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It is the Dean's responsibility to summon the Conclave to elect a new Pope when the previous one dies or Resigns , which he presides over unless he is too old to vote in it. According to Canon 355 (from the Latin Code Of Canon Law 1983), if the newly-elected Supreme Pontiff is not already a Bishop , it is the right of the Dean to Ordain him as such. If the Dean is unable, then the right falls to the Sub-Dean, and then to the senior cardinal of the episcopal order.

According to section 4 of Canon 350, the Cardinal Dean has "the title of the diocese of Ostia, together with that of any other church to which he already has a title." The Cardinal Dean, then, continues to hold the title of his former Suburbicarian Diocese as well as being titular Bishop of Ostia . This has been the case since 1914, by decree of St. Pius X —previous deans since 1150 had given up their prior suburbicarian see for the joint titles of Ostia and Velletri.


DEANS OF THE SACRED COLLEGE SINCE THE COUNCIL OF TRENT

Each name is followed by years of birth and death, then comma-separated years of cardinalate and deanship. Two recent deans have chosen to retire before dying, while one ( Joseph Ratzinger ) was elected Pope in 2005 (the first Dean to be so elevated since Pope Paul IV in 1555).