Giovanni Battista Re to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See. He held these memberships until his 80th birthday. When Pope Benedict XVI resigned on 28 February 2013, both Cardinals Angelo Sodano, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, and Roger Etchegaray, the Sub-Dean, were over the age of 80 and therefore ineligible to participate in the conclave to elect his successor. Cardinal Re, the senior cardinal elector, presided over the conclave, which elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis. At the new pope's inauguration on 19 March 2013, Cardinal Re was one of the six cardinals who made a public
Catholic Church in Argentina July 2010, Argentina was one of the first countries in the Latin America that legalized same-sex marriage, putting Argentina at odd's ends with the Catholic Church. Protesters, largely consisting of members of the Argentine Catholic Church and Evangelical and Protestant groups were sparked against the legislation, while demonstrating in front of the Congress. Argentina’s Synod of Bishops called upon Catholics to oppose politicians who supported the bill. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, has said that if a proposed bill giving same-sex couples the opportunity to marry and adopt children should be approved,