RIP Cardinal Turcotte of Montreal age 78 "...he had Jesus Christ in his bones,"

Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte has died. He was Archbishop of Montreal for 22 years. Turcotte was 78 and was battling a lengthy illness. The Montreal native was hospitalized in the summer of 2014. A statement from the Archdiocese of Montreal said Turcotte died Wednesday at Marie-Clarac Hospital in the city. The current archbishop of Montreal said, "He was always welcoming to people, whatever their background, whatever their opinions, whatever their faith or beliefs, but at the same time he had his convictions," Christian Lepine. "Even in the last few months of his life, when I was going to see him, he was always speaking about Jesus Christ, so it was really he had Jesus Christ in his bones," Lepine said. "But also the poor. He always had an interest in the poor, supporting the poor, supporting the organizations or institutions that organize themselves to help the poor." Montreal mayor Denis Coderre also recognized Turcotte's efforts with those less fortunate, tweeting that the Catholic Church had lost an "exceptional man." Lepine was expected to celebrate mass in Turcotte's honour at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Mary Queen of the World Cathedral. The public was invited to attend. Turcotte studied at College Andre-Grasset before obtaining his theology degree at the Grand Seminary of Montreal. He was ordained a priest in May 1959 and occupied several pastoral functions before being named bishop of Montreal in June 1982. Turcotte grabbed headlines in 2008 when he returned his Order of Canada to protest the decision to bestow the honour on Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the well-known abortion pioneer. "You make him a national hero while what he defends offends very deeply and causes indignation among a significant portion of the population," he said. "There are limits and I have to protest this." During the 1984 papal visit, the provincial government assigned Turcotte to represent Quebec bishops and to oversee the co-ordination of the trip in the Montreal diocese. In March 1990, Pope Jean-Paul II named Turcotte archbishop of Montreal. The following year, Turcotte obtained an honorary doctorate in theology from Montreal's McGill University and was elected vice-president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Turcotte became president in 1997, a position he held for two years. Turcotte was known as a good communicator, writing a column for Le Journal de Montreal from 1995 to 2008 and also appearing regularly on radio and TV programs. In 2012, at the age of 75, he was replaced as archbishop of Montreal by Mgr. Christian Lepine. During his religious career, Turcotte took part in two conclaves that chose the successors to two popes, Jean-Paul II and Benedict XVI. Edited from the Record
Official STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA ON THE DEATH OF CARDINAL TURCOTTE Ottawa, Ontario 8 April 2015
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement after learning of the death of His Eminence, Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte: “I was saddened to hear of the passing of His Eminence, Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, Archbishop Emeritus of Montreal. “His Eminence was a man of deep principle and service who lived his life according to the Catholic faith. Over a lifetime, his ministering helped thousands including the homeless and the poor, which is why he became known as ‘the people’s priest’ and a shepherd to the people of Montreal. “Cardinal Turcotte was a priest for 56 years, a bishop for 33 years and a principal advisor to the Pontiff as a Cardinal for 21 years. His Eminence was a former President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and he was a member of the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and Pope Francis in 2013. “Cardinal Turcotte dedicated his life to the Catholic Church and will be remembered for years to come for his compassion, humility, and leadership.”