 On 12 June 2008, Benedict appointed him to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.Also in 2008 Bagnasco was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to the Congregation for Bishops, but he was named a member when Pope Francis overhauled the membership of that Congregation in 2013.Bagnasco took part in the papal conclave of 2013 that elected Pope Francis, and was seen as a possible contender ("papabili") for the papacy by some media sources.