For followers of the film “Conclave,” the dean of the Faculty of Cardinals is Cardinal Lawrence — a principled but questioning Ralph Fiennes. The true-life dean shouldn’t be a middle-aged man with unhappy eyes and a British accent, however a 91-year-old Italian who has spent most of his profession serving within the Roman curia.
The dean, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will preside over Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, however not like Mr. Fiennes’s character, he won’t run the conclave. He won’t even attend, since solely cardinals under the age of 80 can solid a poll for the pope within the Sistine Chapel. Nonetheless, Cardinal Re will play an vital function.
He has already summoned cardinals to Rome after the demise of the pope, and he’ll preside over all of the congregation conferences — the primary of which happened on Tuesday — that the cardinals maintain within the run as much as the conclave.
In these conferences, cardinals determine on the logistics of the pope’s funeral rituals, however they could additionally give speeches and appeal to consideration to particular points. A few of the conferences may set the agenda for the conclave, specialists stated. “The sausage of a papal election actually will get floor” within the congregation conferences, stated John Allen, the editor of Crux, an impartial on-line information website overlaying the Catholic Church.
Earlier than the 2013 conclave, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio gave a speech throughout one of many congregation conferences that emphasised the church’s responsibility to return out of its comfy shell to succeed in folks on the “peripheries.” The speech made a big mark and helped Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio rise to develop into Pope Francis.
However these conferences are additionally typically vital for the dean.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005, whereas he was serving as dean of the Faculty of Cardinals. His dealing with of the cardinals’ conferences — his means to learn the room, be respectful and maintain the conferences on observe — elevated his place, specialists stated.
Cardinal Re is unlikely to be elected pope, however his function stays central within the conferences.
Mr. Allen predicted that Cardinal Re — a veteran Vatican official who’s considered an influential determine within the Vatican — would deal with the conferences in a largely “conventional” and severe method.
“He’s not going to make something up as he goes alongside,” he stated, including, “He’s not going to be Ralph Fiennes from the film.”
As soon as the conclave begins, the dean’s function is basically ceremonial. Since each Cardinal Re and his deputy, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 81, are too outdated to preside, the responsibility will fall on the oldest cardinal bishop amongst those that can vote, in response to the Vatican’s apostolic structure.
In 2013, throughout Francis’ election, Cardinal Re, who was then the deputy dean, stuffed in for the dean on the time, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who was 85. It was Cardinal Re who requested the newly elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio which title he would select as pope.