Jean-Claude Turcotte

Jean-Claude Turcotte was born on 26th June 1936 as one of seven children to Paul-Émile Turcotte. Turcotte attended College [https://www.grasset.qc.ca/ André-Grasset] from 1947 to 1955, the Grand Seminaire, and the Université de Montréal, where he graduated with a degree in theology.{{cite web | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/archbishop-of-montreal-cardinal-jean-claude-turcotte-dead-at-78/article23830593/ | title='People's priest' Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte spoke in language of hope | work=The Globe and Mail | date=8 April 2015 | access-date=9 April 2015 | author=Fitterman, Lisa}}

He was ordained a priest on 24 May 1959. From 1964 to 1965, he visited Lille for further studies. In 1965, he earned a diploma in social ministry there.

On 14 April 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed him titular bishop of Suas and auxiliary bishop of Montreal. He was consecrated on 29 June in the cathedral of Montreal. When Pope John Paul visited Canada in 1984, Turcotte organised his visit to Montreal.

{{Ordination

| consecrated by = Paul Card. Grégoire (Montreal)

| date of consecration = 29 June 1982

| bishop 1 = Vital Massé (Auxiliary Saint-Jérôme aux.)

| consecration date 1 = 8 December 1993

| bishop 2 = Neil E. Willard (Montreal aux.)

| consecration date 2 = 15 August 1995

| bishop 3 = André Rivest (Montreal aux.)

| consecration date 3 = 15 August 1995

| bishop 4 = Anthony Mancini (Montreal aux.)

| consecration date 4 = 25 March 1999

| bishop 5 = Louis Dicaire (Montreal aux.)

| consecration date 5 = 25 March 1999

| bishop 6 = Luc Cyr (Valleyfield)

| consecration date 6 = 17 June 2001

| bishop 7 = Émilius Goulet (Saint-Boniface)

| consecration date 7 = 16 September 2001

| bishop 8 = André Gazaille (Montreal aux.)

| consecration date 8 = 25 March 2006

| bishop 9 = Lionel Gendron (Montreal aux.)

| consecration date 9 = 25 March 2006

}}

Turcotte was appointed Archbishop of Montreal on 17 March 1990.

On 26 November 1994, Pope John Paul made Turcotte cardinal, assigning him as a Cardinal-Priest to Nostra Signora del SS. Sacramento e Santi Martiri Canadesi.

After his elevation to the cardinalate, he was named a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications

From 1997 to 1999, he served as the president of the Canadian Episcopal Conference. Cardinal Turcotte participated in the World Youth Days in 1993, 1997, 2000, and 2002.

Turcotte was known for his work with the poor and wrote a weekly religion column in the Sunday edition of the Journal de Montréal. In 1997, he gave his opinion about Quebec being a distinct society.[http://www.articlearchives.com/government-public-administration/government-bodies-offices/1519066-1.html Cardinal Turcotte on Quebec independence] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428202736/http://www.articlearchives.com/government-public-administration/government-bodies-offices/1519066-1.html |date=28 April 2012 }}

He was a voting member (cardinal elector) of the College of Cardinals in the 2005 papal conclave. Margaret Hebblethwaite, co-author of the book The Next Pope, identified him as papabile. Other books and the BBC also identified him as a long-shot possibility for pope.

He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.{{cite news | work= Zenit | access-date = 11 October 2019 | title = List of Cardinal Electors | url = https://zenit.org/articles/list-of-cardinal-electors/ |date= 12 March 2013}}

Nicole Fournier, who led the Accueil Bonneau organisation for the homeless, said that he "watched over people with a look that was never judgmental, ... (and) supported many social causes, especially those touching the less fortunate, notably the homeless."{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/04/17/funeral-today-for-cardinal-jean-claude-turcotte-long-time-archbishop-of-montreal.html|title=Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte remembered at funeral in Montreal {{!}} The Star|work=thestar.com|access-date=18 July 2018|language=en}} John Allen wrote in the 2002 book Conclave that Turcotte was seen as a "diamond in the rough, a potentially magnificent leader who is still finding his way".{{Cite book|title=Conclave: The Politics, Personalities and Process of the Next Papal Election|last=Allen|first=John|date=11 June 2002|publisher=Image|isbn=9780385504539|location=New York|language=en}} His lack of proficiency in the Italian language, as well as his lack of international experience, were seen as shortcomings towards becoming pope.

