Roger Etchegaray

Roger Etchegaray was a French cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as the Archbishop of Marseille from 1970 to 1985 before entering the Roman Curia, where he served as President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (1984–1998) and President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum (1984–1995). He was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1979, and was the longest-serving cardinal never to attend a papal conclave. He served as papal representative in delicate situations, such as improving relations with the Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow, seeking rapprochement with Communist governments, attempting to prevent international violence, arranging an exchange of prisoners, or bearing witness to the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis. Etchegaray was born in Espelette, France, on 25 September 1922, to Jean-Baptiste and Aurélie Etchegaray. He had two younger siblings, Jean and Maïté. His father worked as an agricultural mechanic. He attended the minor seminary in Ustaritz and the major seminary in Bayonne before studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained a Licentiate of Sacred Theology and a Doctorate of Canon Law. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Jean Saint-Pierre on 13 July 1947. Etchegaray then did pastoral work in the Diocese of Bayonne, also serving as secretary to Bishop Léon-Albert Terrier, secretary general of the diocesan works of Catholic Action, and as vicar general. He then served as deputy director (1961–1966) and later secretary general (1966–1970) of the French Episcopal Conference. On 29 March 1969, Etchegaray was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Paris and Titular Bishop of Gemellae in Numidia by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on 27 May from Cardinal François Marty. On 22 December 1970 he became Archbishop of Marseille and in 1975 he succeeded Cardinal Marty as president of the French Episcopal Conference. He was re-elected on 27 October 1978 for a second term until 1981. From 25 November 1975 until 23 April 1982, he also served as prelate of Mission de France. Etchegaray played a very important role on the international ecclesial level. From 1965, he was secretary of the liaison committee of the European Episcopal Conferences, and in 1971 he became the first president of the new European Council of Episcopal Conferences. He was re-elected to the office in 1975. He also took part in the work of the Synod of Bishops and was also a member of the council of the Synod secretariat. His theological and socio-religious interventions recall the commitment of a living Church. Pope John Paul II created him Cardinal Priest of San Leone I in the consistory of 30 June 1979. On 8 April 1984 he was called to Rome and was nominated President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (until 24 June 1998) and President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum (until 2 December 1995). Throughout his years in Rome, Cardinal Etchegaray carried out an untiring service in favor of peace, human rights and needs of the poor, bringing the message and love of the Pope to many nations. He organized the historic Assisi Peace Meeting in 1986 between representatives of the main religions, in the face of growing tensions in the world divided into blocs and in the face of fears of nuclear war. On 15 November 1994, he was named President of the Central Committee that oversaw the observance of the Holy Year 2000. Cardinal Etchegaray also carried out important diplomatic missions for the Holy See. In May 2002, he was in Jerusalem seeking for peace in the Middle East, and in February 2003, he was in Baghdad carrying the Pope's message of reconciliation. On 30 April 2005, Pope Benedict XVI approved his election as Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals, from which he stepped down in June 2017, because of his advanced age. Etchegaray was a member of several academies and received numerous awards and honorary doctorates. He was a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour and a recipient of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize. He was also an author of several books on spirituality and social issues. Etchegaray died on 4 September 2019, three weeks before his 97th birthday, in Cambo-les-Bains, France. He was buried in his native Espelette.