Jean-Pierre Ricard

Born in Marseille on 26 September 1944 to Georges and Jeanine Ricard, Jean-Pierre Ricard attended the Lycée de Saint-Charles and the Lycée Périer where he earned his Baccalauréat and then at Lycée Thiers (hypokhâgne). He studied philosophy at the Major Seminary of Marseille from 1962 to 1964. He spent one year performing National Service to promote development in Bamako, Mali. He also studied at the Carmes Seminary in Paris, and the Institut Catholique de Paris, earning a degree in theology and preparing for a doctorate.{{cite news |work=Zenit | access-date = 5 July 2019 |language=fr |url=https://fr.zenit.org/articles/france-mgr-ricard-president-de-la-cef-nomme-archeveque-de-bordeaux/ |title=France: Mgr Ricard, président de la CEF, nommé archevêque de Bordeaux |date=21 December 2001}}

He was ordained a priest on 5 October 1968 in Marseille and did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Marseille from 1968 to 1993. He was assistant pastor of the parish of Sainte-Émilie de Vialoar from 1970 to 1978 with responsibility for religious teaching, the formation of priests and laymen. He headed the Mistral Center of Religious Culture from 1975 to 1981 and was diocesan delegate for seminarians from 1975 to 1985. While pastor of the parish of Sainte-Marguerite from 1981 to 1988, he served as associate delegate for ecumenism and episcopal vicar for the zone of south Marseille from 1984 to 1988. He was regional theologian for pastoral affairs (1986–1993) and general secretary of the Diocesan Synod of Marseille (1988–1991), and vicar general from 1988 to 1993 to Cardinal Robert Coffy, Archbishop of Marseille.

Ricard was named titular bishop of Pulcheriopoli and appointed auxiliary bishop of Grenoble on 17 April 1993. He received his episcopal consecration on 6 June 1993 at the cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure, Marseille, from Cardinal Coffy. On 4 July 1996 he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Montpellier and became bishop there upon the death of his predecessor on 6 September.

He became vice-president of the Bishops' Conference of France on 9 November 1999 and participated in the Tenth Ordinary Synod of Bishops, held in Vatican City, 30 September–27 October 2001. He was elected to a three-year term as president of the Conference on 6 November 2001{{cite news |work=Zenit | access-date = 5 July 2019 |url=https://fr.zenit.org/articles/france-mgr-ricard-montpellier-president-de-la-conference-des-eveques/ |language=fr |title=France: Mgr Ricard (Montpellier), président de la conférence des évêques |date=6 November 2001}} and re-elected to another term in 2004.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Pope John Paul II named him Archbishop of Bordeaux on 21 December 2001.{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=21 December 2001 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2001/12/21/0694/02113.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 21.12.2001}} On 6 September 2002, John Paul named him a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=6 September 2002 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2002/09/06/0448/01374.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 06.09.2002}} and Pope Benedict renewed that appointment on 6 May 2006.{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=6 May 2006 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2006/05/06/0234/00662.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 06.05.2006}}

He attended the 11th General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, 2–23 October 2005.

He gave a series of interviews that appeared as a book, Les Sept Défis pour l'Eglise (The Seven Challenges for the Church) in 2003.{{cite book |publisher=Bayard Jeunesse |date=2003 |title=Les Sept Défis pour l'Église: Entretiens avec Yves de Gentil-Baichis |isbn=9782227471696 |language=fr}}

He was made Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Agostino in the consistory of 24 March 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI.{{cite news |title=Benedict XVI Names 15 New Cardinals |url=https://zenit.org/articles/benedict-xvi-names-15-new-cardinals/|access-date=6 July 2019 |work=Zenit |date=22 February 2006|archive-date=5 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705142325/https://zenit.org/articles/benedict-xvi-names-15-new-cardinals/|url-status=dead}}{{cite press release |language=it |publisher=Holy See Press Office | access-date = 6 July 2019 |url=https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2006/documents/ns_lit_doc_20060324_titoli_it.html |date=24 March 2006 |title=Assegnazione dei Titoli e delle Diaconie ai Nouvi Cardinali}} He was appointed to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, the commission responsible for relations with the Society of Saint Pius X on 8 April 2006.{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=8 April 2006 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2006/04/08/0176/00520.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 08.04.2006}} On 17 January 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture.{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=17 January 2009 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2009/01/17/0032/00087.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 17.01.2009}}

