Paul Joseph Jean Poupard (born 30 August 1930) is a French prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a Cardinal since 1985. He held positions in the Roman Curia for more than 25 years, serving as President of the Pontifical Council for Culture from 1988 to 2007 and briefly as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.


Paul Poupard
Cardinal
President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture
Poupard in 2015
ChurchCatholic Church
Appointed19 April 1988
Term ended3 September 2007
PredecessorGabriel-Marie Garrone
SuccessorGianfranco Ravasi
Other post(s)Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prassede (1996–)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination18 December 1954
by Stanislas Courbe
Consecration6 April 1979
by Gabriel Auguste François Marty
Created cardinal25 May 1985
by Pope John Paul II
RankCardinal-Deacon (1985–96)
Cardinal-Priest (1996–)
Personal details
Born
Paul Joseph Jean Poupard

(1930-08-30) 30 August 1930 (age 94)
Alma materCatholic University of the West
École pratique des hautes études
MottoEpiscopus vobis vobiscum Christianus
Coat of armsPaul Poupard's coat of arms
Styles of
Paul Poupard
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal
SeeSanta Prassede (titular)

Biography

edit

Poupard was born in Bouzillé, Maine-et-Loire. He studied at the minor seminary in Beaupréau, University of Angers, and École Pratique des Hautes Études of the Sorbonne (from where he obtained his doctorates in theology and history). Poupard was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Stanislas Courbe on 18 December 1954,[1] and then taught at the Mongazon School. After entering the French section of the Secretariat of State in 1959, he was raised to the rank of Chaplain of His Holiness on 20 March 1965, and of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness on 29 November 1971. Poupard was Rector of the Institut Catholique de Paris from 1972 to 1980, and also served as vice-president of the Society of French Ecclesiastical History.

On 2 February 1979, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Paris and Titular Bishop of Usula. Poupard received his episcopal consecration on the following 6 April from Cardinal François Marty, with Archbishop André Pailler and Bishop Jean Orchampt serving as co-consecrators, in the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. A year and a half later, in 1980, he received a position in the Roman Curia, the Holy See's governing body, as Pro-President of the Secretariat for Non-Believers, later (in 1988) renamed the Pontifical Council for Culture. In 1985, his title was changed to president, on his becoming Cardinal-Deacon of S. Eugenio. After the sede vacante period that followed the death of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI reappointed him to the same position and, on 11 March 2006, also named him President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.[2]

Some of his writings have been translated into languages including Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, English, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. He holds doctorates in theology and history from the Sorbonne, as well as honorary doctorates from the Universities of Aix-en-Provence, Fu Jen, Louvain, Kyoto, Santiago de Chile, Puebla de los Angeles and the Babes-Bolyai University/Cluj-Napoca.

In 1996 he was appointed Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prassede. He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. In September 2007 Pope Benedict replaced him as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue with Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and as President of the Pontifical Council for Culture with Gianfranco Ravasi.

Bibliography

edit
  • John XXIII. Simple and Humble, A Blessed Man", 'The Holiness of John XXIII' by His Eminence Paul Cardinal Poupard, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture, p. 25 – p. 57, Gunnar Riebs, ST Pauls, 2011, ISBN 978-93-5015-077-1

References

edit
  1. ^ "POUPARD Card. Paul". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  2. ^ "POUPARD Card. Paul". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
edit
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
José Vázquez Díaz
— TITULAR —
Titular Bishop of Usula
2 February 1979 – 27 June 1980
Himself as Titular Archbishop
Himself as Titular Bishop — TITULAR —
Titular Archbishop of Usula
27 June 1980 – 25 May 1985
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Secretariat for Non-Believers
27 June 1980 – 25 March 1993
Office suppressed
Preceded by Cardinal Deacon of Sant'Eugenio
25 May 1985 – 29 January 1996
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Pontifical Council for Culture
19 April 1988 – 3 September 2007
Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal Priest of Santa Prassede
29 January 1996 –
Incumbent
Preceded by President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
11 March 2006 – 1 September 2007
Succeeded by
President of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims
11 March 2006 – 1 September 2007