by Pope Benedict XIV16 May 1763 – 7 March 1774 (10years, 295days)Died in office
Gian Francesco Albani26 February 172015 September 1803(1803-09-15)(aged83)10 April 1747 by Pope Benedict XIV18 December 1775 – 15 September 1803 (27years, 271days)Died in office. Longest deanship.

19th century

ImageName of incumbentLife datesCardinalateDeanshipNotes
BirthDeath and age
Henry Benedict Stuart6 March 172513 July 1807(1807-07-13)(aged82)3 July 1747 by Pope Benedict XIV26 September 1803 – 13 July 1807 (3years, 290days)Died in office. Longest total cardinalate
Leonardo Antonelli6 November 173023 January 1811(1811-01-23)(aged80)24 April 1775 by Pope Pius VI3 August 1807 – 23 January 1811 (3years, 173days)Died in office
Alessandro Mattei20 February 174420 April 1820(1820-04-20)(aged76)12 July 1779 by Pope Pius VI26 September 1814 – 20 April 1820 (5years, 207days)Died in office. Vacancy caused by his exile by Napoleon.
Giulio Maria della Somaglia29 July 17442 April 1830(1830-04-02)(aged85)1 June 1795 by Pope Pius VII29 May 1820 – 2 April 1830 (9years, 308days)Died in office
Bartolomeo Pacca27 December 175619 April 1844(1844-04-19)(aged87)23 February 1801 by Pope Pius VII5 July 1830 – 19 April 1844 (13years, 289days)Died in office
Ludovico Micara12 October 177524 May 1847(1847-05-24)(aged71)20 December 1824 by Pope Leo XII17 June 1844 – 24 May 1847 (2years, 341days)Died in office
Vincenzo Macchi30 August 177030 September 1860(1860-09-30)(aged90)2 October 1826 by Pope Leo XII11 June 1847 – 30 September 1860 (3years, 319days)Died in office
Mario Mattei6 September 17927 October 1870(1870-10-07)(aged78)2 July 1832 by Pope Gregory XVI30 September 1860 – 7 October 1870 (9years, 305days)Died in office
Costantino Patrizi Naro4 September 179817 December 1876(1876-12-17)(aged78)23 June 1834 by Pope Gregory XVI8 October 1870 – 17 December 1876 (6years, 70days)Died in office
Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso20 June 179630 March 1878(1878-03-30)(aged81)19 May 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI12 March 1877 – 30 March 1878 (9years, 177days)Died in office
Camillo di Pietro10 January 18066 March 1884(1884-03-06)(aged78)19 December 1853 by Pope Pius IX15 July 1878 – 6 March 1884 (5years, 235days)Died in office
Carlo Sacconi9 May 180825 February 1889(1889-02-25)(aged80)27 September 1861 by Pope Pius IX24 March 1884 – 25 February 1889 (4years, 338days)Died in office
Raffaele Monaco La Valletta23 February 182714 July 1896(1896-07-14)(aged69)13 March 1868 by Pope Pius IX24 May 1889 – 14 July 1896 (7years, 51days)Died in office
Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano9 July 18287 December 1913(1913-12-07)(aged85)22 December 1873 by Pope Pius IX30 November 1896 – 7 December 1913 (17years, 7days)Died in office

20th century

ImageName of incumbentLife datesCardinalateDeanshipNotes
BirthDeath and age
Serafino Vannutelli26 November 183419 August 1915(1915-08-19)(aged80)14 March 1887 by Pope Leo XIII7 December 1913 – 19 August 1915 (1year, 255days)Died in office
Vincenzo Vannutelli5 December 18369 July 1930(1930-07-09)(aged93)30 December 1889 by Pope Leo XIII6 December 1915 – 9 July 1930 (14years, 215days)Died in office
Gennaro di Belmonte10 April 185116 February 1948(1948-02-16)(aged96)27 November 1911 by Pope Pius X9 July 1930 – 16 February 1948 (17years, 222days)Died in office
Francesco Selvaggiani1 October 187113 January 1951(1951-01-13)(aged79)30 June 1930 by Pope Pius XI21 June 1948 – 13 January 1951 (2years, 206days)Died in office
Eugène Tisserant24 March 188421 February 1972(1972-02-21)(aged87)15 June 1936 by Pope Pius XI13 January 1951 – 21 February 1972 (21years, 39days)Died in office
Amleto Giovanni Cicognani24 February 188317 December 1973(1973-12-17)(aged90)15 December 1958 by Pope John XXIII24 March 1972 – 17 December 1973 (1year, 268days)Died in office
Luigi Traglia3 April 189522 November 1977(1977-11-22)(aged82)28 March 1960 by Pope John XXIII7 January 1974 – 22 November 1977 (3years, 319days)Died in office
Carlo Confalonieri25 July 18931 August 1986(1986-08-01)(aged93)15 December 1958 by Pope John XXIII12 December 1977 – 1 August 1986 (8years, 232days)Died in office
Agnelo Rossi4 May 191321 May 1995(1995-05-21)(aged82)22 February 1965 by Pope Paul VI19 December 1986 – 31 May 1993 (6years, 163days)Retired in 1993
Bernardin Gantin8 May 192213 May 2008(2008-05-13)(aged86)27 June 1977 by Pope Paul VI5 June 1993 – 29 November 2002 (9years, 177days)Retired in 2002

21st century

ImageName of incumbentLife datesCardinalateDeanshipNotes
BirthDeath and age
Joseph Ratzinger16 April 192731 December 2022(2022-12-31)(aged95)27 June 1977 by Pope Paul VI30 November 2002 – 16 April 2005 (2years, 147days)Elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, Retired in 2013 as pope
Angelo Sodano23 November 192727 May 2022(2022-05-27)(aged94)28 June 1991 by Pope John Paul II30 April 2005 – 21 December 2019 (14years, 235days)Retired in 2019
Giovanni Battista Re(1934-01-30)30 January 1934(age92)21 February 2001 by Pope John Paul II18 January 2020 – present (6years, 210days)Elected to a five-year term, renewable once

Notes