With Oscar-nominee ‘Conclave’ piquing interest, pope keeps dean of the College of Cardinals in place

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ROME (AP) — With interest in a papal elections high thanks to the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave, ” Pope Francis threw a wrench Thursday in some of the speculation about a future Sistine Chapel vote by deciding to extend the term of the current dean of the College of Cardinals rather than make way for someone new.

In its noon bulletin, the Vatican said Francis had decided to prolong the mandate of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, as dean of the college. The term of the vice-dean, Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 81, also was extended.

The announcement came hours before the Vatican reported that the 88-year-old Argentine pope, who lost part of one lung to a respiratory infection as a young man, was suffering from another bout of bronchitis. Francis, who frequently gets bronchitis in winter, will preside over his audiences for the coming days in the Vatican hotel where he lives rather than the Apostolic Palace, the Vatican said.

As depicted in the film “Conclave,” the dean of the College of Cardinals plays an important role in the life of the Catholic hierarchy, a point of reference for his fellow cardinals and a crucial figure during the transition between one papacy and the next.

After a pope dies or resigns, the dean runs the secret meetings where cardinals discuss the needs of the church and the qualities a future pope must have, and then organizes the conclave balloting in the Sistine Chapel.

After a pope is elected, it’s the dean who asks the winner if he accepts the job, and the name he wants to be called.

As a result of the importance of the job, speculation had swirled about who might take Re’s place after his five-year term ended Jan. 18. In a 2019 reform, Francis had imposed a once-renewable, five-year term limit on the job which until then had been an appointment for life. Given Re’s age and the rigors of the eventual job of running a conclave, it was expected that he would be replaced.

Possible contenders included Sandri and the current Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

There was no word if Francis’ extension of Re’s mandate, decided Jan. 7 but only announced Thursday, was for another full five-year term or was just a temporary extension. According to the 2019 reform, the dean’s five-year term may be “renewable if necessary,” but doesn’t explicitly provide for a mere extension.

In an additional appointment Thursday, Francis named a top Vatican cardinal, American Cardinal Robert Prevost, as a member of the small group of high-ranking cardinals who actually chose the dean from within their own ranks. Prevost is currently prefect of the Vatican office for bishops, which vets bishop nominations from around the world.

It’s a job that Re held for a decade, from 2000-2010.

Previous deans have been some of the most influential cardinals in the church, including Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who after he presided over the funeral of Pope John Paul II as dean was himself elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.

During a papal transition, the dean works closely with the camerlengo, the cardinal who handles more of the administrative tasks of running the Holy See and administering its assets. The camerlengo is currently American Cardinal Kevin Farrell.

Even before “Conclave” sparked new interest in the Vatican, speculation about the dean, the camerlengo and future conclaves in general has long been a popular sport in Rome, where the health of the 88-year-old Francis is a frequent topic of conversation.

While Francis uses a wheelchair and suffers regular wintertime bouts of respiratory problems he has shown little signs of slowing down. On Thursday morning alone, before the Vatican announced his bronchitis diagnosis, he had eight different private audiences, including one with the leadership of the Brazilian bishops conference.

“Conclave,” director Edward Berger’s adaptation of the Robert Harris novel starring Ralph Fiennes as the dean, has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

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