Jean-Claude Hollerich

Biography

Hollerich was born on 9 August 1958 in Differdange. He grew up in Vianden and attended the École Apostolique of Clairefontaine in Eischen and the Lycée Classique in Diekirch. From 1978 to 1981 he studied Catholic Theology and Philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. On 27 September 1981 he joined the Jesuits. After a novitiate in Namur from 1981 to 1983, he did pastoral work from 1983 to 1985 in Luxembourg. From 1985 to 1989, Hollerich studied Japanese language and culture as well as theology at Sophia University in Tokyo. He earned a theological licentiate in 1990 from the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt am Main.

On 21 April 1990 he was ordained a priest in Brussels. From 1990 to 1994 he earned a licentiate in German language and literature at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Until 2001 he was a doctoral student at the Centre for European Integration Studies in Bonn. On 18 October 2002, Hollerich took his perpetual vows in St. Ignatius' church in Tokyo. He is a member of the Japanese Jesuit province and was a professor of German, French and European studies (1994-2011) and Vice-Rector for General and Student Affairs of the Sophia University in Tokyo.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Hollerich Archbishop of Luxembourg on 12 July 2011. He received his episcopal consecration on 16 October 2011 in the cathedral in Luxembourg from his predecessor Fernand Franck; the co-consecrators were the Archbishop of Cologne, Joachim Cardinal Meisner and the Archbishop of Tokyo, Peter Takeo Okada. He is the eighth Bishop and third Archbishop of Luxembourg.

Hollerich presided at the wedding of Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy at Luxembourg's Notre-Dame Cathedral on 20 October 2012.

He has held leadership positions in a number of European associations. He was President of the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions from 2014 to 2018 and became President of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe's Commission for Youth in September 2017. In March 2018, he was elected to a five-year term as president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE). Pope Francis appointed him to participate in the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Youth, Faith, and vocational discernment.

Since 1994, Hollerich has been a member of the Catholic student fraternity, AV Edo-Rhenania zu Tokio and of AV Rheinstein zu Köln im CV.

On 5 October 2019, Pope Francis made him Cardinal-Priest of San Giovanni Crisostomo a Monte Sacro Alto. Interviewed shortly afterwards, he supported the ordination of married men to the Catholic priesthood. He said: "I love my celibacy, I stand by it, but I see that married deacons can preach differently than I do, and I find that in itself a wonderful addition."

He was made a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture on 21 February 2020 and member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on 8 July 2020.

In September 2020, he suggested that the limitations placed by the COVID-19 pandemic on access to the sacraments and church instruction programs will result in a smaller Church, because those who attend for cultural reasons will have learned to live without the Church. He thought this only exacerbated current trends, because "this merely cultural Catholicism, cannot last over time". He also said he supported asking the "big questions" but hoped the anticipated German synod would recognize its obligations to the Church worldwide. He thought the most important question was the role of women in the Church and expressed a willingness to consider the ordination of women: "I just don't know. But I am open to it. It is clear, however, that the current situation is not enough. You have to see and notice that women have a say in the church."

Hollerich said in an interview with the Croatian Catholic weekly, Glas Koncila, that while Pope Francis does not want the ordination of women, "I am a promoter of giving women more pastoral responsibility. And if we achieve that, then we can perhaps see if there still is a desire among women for ordination," he added.

On 8 July 2021, Pope Francis appointed him relator general of the 2023 synod of bishops.

In 2022, Hollerich said he considered the church's teaching that homosexual relationships are sinful to be wrong: "I believe that the sociological-scientific foundation of this teaching is no longer correct." In response, an anonymous memo later revealed to have been authored by Cardinal George Pell referred to Hollerich as "explicitly heretical."

On 7 March 2023, Hollerich was appointed to the Council of Cardinal Advisors.

Hollerich participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.

References

;Further reading

References

1. (5 October 2019). "Archbishop of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Hollerich ordained as cardinal". RTL Today.
2. (1 July 2023). "The Next Conclave".
3. Mankarious, Christopher Lamb, Alicia Johnson, Jhasua Razo, Sarah-Grace. (2025-04-22). "Pope Francis successor: who's in contention to be the next pontiff?".
4. (2025-04-21). "15 potential successors to Pope Francis".
5. (12 July 2011). "Rinunce e Nomine, 12.07.2011". [[Holy See Press Office]].
6. (20 October 2012). "Le gotha mondial présent au mariage du grand-duc héritier de Luxembourg". Le Point.
7. (April 2025). "L'Archevêque Jean-Claude Hollerich". Archevêché de Luxembourg.
8. (9 March 2018). "Jesuit Archbishop Hollerich elected new COMECE president". La Croix.
9. (15 September 2018). "XV Assemblea Generale Ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi (3-28 ottobre 2018) – Elenco dei Partecipanti, 15.09.2018". Holy See Press Office.
10. (5 October 2019). "Concistoro Ordinario Pubblico: Assegnazione dei Titoli, 05.10.2019". Holy See Press Office.
11. (5 October 2019). "Kardinal Hollerich über verheiratete Priester: "Warum nicht?"". Katholisch.de.
12. (21 February 2020). "Rinunce e nomine, 21.02.2020". Holy See Press Office.
13. (8 July 2020). "Rinunce e nomine, 08.07.2020". Holy See Press Office.
14. Allen, Elise Ann. (4 September 2021). "Cardinal predicts Church, Europe will be 'weaker' after pandemic". Crux.
15. (18 September 2020). "Bin offen für Frauen als Priesterinnen".
16. White, Christopher. (28 March 2023). "Top synod cardinal says church could one day revisit ban on ordaining women".
17. (8 July 2021). "Rinunce e nomine, 08.07.2021". Holy See Press Office.
18. (2 February 2022). "Top EU cardinal calls for change in church teaching on gay relationships". National Catholic Reporter.
19. Magister, Sandro. (2022-03-15). "A Memorandum on the Next Conclave Is Circulating Among the Cardinals. Here It Is".
20. (7 March 2023). "Pope renews Council of Cardinals". Vatican News.
21. (6 May 2025). "Cardinal Electors". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.