PARIS, 11/05/2022 (KAP/CNA) – Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris from 2005 to 2017, turns 80 on Monday (7 November). When he reaches that age limit, he leaves the papal constituency. This means that 127 of the current 226 cardinals of the universal Church still have the right to vote in a possible conclave. His successor Laurent Ulrich (71) could soon receive the cardinal’s cap from Pope Francis, as is customary for the Parisian official.
Vingt-Trois was one of the most prominent representatives of the Church in France, was considered the adopted son of his predecessor Cardinal Jean-Marie Funeral (1926-2007) and headed the French Episcopal Conference from 2007 to 2013. He completed almost the entire his career in the capital. Born in Paris on November 7, 1942, Vingt-Trois also attended school and seminary there. In 1969 he was ordained a priest, worked in Parisian parishes and in the suburbs, was vicar general and auxiliary bishop.
In 2005, after six years as Archbishop of Tours, Pope John Paul II conferred the Episcopal See of Paris on Vingt-Trois; one of the most important in the world Catholic Church. In 2007 he became a cardinal. Vingt-Trois was convinced that the Church should not remain on the fringes of French society, characterized by secularism and increasing secularization; she must try to convince the unbelievers and skeptics in a dialogue.
Vingt-Trois has repeatedly commented on political issues such as embryo research, abortion, euthanasia or asylum policy. One area of expertise was marriage and family. He is also the author of several books. Not only the French church abuse scandals but also the November 13, 2015 Paris terror attacks fell under his mandate. Vingt-Trois called for better social integration to avoid radicalization.
In 2017, he fell ill with a prolonged inflammation of the nerve, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS); the recovery period lasted several months. In late 2017, Pope Francis accepted Vingt-Trois’ age-related resignation.