Dean of the College of Cardinals

The dean of the College of Cardinals () 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.

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. 

List

Angelo Correr (ca.1330–1417) (1415, 1415)Former Pope Gregory XII of the Roman obedience
Jean-Allarmet de Brogny (1342–1426) (1385, 1417)
Baldassare Cossa (ca.1360/70–1419) (1419, 1419)Former Pisan Antipope John XXIII
Jean Allarmet de Brogny (again) (1342–1426) (1385, 1419)
Angelo d'Anna de Sommariva (d. 1428) (1384, 1426)
Giordano Orsini (1360/70–1438) (1405, 1428)
Antonio Correr (again) (1369–1445) (1408, 1438)
Giovanni Berardi (1380–1449) (1439, 1445)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
Amadeo de Savoy (1383–1451) (1449, 1449)
Francesco Condulmer (1390–1453) (1431, 1451)This cardinal is not referred to as dean by S. Miranda but his occupation of that post appears from the order of seniority
Giorgio Fieschi (ca.1395–1461) (1439, 1453)
Isidore of Kiev (1380/90–1463) (1439, 1461)
Bessarion (1403–1472) (1439, 1463)
Guillaume d'Estouteville (1403–1483) (1439, 1472)
Rodrigo Borgia (1431–1503) (1456, 1483) Elected Pope Alexander VI in 1492)
Oliviero Carafa (1430–1511) (1467, 1492)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.
Raffaele Riario (1461–1521) (1477, 1511)
Bernardino Lopez de Carvajal (1456–1523) (1493, 1521)
Francesco Soderini (1453–1524) (1503, 1523)
Niccolò Fieschi (1456–1524) (1503, 1524)
Alessandro Farnese (1468–1549) (1493, 1524)Elected Pope Paul III in 1534)
Giovanni Piccolomini (1475–1537) (1517, 1535)
Giovanni Domenico de Cupis (1493–1553) (1517, 1537)
Gian Pietro Carafa (1476–1559) (1536, 1553)Elected Pope Paul IV in 1555)
Jean du Bellay (1492–1560) (1535, 1555)
François de Tournon (1489–1562) (1530, 1560)
Rodolfo Pio de Carpi (1500–1564) (1536, 1562)
Francesco Pisani (1494–1570) (1517, 1564)
Giovanni Girolamo Morone (1509–1580) (1542, 1570)
Alessandro Farnese, juniore (1520–1589) (1534, 1580)
Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni (1519–1591) (1560, 1589)
Alfonso Gesualdo (1540–1603) (1561, 1591)
Tolomeo Gallio (1526–1607) (1565, 1603)
Domenico Pinelli (1541–1611) (1585, 1607)
Francois de Joyeuse (1562–1615) (1583, 1611)
Antonio Maria Galli (1553–1620) (1586, 1615)
Antonio Maria Sauli (1541–1623) (1587, 1620)
Francesco Maria del Monte (1549–1626) (1588, 1623)
Ottavio Bandini (1558–1629) (1596, 1626)
Giovanni Battista Deti (1576–1630) (1599, 1629)
Domenico Ginnasi (1550–1639) (1604, 1630)
Carlo Emmanuele Pio de Savoia, seniore (1585–1641) (1604, 1639)
Marcello Lante della Rovere (1561–1652) (1606, 1641)
Giulio Roma (1584–1652) (1621, 1652) served less than 5 months
Carlo de' Medici (1595–1666) (1615, 1652)
Francesco Barberini, seniore (1597–1679) (1623, 1666)
Cesare Facchinetti (1608–1683) (1643, 1680)
Niccolò Albergati-Ludovisi (1608–1687) (1645, 1683)
Alderano Cybo (1613–1700) (1645, 1687)
Emmanuel–Theodose de la Tour d'Auvergne de Bouillon (1643–1715) (1669, 1700)
Nicola Acciaiouli (1630–1719) (1669, 1715)
Fulvio Astalli (1655–1721) (1686, 1719)
Sebastiano Antonio Tanara (1650–1724) (1695, 1721)
Francesco del Giudice (1647–1725) (1690, 1724)
Fabrizio Paolucci (1651–1726) (1697, 1725)
Francesco Pignatelli 1635 (1652–1734) (1703, 1726)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.
Francesco Barberini (1662–1738) (1690, 1734)
Pietro Ottoboni (1667–1740) (1689, 1738)
Tommaso Ruffo (1663–1753) (1706, 1740)
Pierluigi Carafa (1677–1755) (1728, 1753)
Rainiero d'Elci (1670–1761) (1737, 1755)
Giuseppe Spinelli (1694–1763) (1735, 1761)
Carlo Alberto Guidoboni Cavalchini (1683–1774) (1743, 1763)
Gian Francesco Albani (1720–1803) (1747, 1774)Salvador Miranda indicates that Fabrizio Serbelloni was dean of the Sacred College 1774–1775  , 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 longest deanship
Henry Benedict Maria Clement Stuart (1725–1807) (1747, 1803) longest total cardinalate
Leonardo Antonelli (1730–1811) (1775, 1807)
Alessandro Mattei (1744–1820) (1779, 1814) vacancy caused by his exile by Napoleon
Giulio Maria della Somaglia (1744–1830) (1795, 1820)
Bartolomeo Pacca (1756–1844) (1801, 1830)
Lodovico Micara (1775–1847) (1824, 1844)
Vincenzo Macchi (1770–1860) (1826, 1847)
Mario Mattei (1792–1870) (1832, 1860)
Costantino Patrizi Naro (1798–1876) (1834, 1870)
Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso (1796–1878) (1837, 1877)
Camillo di Pietro (1806–1884) (1853, 1878)
Carlo Sacconi (1808–1889) (1861, 1884)
Raffaele Monaco La Valletta (1827–1896) (1868, 1889)
Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano (1828–1913) (1873, 1896)
Serafino Vannutelli (1834–1915) (1887, 1913)
Vincenzo Vannutelli (1836–1930) (1889, 1915)
Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte (1851–1948) (1911, 1930)
Francesco Marchetti-Selvaggiani (1871–1951) (1930, 1948)
Eugène Tisserant (1884–1972) (1936, 1951)
Amleto Giovanni Cicognani (1883–1973) (1958, 1972)
Luigi Traglia (1895–1977) (1960, 1974)
Carlo Confalonieri (1893–1986) (1958, 1977)
Agnelo Rossi (1913–1995) (1965, 1986, retired 1993)
Bernardin Gantin (1922–2008) (1977, 1993, retired 2002)
Joseph Ratzinger (born 1927) (1977, 2002) Elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005
Angelo Sodano (1927–2022) (1991, 2005, retired 2019)
Giovanni Battista Re (born 1934) (2001, 2020)

References

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