Jean-Louis Tauran participant in 2005 papal conclave
Cardinal-Deacon, Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church
Tauran was created Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Apollinare alle Terme by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of 21 October 2003. On the following 24 November, he was named Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church, overseeing the Vatican Secret Archives and Vatican Library.
In late 2003, Tauran drew attention to the "second-class" treatment of non-Muslims in "many Muslim countries," especially Saudi Arabia. Representing the Pope, Tauran attended the March 2005 dedication of the new Holocaust museum at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
Tauran was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. He was also one of the cardinal electors in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis. In the days prior to the 2013 conclave, the Vaticanologist John L. Allen Jr. viewed Tauran as a "long-shot" papabile.   "On paper," Allen remarked, "Tauran profiles as virtually the perfect anti-candidate, meaning someone who really shouldn't be in the running at all: a history of health scares, a career bureaucrat with zero pastoral experience, and a delicate personality at a time when many cardinals are seeking a strong governor." As the Cardinal Protodeacon (senior Cardinal-Deacon) at the 2013 conclave, he announced the election of the new pope on 13 March 2013 and bestowed the pallium on Pope Francis at his papal inauguration on 19 March.
In his role as Protodeacon for the 2013 conclave Tauran said that "people asked 'How do you prepare yourself for the Habemus Papam?' I'd say 'No, I'm preparing myself for the conclave.' The conclave is not like the parliament with a campaign. It's a spiritual meeting. You have to remember the conclave is a liturgical celebration particularly from the morning to the evening. It's a spiritual experience. It was very deep for me. It's the manifestation of the singularity of the Catholic Church. You can feel the richness of the life of the church and how the positive aspects are greater than the negative ones".Cardinal Tauran exercised his option to be promoted to cardinal-priest and accordingly on 12 June 2014, Pope Francis elevated Tauran to the title of Cardinal-Priest. He was succeeded as Protodeacon by Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino.
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