Protopriest

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Protopriest (Italian: protopresbitero, and, rare, Italian: protoprete) — in the College of Cardinals, is the first Cardinal-Priest in the order of precedence. This title is always attached to the most senior Cardinal Priest according to date of his creation. From the 17th century until the end of 19th century Protopriest usually opted for the titulus San Lorenzo in Lucina.^[1] The protopriest has the honor of pronouncing the formal prayer for the new pope at the papal inauguration after the protodeacon bestows the pallium and before the Dean of the College of Cardinals presents the Ring of the Fisherman: this happened at the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI.^[2] This did not happen at the inauguration of Pope Francis due to the absence of the protopriest.^{[3][4] [5][lower-alpha 1]} The current Protopriest is Brazilian cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns.

Protopriests since 1938

• William Henry O'Connell, 1938–1944
• Alessio Ascalesi, 1944–May 1952
• Michael von Faulhaber, June 1952
• Alessandro Verde, 1957–1958^[6]
• Jozef-Ernest van Roey, 1958–1961
• Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira, 1961–1977
• Norman Thomas Gilroy, 1977
• Josef Frings, 1977–1978
• Antonio Caggiano, 1978–1979
• Carlos Vasconcellos Motta, 1979–1982
• Giuseppe Siri, 1982–1989
• Paul-Émile Léger, 1989–1991
• Franz König, 1991–2004
• Stephen Kim, 2004–2009
• Eugênio Sales, 2009–2012
• Paulo Evaristo Arns, 2012–present

Notes

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