Jean-Pierre Ricard

Jean-Pierre Ricard (born 25 September 1944) is a French cardinal of the Roman Catholic church and archbishop of Bordeaux et Bazes. Since 2001 he has been president of the French Episcopal Conference.
==Education==
Born in Marseille, he is the son of Georges and Jeanine Ricard. He was educated at the Lyceums of Saint-Charles and Périer, Marseille, and Thiers (bachelor of arts). He entered the Grand Seminary of Marseille and there studied philosophy from 1962 to 1964. He spent one year of National Service of Cooperation in Bamako, Mali. He also studied at the Seminary "des Carmes," Paris and the Institut Catholique de Paris (degree in theology and habilitation for the doctorate).
==Priesthood== 
He was ordained on 5 October 1968 in Marseille doing pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Marseille from 1968-1993. He served as vicar of the parish of Sainte-Émilie de Vialoar from 1970-1978 and was in charge of religious teaching and the formation of priests and laymen. He was responsible of the Center of Religious Culture of Mistral, 1975-1981, and the diocesan delegate for the seminarians, 1975-1985. He was the pastor of the parish of Sainte-Marguerite, 1981-1988, then delegate adjunct for ecumenism and episcopal vicar of the zone of south Marseille from 1984-1988. He was regional theologian for pastoral affairs, 1986-1993 and served as general secretary of the Diocesan Synod of Marseille, 1988-1991, and vicar general of Cardinal Robert Coffy. He was Archbishop of Marseille from 1988-1993.
==Episcopate== 
Ricard was named titular bishop of Pulcheriopoli and appointed auxiliary bishop of Grenoble on 17 April 1993, being consecrated on June 6 1993 at the cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure, Marseille, by Cardinal Robert Coffy, archbishop of Marseille. He was appointed vice-president of the Episcopal Conference, 9 November 1999 and participated in the Tenth Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, held in the Vatican City, 30 September-27 October 2001. He was elected president of the Conference of Bishops of France, 6 November 2001. He was promoted to the metropolitan see of Bordeaux et Bazes, 21 December 2001. He attended the 11th General Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, 2-23 October 2005.
==Cardinalate==
He was made a cardinal in the consistory of 24 March 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI. He was appointed to the Commission "Ecclesia Dei", the commission whose responsibility it is to address the issue of the Tridentine rite, in April 2006. On 17 January 2009 he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture by Pope Benedict. 
==Views==
===Embryonic research===
Cardinal Ricard has opposed the use of human embryos for scientific research, saying that it was a grave ethical transgression. L’embryon humain réduit à un « moyen », « grave transgression éthique »
===Darfur===
Cardinal Ricard has supported efforts to bring peace to the Darfur region of Sudan. Appel du cardinal Ricard en faveur du Darfour
===Euthanasia===
He has been critical of attempts to legalize euthanasia in France. Does our society accept euthanasia?
===Traditional Mass and Lefebvrists===
Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard told the newspaper "La Croix" that the Pope wants to reconcile all Catholics by allowing a wider use of the traditional Mass in Latin, and does not undermine the achievements of Vatican Council II. Cardinal Ricard confident
==External links==
*Catholic Pages
====References====
Category:1944 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Marseille
Category:French cardinals
Category:Archbishops of Bordeaux
Category:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops
Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:Members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Category:Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI
de:Jean-Pierre Ricard
fr:Jean-Pierre Ricard
it:Jean-Pierre Ricard
la:Ioannes Petrus Ricard
nl:Jean-Pierre Ricard
no:Jean-Pierre Ricard
pl:Jean-Pierre Ricard
pt:Jean-Pierre Bernard Ricard
ro:Jean-Pierre Ricard
ru:Рикар, Жан-Пьер