Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte

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Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte (born June 26, 1936) is a Roman Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Montréal. His full title is "Cardinal of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Canadian Martyrs."

Born in Montréal, Turcotte attended Collège André-Grasset from 1947 to 1955, and then studied at the Grand Seminaire. He was ordained a priest on May 24, 1959. In 1965 he earned a diploma in social ministry in Lille, France. On April 14, 1982 he became titular bishop of Suas and auxiliary bishop of Montreal, and was ordained as a bishop on June 29 of that year. When Pope John Paul II visited Canada in 1984, Turcotte organized his visit to Montreal. He was appointed archbishop of Montreal on March 17, 1990. John Paul II appointed him a cardinal on February 28, 1994. From 1997 to 2000 he was president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Turcotte has participated in the 1993, 1997, 2000, and 2003 World Youth Days.

Cardinal Turcotte is known for his work with the poor, and writes a weekly religion column in the Sunday edition of the Journal de Montréal. In 1996 he was made an Officer the Order of Canada.

He was a voting member (cardinal elector) of the College of Cardinals in the 2005 papal conclave, and 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.

Daniel Cere, head of the Newman Centre at McGill University, told The Toronto Star that Turcotte "is very much a pastoral figure, much like John Paul II." A Toronto priest told the newspaper he was "your man if you want a pastoral bon vivant Pope John XXIII figure." 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."

His lack of proficiency in the Italian language, and his lack of international experience, were seen as shortcomings.

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