The bishops of France, assembled at their spring plenary assembly in Lourdes, have elected Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille, as the new President of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF). Elected for a three-year term, renewable once, he will assume office on July 1, succeeding Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, Archbishop of Reims. Biography of Archbishop Jean-Marc Aveline Born on December 26, 1958 Ordained priest on November 3, 1984 Appointed bishop on December 19, 2013 Consecrated bishop on January 26, 2014 Appointed metropolitan archbishop on August 8, 2019 Created cardinal on August 27, 2022 Education Inter-diocesan Seminary of Avignon Catholic Institute of Paris and Paris I and Paris IV University, La Sorbonne Ministries 1986 – 1991: Professor of dogmatic theology and director of studies at the inter-diocesan seminary of Marseille, member of the pastoral team of the Saint-Marcel parish. 1987 – 2007: Episcopal vicar for permanent formation and university research, member of the pastoral team of the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul parish. 1991 – 1996: Responsible for the diocesan service of vocations and diocesan delegate for seminarians. 1992 – 2002: Founding director of the Institute of Science and Theology of Religions (ISTR) in Marseille. 1995 – 2013: Director of the Saint-Jean Institute, which became in 1998 the Catholic Institute of the Mediterranean (ICM), affiliated with the Catholic University of Lyon. 1997 – 2007: Lecturer at the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Lyon. 2007: Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Marseille. 2008 – 2013: Consultant of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. 2013 – 2019: Auxiliary Bishop of Marseille. 2016 – 2017: Member of the Study and Project Committee of the Conference of Bishops of France. 2017 – 2022: President of the Council for Interreligious Relations and New Religious Movements. Since 2022: Member of the Dicastery for Bishops and the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. Since 2024: Member of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.