[2] As vice president of the Preparatory Committee, he contributed to the realization of the Ecclesial Convention of Loreto (1985), which has become a reference point in the dialogue between the Church and Italian society following their difficult relationship of the 1960s and 1970s.

[4] He was made Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Agnese fuori le mura on 28 June 1991[5] and named Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome and archpriest of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano on 1 July 1991.

[6] He was also grand chancellor of the Lateran University and the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.

[citation needed] Ruini was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

[9] Ruini was seen as a social and political conservative, close to the positions of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

He was very active in the mass media and was the strongest voice of the Church against the spring 2005 referendum for the liberalization of Italy's legal restrictions on artificial insemination.

[10] On 7 March 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco to succeed Ruini as President of the Italian Episcopal Conference.