French Cardinal Lustiger, Jewish-born promoter of dialogue, dies

Published: 2007-08-06

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, the Jewish-born former archbishop of Paris who defended the right of believers to have a say in public debates, died at the age of 80. He had been the voice of French Catholics for nearly a quarter-century and spoke out against anti-Semitism, as well as promoted Catholic dialogue with Jews and with the nation's growing Muslim community. He died Aug. 5 in Paris after a long illness. The funeral was to be held Aug. 10 at the French capital's Notre Dame Cathedral. Pope Benedict XVI called the cardinal a "perceptive intellectual" and "passionate pastor" who "put his gifts at the service of the faith" in order to bring the Gospel to all aspects of life and society. In a telegram sent to Archbishop Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris, the pope said Cardinal Lustiger was a "great figure of the church in France." The late cardinal was "a man of faith and dialogue," the pope said, praising his generous commitment to "fostering ever more fraternal relations between Christians and Jews."

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