- Albert Decourtray
infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Albert Decourtray
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Lyon|Albert Florent Augustin Decourtray S.T.D. (
9 April 1923 -16 September 1994 ) was aRoman Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Lyon.Early life
He was born in the
hamlet of L'Amiteuse nearLille ,France . He entered theminor seminary of Haubourdin in October 1940, later entering the GrandSeminary of Lille in 1941. He was ordained on29 June 1947 and completed his studies at theCatholic Faculties of Lille in 1948. He then went toRome in 1948 where he entered thePontifical Gregorian University studying for adoctorate intheology . Which he was later awarded in 1951 with histhesis onNicolas Malebranche . While in Rome, he was also chaplain of the church of Saint-Louis des Français.After his ordination and completion of his studies from 1952 until 1966 he served as
Professor ofHoly Scripture at the Grand Seminary of Lille. He was also responsible for the formation of young priests of thediocese of Lille in 1958. He served asVicar general of the diocese of Lille in 1966.Episcopate
He was appointed as titular
Bishop of "Ippona Zárito" and appointedAuxiliary Bishop ofDijon byPope Paul VI on27 May 1971 . He was appointed asBishop of Dijon in 1974. He was bishop of Dijon until he was promoted to themetropolitan see of Lyon on29 October 1981 . He was elected Vice-president of the Episcopal Conference of France serving from 1981 until 1987 and was then elected its president that year, serving until 1990.Cardinalate
Decourtray was created
Cardinal Priest of "SS. Trinità al Monte Pincio " on25 May 1985 byPope John Paul II . He was a Member of theCouncil of Cardinals for the Study of the Organizational and Economic Problems of the Holy See from 1986. He was appointed an Officer of theLégion d'Honneur in 1986. He resigned the prelature on October 1, 1988. He was elected, for one year, president of the Council of the Christian Churches of France on November 17, 1987. He received his first prize of the Droits de l'Homme in 1988. He was elected a member of theAcademie Française on1 June 1993 .He died at the age of 71 in 1994.
Trivia
*He had a brother, Eliane, who died at 17; and two sisters, Paule and Blanche, who both died at a young age.
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