Pope Francis’ trusted ally named France’s new top bishop in major election
On Wednesday, April 2, Jean-Marc Aveline, the Archbishop of Marseille, was elected as the new president of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), making him the highest-ranking bishop in France.
At 66 years old, Aveline will lead for the next three years, stepping into a very important role during a challenging time for the Catholic Church in France.
Aveline is known for his warm smile and friendly attitude. He has long spoken out about the importance of bringing different religions and cultures together, and he has worked hard to defend migrants—ideas that match Pope Francis’s values.
This new role comes at a tough time for the French Catholic Church, which is facing difficult questions about child sex abuse by some church members. There is also pressure to explain why the church stayed silent about a famous charity leader, Abbe Pierre.
Aveline was seen as the top choice for the job, and he was quickly elected by the bishops during a meeting in Lourdes, a town in southern France. He won the necessary two-thirds of the votes in the first round.
Aveline will take over from Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, who has been in the position for six years, on July 1.
Born in Algeria, Aveline has spent most of his life in Marseille, a port city that has long been a welcoming place for immigrants. He became an auxiliary bishop in 2013 and was made a cardinal in 2022. Some people even think he could one day become the next pope!
In 2023, Pope Francis visited Marseille and led a huge mass in a stadium, with tens of thousands of people attending to show support for Aveline and the city.