In 2006, as president of the French Bishops Conference, Ricard objected to the recent authorization of the use of human embryos for scientific research in France and elsewhere in Europe. He called it a grave ethical transgression.{{cite news |url=https://fr.zenit.org/articles/l-embryon-humain-reduit-a-un-moyen-grave-transgression-ethique/ |language=fr |work=Zenit |date=30 June 2006 |title=L'embryon humain réduit à un " moyen ", " grave transgression éthique "| access-date = 5 July 2019}} In 2009 Ricard told the newspaper La Croix that the Pope Benedict wanted to reconcile all Catholics by allowing a wider use of the Traditional Latin Mass, which does not undermine the achievements of Vatican Council II.{{cite news |date=27 January 2009 |work=Zenit | access-date = 5 July 2019 |url=https://zenit.org/articles/with-lefebvrists-it-s-just-the-beginning/ |title=With Lefebvrists, It's Just the Beginning}}

On 21 January 2010 he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=21 January 2010 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2010/01/21/0043/00092.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 21.01.2010}} and on 6 July 2010 of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments,{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=6 July 2010 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2010/07/06/0448/01014.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 06.07.2010}} and on 12 June 2012 of the Congregation for Catholic Education,{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=12 June 2012 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2012/06/12/0348/00817.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 12.06.2012}} and confirmed in the Education post by Pope Francis on 30 November 2013.{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=30 November 2013 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/11/30/0795/01791.html |language=it |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 30.11.2013}}

He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.{{cite news |title=List of Cardinal Electors |url=https://zenit.org/articles/list-of-cardinal-electors/|access-date=5 July 2019 |work=Zenit |date=12 March 2013}}

On 8 March 2014, he was named by Pope Francis to serve as a member of the newly established Council for Economic Affairs, intended to oversee the work of the new Secretariat for the Economy, the financial regulatory agency for the departments of the Roman Curia.{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=8 March 2014 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/03/08/0171/00366.html |title=Commento al Comunicato sulla Nomina dei Membri del Consiglio per L'Economia del Direttore della Sala Stampa, Rev.Do P. Federico Lombardi, S.I., 08.03.2014}}{{efn|Ricard had been appointed in 2011 by Pope Benedict to an earlier Council of Cardinals established to review Vatican finances and organization.{{cite press release | access-date = 5 July 2019 |language=it |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2011/10/22/0626/01478.html |title=Rinunce e Nomine, 22.10.2011 |date=22 October 2011 |publisher=Holy See Press Office}}}}

He closed the Archdiocese's Saint Joseph seminary in May 2019 because enrollment failed to meet the minimum number of seminarians required. He said its seminarians can continue their studies and spiritual formation in Toulouse or Rome and that the closure was part of a national assessment of the country's many small seminaries.{{cite news |url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/bordeaux-seminary-closes-due-to-lack-of-candidates/10144 |work=La Croix |title=Bordeaux seminary closes due to lack of candidates | access-date = 12 August 2019 |date=21 May 2019 |first=Gauthier |last=Vaillant}}{{cite news |url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/french-seminary-closures-are-no-cause-for-alarm/10162 | access-date = 12 August 2019 |date=23 May 2019 |title=French seminary closures 'are no cause for alarm' |first=Gauthier |last=Vaillant |work=La Croix}}

On 11 July 2019, Bordeaux Mayor Nicolas Florian awarded Ricard the city's medal. On that occasion, Ricard praised the city for fostering collaboration between civic authorities and the leaders of its religious communities. He said he anticipated retiring as Archbishop of Bordeaux in a few weeks and returning to his native region.{{cite news |url=https://www.la-croix.com/Religion/Catholicisme/France/Le-cardinal-Jean-Pierre-Ricard-remis-demission-pape-2019-08-07-1201039824 |language=fr |work=La Croix |date=7 August 2019 |title=Le cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard a remis sa démission au pape | access-date = 12 August 2019 |first=Arnaud |last=Bevilacqua |quote=Au moment où, dans quelques semaines, je vais quitter la ville de Bordeaux pour rejoindre ma région natale, je souhaite dire tout le plaisir que j’ai eu à vivre dans cette ville.}} He announced on 4 August that he had already submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Francis,{{cite news| access-date = 12 August 2019 |language=fr |date=6 August 2019 |url=https://www.sudouest.fr/2019/08/06/monseigneur-ricard-l-archeveque-de-bordeaux-a-remis-sa-demission-a-rome-6418590-2780.php |title=Monseigneur Ricard, l'archevêque de Bordeaux, a remis sa démission à Rome |first=Catherine |last=Debray}}{{cite news |url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/archbishop-of-bordeaux-submits-his-resignation-to-pope-francis/10659 |work=La Croix |date=9 August 2019 |title=Archbishop of Bordeaux submits his resignation to Pope Francis | access-date = 12 August 2019 |first=Arnaud |last=Bevilacqua}}{{efn|A diocesan bishop is required to submit his resignation upon turning 75, but it takes effect at the pope's discretion. Pope Francis waited eighteen months to accept the resignation that Georges Pontier, Archbishop of Marseille, submitted at 75.{{cite press release |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/08/08/190808a.html |publisher=Holy See Press Office | access-date = 12 August 2019 |date=8 August 2019 |title=Resignations and Appointments, 08.08.2019}} On the other hand, in the case of Thierry Jordan, Archbishop of Reims, his acceptance came a few weeks before Jordan's 75th birthday.{{cite press release |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2018/08/18/180818a.html |publisher=Holy See Press Office | access-date = 12 August 2019 |date=18 August 2018 |title=Resignations and Appointments, 18.08.2018}}}} who accepted it on 1 October without naming his successor.{{cite press release | access-date = 1 October 2019 |date=1 October 2019 |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/10/01/191001a.html |publisher=Holy See Press Office |title=Resignations and Appointments, 01.10.2019}}

