Dean of the College of Cardinals
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 early 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. The dean is often, but not necessarily, the longest-serving member of the whole College. 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 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: Anastasius IV, Lucius III, Gregory IX, Alexander IV, John XXI, Alexander VI, Paul III, Paul IV, and Benedict XVI. 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. During the Western  Schism. The obedience of Rome (1378–1415) The obedience of Avignon (1378–1429) The obedience of Pisa (1409–1415)