H. Em. Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich, S.I.
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, S.I., Archbishop of Luxembourg (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), was born on 9 August 1958 in Differdange (Luxembourg).
In 1981 he joined the Society of Jesus, in the province of southern Belgium and Luxembourg, and carried out his novitiate in Namur for two years. He was ordained a priest in Brussels on 21 April 1990 and spent four years studying German language and literature at the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität in Munich. In 1994 he transferred to the Land of the Rising Sun: as a teacher of German and French, and of European studies at the Sophia University, he remained there until 2011.
In 2008 he was chosen as the rector of the community of 65 Jesuits of the Sophia University and vice rector for general and student affairs in the same institution, entering into direct contact with the many academic communities in Asia, Europe and America. At the same time, he was consultor of the Japanese province of the Society of Jesus.
He returned to his home country in 2011, as on 12 July of that year he was appointed by Pope Ratzinger as archbishop of Luxembourg. The following 16 October he received episcopal ordination in the cathedral of Luxembourg, from his predecessor Fernand Franck, co-consecrated by the cardinal of Cologne, Joachim Meisner, and the archbishop of Tokyo, Peter Takeo Okada, selecting Annuntiate as his motto.
In 2015 he participated in the fourteenth ordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops focused on the vocation and mission of the family; this experience was repeated in 2018, with the fifteenth assembly dedicated to young people.
President of the Conference of the Iustitia et Pax Commissions of Europe (2014-2018), on 29 September 2017 he was elected to lead the Commission for Young People within the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). On 8 March 2018, he took over the chairmanship of the Commission which brings together the European bishops with the aim of examining the policy and legislation of the European Union (EU) from the point of view of the social doctrine of the Church.
On 8 July 2021 the Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Jean-Claude Hollerich, S.J., as general rapporteur of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
He was created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 5 October 2019, of the Title of San Giovanni Crisostomo a Monte Sacro Alto.
He is a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Congregation of Catholic Education.
On September 25, 2021 was elected Vice President of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE).
From press.vatican.va