On 10 February 2022, Ricard was named papal delegate for the Foyers de charité, an organization subject to oversight by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life following disclosures in 2020 of sexual abuse committed by one of its founders.{{cite news | access-date = 11 November 2022 |language=fr |publisher=Vatican News |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/fr/vatican/news/2022-02/nomination-delegue-pontifical-foyers-de-charite-cardinal-ricard.html |title=Un délégué pontifical nommé pour les Foyers de Charité |date=11 February 2022}}

Prompted by the February 2022 announcement that Ricard had been charged with supervising a religious organization where sexual abuses had occurred, a 50-year-old woman contacted the president of the Conference of men and women religious of France, Véronique Margron, and reported that Ricard, a close friend of her family at the time, had subjected her to sexual abuse in the 1980s when he was working as a priest in Marseilles. This anonymous woman's parents, motivated by the same report of Richard's appointment as apostolic delegate in February, wrote a letter about Ricard's behavior to the bishop of Nice.{{efn|name=nice|André Marceau became bishop of Nice in 2014. Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 9 March and announced the appointment of Jean-Philippe Nault to succeed him. Nault was installed in Nice on 8 May.}}

Ricard resigned as apostolic delegate for the Foyers de charité in March, just a month after accepting the assignment, citing health problems and was succeeded by Michel Dubost, bishop emeritus of Évry, on 11 March.{{cite news | access-date = 11 November 2022 |language=fr |url=https://www.la-croix.com/amp/1201206063 |work=La Croix |title=Foyers de charité: Mgr Dubost succède au cardinal Ricard comme délégué pontifical |date=21 March 2022}}

When the bishop of Nice{{efn|name=nice}} eventually learned how young Ricard's victim had been, he forwarded her parents' letter to civil authorities in October. By November, authorities in Marseilles had opened a preliminary investigation of aggravated sexual assault.

On 7 November 2022, Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, Archbishop of Reims and president of the French Bishops Conference, released a statement in which Ricard admitted abusing a 14-year-old girl when he was a parish priest in the 1980s: "My behaviour has inevitably led to grave and lasting consequences for this person." He pledged to withdraw from public ministry.{{cite news |date=7 November 2022 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-cardinal-admits-abusing-14-year-girl-withdraws-functions-2022-11-07/ |title=French cardinal says abused 14-year girl, withdraws from functions |publisher=Reuters | access-date = 8 November 2022}}{{efn|Ricard sent his statement to Moulins-Beaufort on 6 November so he could read it to a meeting of the French Bishops Conference.{{cite news |language=fr |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/amp/infos/faits-divers-justice/un-ancien-archeveque-de-bordeaux-reconnait-une-conduite-reprehensible-sur-une-mineure-de-14-ans-1667830588 |work=France Bleu |date=7 November 2022 |title=Abus sexuels dans l'Église : un ex-archevêque de Bordeaux avoue une conduite "répréhensible" sur une mineure |first=Margot |last=Turgy}}}}

Following the release of Ricard's statement, Margron, a figure well known in France for her campaigning against clerical sexual abuse,{{cite news |language=fr |url=https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/comme-personne/veronique-margron-l-ecoute-chevillee-au-corps-5274490 |work=Radio France |title=Véronique Margron, l'écoute chevillée au corps |first=Laura |last=Dulieu |date=7 January 2022 | access-date = 12 November 2022}}{{cite interview |url=https://www.globalsistersreport.org/blog/qas-social-justice/q-sr-véronique-margron-leader-religious-addressing-abuse-church-56033 |publisher=Global Sisters Report | access-date = 12 November 2022 |title=Q & A with Sr. Véronique Margron, leader of religious addressing abuse in church |date=2 April 2019 |first=Véronique |last=Margron |interviewer=Elizabeth Auvillain}} told an interviewer that she had found Ricard's victim "credible and sincere" and that she had described an experience of "powerful trauma of great violence".{{cite news |date=8 November 2022 |title=Affaire Ricard: un courrier des parents de la jeune fille a poussé le cardinal à passer aux aveux |language=fr |publisher=France Inter |url=https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/affaire-ricard-un-courrier-des-parents-de-la-victime-a-pousse-le-cardinal-a-passer-aux-aveux-3292574 |access-date=}} Margron also said she feared Ricard was minimizing what he had done, that she expected the Church to take disciplinary action and that he should be denied his right as a cardinal to participate in a papal election.{{Cite web |last=C. |first=J. |date=9 November 2022 |title=Abus sexuels dans l'Église: la victime du cardinal Ricard a vécu "un traumatisme d'une grande violence" |url=https://www.bfmtv.com/police-justice/abus-sexuels-dans-l-eglise-la-victime-du-cardinal-ricard-a-vecu-un-traumatisme-d-une-grande-violence_AN-202211090297.html |access-date= 12 November 2022 |website=BFMTV |language=fr}} She said the language he used to describe his actions–"reprehensible conduct" (comportement répréhensible)–was subject to many interpretations and commented: "It means everything and nothing. One needs to specify what we are talking about!"{{cite interview |date=7 November 2022 |interviewer=Youna Rivallain |language=fr |url=https://www.lavie.fr/christianisme/eglise/veronique-margron-le-sentiment-de-trahison-est-intense-85190.php |work=La Vie | access-date = 13 November 2022 |title=Véronique Margron: « Le sentiment de trahison est intense »}}

French authorities dropped criminal proceedings against Ricard in February 2023 because the statute of limitations had expired.{{Cite news |date=25 February 2023 |title=French prosecutors drop 'sexual assault' probe into cardinal |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230225-french-prosecutors-drop-sexual-assault-probe-into-cardinal |access-date=25 February 2023 |publisher=France 24 |language=en}} Later in the spring, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith imposed restrictions on Ricard for a term of five years–which can be extended–prohibiting him from acting as a priest publicly outside his diocese of residence, currently Digne, and only privately within that diocese with the permission of the local bishop, Emmanuel Gobilliard, who has opposed granting permission. His status and privileges as a cardinal were not affected.{{cite news | access-date = 29 September 2023 |date=28 September 2023 |title=Banned from public ministry, French cardinal could still vote in conclave |url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/banned-from-public-ministry-french-cardinal-could-still-vote-in-conclave/18410 |first=Héloïse |last=de Neuville |work=La Croix}}{{cite news |language=fr | access-date = 29 September 2023 |date=27 September 2023 |title=Le cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard suspendu de tout ministère public, sauf dans son diocèse de résidence |url=https://www.famillechretienne.fr/41326/article/le-cardinal-jean-pierre-ricard-suspendu-de-tout-ministere-public-sauf-dans-son |work=Famille Chrétienne}}

• Catholic Church in France

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite web| access-date = 22 November 2017 |title=Ricard Card. Jean-Pierre |publisher=Holy See Press Office |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_ricard_jp.html | url-status=live | archive-date= 4 September 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170904070516/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_ricard_jp.html}}
• {{cite news |work=Le Monde |language=fr |date=24 March 2006 |first=Henri |last=Tincq |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2006/03/24/jean-pierre-ricard-le-minot-promu-prince-de-l-eglise_754253_3214.html |title=Jean-Pierre Ricard le minot, promu prince de l'Eglise |trans-title = Jean-Pierre Ricard the regular guy, promoted to prince of the Church |ref=none}}

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{{s-bef|before={{ill|Louis-Antoine-Marie Boffet|fr|Louis Boffet|nobold=y}}}}

{{s-ttl|title=Bishop of Montpellier|years=1996–2001}}

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{{s-bef|before=Louis-Marie Billé}}

{{s-ttl|title=President of the Bishop's Conference of France|years=2001–2007}}

{{s-aft|after=André Vingt-Trois}}

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{{s-bef|before=Pierre Eyt}}

{{s-ttl|title=Archbishop of Bordeaux|years=2001–2019}}

{{s-aft|after=Jean-Paul James}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Agostino|years=2006–present}}

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{{Cardinals of the Catholic Church}}

{{Roman Catholic dioceses in France|state=collapsed}}

{{portalbar|Biography|Christianity|Catholic Church|France}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricard, Jean-Pierre}}

Category:1944 births

Category:Living people

Category:Roman Catholic clergy from Marseille

Category:21st-century French cardinals

Category:Archbishops of Bordeaux

Category:Institut Catholique de Paris alumni

Category:Bishops of Montpellier

Category:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in France

Category:Members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

Category:Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI

Category:Members of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

Category:Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education

Category:Officers of the Legion of Honour

Category:Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite

Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in France

Category:Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in France