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Article: Ratzinger becomes dean of college of cardinals. (World).(Joseph Ratzinger)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- May 24, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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VATICAN CITY: When Cardinal Bernardin Gantin celebrated his 80th birthday May 8, the most important of his potential duties as dean of the College of Cardinals passed into the hands of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
The office of dean is largely ceremonial, unless the office of pope is vacant; in that case, the dean calls all the world's cardinals to Rome and presides over the funeral of the pope.
The dean's major responsibility when there is no pope, however, is to preside over the daily preparatory meetings in which the cardinals discuss the challenges facing the church, deal with urgent Vatican business and prepare for the conclave, or election of the ...