Turcotte passed away in Montreal on 8 April 2015 at the age of 78.{{cite news|work=New York Times| access-date= 11 April 2015| date= 8 April 2015| agency= Associated Press| url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/world/americas/jean-claude-turcotte-former-archbishop-of-montreal-dies-at-78.html | title= Jean-Claude Turcotte, Former Archbishop of Montreal, Dies at 78 }}

In 2007, Turcotte presided over the funeral of Supreme Court judge Antonio Lamer, who controversially decided to remove all restrictions to abortion in Tremblay v. Daigle in 1989. At the funeral, Turcotte praised Lamer as "a giant of the law" and a man "who worked a great deal for justice".[http://catholicinsight.com/online/church/biographies/article_776.shtml Antonio Lamer 'liberated' Canada for abortion] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329081326/http://catholicinsight.com/online/church/biographies/article_776.shtml |date=29 March 2009 }} He was not, however, directly addressing the subject of abortion when he spoke those words.

On 11 September 2008, Turcotte returned his Order of Canada (appointed in 1996) insignia in protest of the induction of pro-choice activist Henry Morgentaler on 1 July 2008. Turcotte had hoped that the Consultative Council for the Order of Canada, but when it did not, Turcotte renounced his title Officer of the Order of Canada and returned his insignia.{{Sentence fragment|date=May 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/cardinal-turcotte-gives-back-order-of-canada-1.748750|title=Cardinal Turcotte gives back Order of Canada|date=11 September 2008 | work=CBC News}} This became effective on 1 June 2009.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5761 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090606213533/http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5761 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 June 2009 |title=Resignations from the Order of Canada }}

In 2009, Turcotte said in an interview that "I can understand that in certain cases, there is almost no other choice than to practice (abortion)", which was seen as controversial in light of his previous condemnation of Morgentaler.[http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=12980 "I can understand abortion": Montreal cardinal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706091850/http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=12980 |date=6 July 2009 }}

In 2004, he criticized statements by former minister Sheila Copps about Turcotte's relationship with Pierre Trudeau.[http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2004/1101/copps110104.shtml Copps 'facts' denied] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050112152832/http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2004/1101/copps110104.shtml |date=12 January 2005 }} He had been present at the state funeral of the former Prime Minister.

Turcotte was favourable to the ordination of women, at least as deacons, after a local synod proposed the idea.¨[http://natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives2/1998d/121198/121198i.htm Montreal Catholics vote for women, married men as priests]

On 25 November 2020, a report was released detailing how a Catholic church-commissioned investigation led by Quebec Superior Court justice Pepita Capriolo found that Turcotte was among the former Archdiocese of Montreal officials who took no action against pedophile priest Brian Boucher after receiving reports Boucher sexually abused boys.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/brian-boucher-montreal-catholic-church-1.5816064|title=Report blames top Montreal Church officials for ignoring complaints about priest who preyed on young boys|first=Benjamin|last=Shingler|publisher=CBC News|date=25 November 2020|access-date=30 November 2020}} Boucher later pled guilty in January 2019 to sex abuse charges and received an eight-year prison sentence.

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{{commonscat}}

• Accueil Bonneau

• [http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=116 Cardinal Turcotte] on [http://www.catholic-pages.com/ catholic-pages.com]
• [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bturcotte.html Cardinal Turcotte] on [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/ catholic-hierarchy.org]
• [http://lcn.canoe.com/lcn/infos/lemonde/archives/2005/04/20050402-153018.html Qui succédera à Jean-Paul II?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310203736/http://lcn.canoe.com/lcn/infos/lemonde/archives/2005/04/20050402-153018.html |date=10 March 2007 }} (Le Canal Nouvelles, 2 April 2005; in French)
• "Declaration by Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, Archbishop of Montreal"[http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2008/11/c3640.html], [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/cardinal-turcotte-gives-back-order-of-canada-1.748750?ref=rss]

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{{s-rel|ca}}

{{s-bef|before=Paul Grégoire}}

{{s-ttl|title=Roman Catholic Archbishop of Montreal|years=1990–2012}}

{{s-aft|after=Christian Lépine}}

{{s-end}}

{{Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Montreal}}

{{Canadian cardinals}}

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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turcotte, Jean-Claude}}

Category:2015 deaths

Category:1936 births

Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Montreal

Category:Canadian cardinals

Category:Canadian columnists

Category:Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II

Category:Members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications

Category:Members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints