Also called: College of Cardinals (Show more) Sacred College of Cardinals, the group of bishops and archbishops in the Roman Catholic Church who have been created cardinals by the pope. Its members serve as the pope’s key advisers and assistants in his administration of the church. According to the Code of Canon Law, the two most important functions of cardinals are to advise the pope (as a college and individually) and to elect a new pope. The College of Cardinals is presided over by its elected dean, who is called primus inter pares (Latin: “first among equals”), which means all members of the college are considered equal. ...(100 of 1962 words) Access the full article Help support true facts by becoming a member. Subscribe today!