Paul Gouyon

Paul Joseph Marie Gouyon (October 24, 1910&mdash;September 26, 2000) was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Rennes from 1964 to 1985, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1969.

Biography
Paul Gouyon was born in Bordeaux, and studied at the University of and Seminary of Bordeaux. He also attended the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and the Catholic Institute of Paris.

Gouyon was ordained to the priesthood on March 13, 1937, and finished his studies in 1939. After serving in the French Army during World War II from 1939 to 1940, he began pastoral work in Bordeaux, serving as pastor of Montussan and of Beychac (1940-1944), chaplain of the lycée Michel-Montaigne (1944-1951), and vicar general of the archdiocese. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness on April 6, 1955.

On August 6, 1957, Gouyon was appointed Bishop of Bayonne by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following October 7 from Archbishop Paul Richaud, with Archbishop Joseph Martin and Bishop Louis Guyot serving as co-consecrators, in the Cathedral of Saint-André. Gouyon later attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965, and was promoted to Coadjutor Archbishop of Rennes and Titular Archbishop of Pessinus on August 6, 1963. He succeeded the late Clément-Emile Roques as Archbishop of Rennes on September 4, 1964.

Pope Paul VI created him Cardinal Priest of Natività di Natività di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo in via Gallia in the consistory of April 28, 1969. Gouyon was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclaves of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II respectively. He was also named the national president of Pax Christi. The Cardinal resigned his post as Archbishop on October 15, 1985, after a period of twenty-one years, and lost the right to participate in any future conclaves upon reaching the age of eighty on October 24, 1990.

Cardinal Gouyon died in Bordeaux, at age 89. He is buried in the cemetery of the Mother House of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Saint-Pern.