Cardinal Paul Poupard, Former President

His Eminence, Cardinal Paul Poupard, President of the Pontifical Council of Culture, is in charge of the STOQ project.

He was born on August 30, 1930 in Bouzillé, Maine-et-Loire (France). From 1958 to 1959, he was assigned to the National Center for Scientific Research and from 1959 to 1971 he was an official of the Secretary of State and Chaplain of the St. Dominic Institute in Rome. From 1971 to 1981 he was rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris and in 1979 he was elected Auxiliary Bishop to the Archbishop of Paris.

He was Vice President of the Society of French Ecclesiastical History, a member of the Higher Council of the School of Higher Studies and the High Committee of the French language and the Academy of Humanities, Sciences and Arts in Angers. This activity gained him numerous honors; including the Cardinal Grente award from the French Academy, a Knighthood from the Legion of Honor and various others.

In addition to writing several books, Cardinal Poupard has also collaborated in the editing of many others. He has offered his expertise for research and has contributed articles for some of the most prestigious papers of Catholic culture in the world.

On June 27, 1980, Pope John Paul II raised him to the rank of Archbishop, calling him to assume responsibilities as President of the Secretariat for Non-believers. Two years later, he also became President of the newly-formed Pontifical Council for Culture. He is a committee member of various pontifical congregations: the Evangelization of Peoples, Catholic Education, and Divine Worship. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals and from May 27, 1985 he was President of the Commission to Study the Galileo Case. He presented the results of the commission’s findings at a meeting of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on October 31, 1992.