Bishop Gerald Lacroix to be the new Archbishop of Quebec

Bishop Gerald Lacroix

Cardinal Marc Ouellet's replacement announced Feb. 22

The Vatican announced that Bishop Gerald Lacroix will replace Cardinal Marc Ouellet as Archbishop of Quebec.

“It is with great joy and humility that I accept to serve with my whole heart the Church of Quebec in continuing to give my life to proclaiming the Gospel,” Lacroix said.

The question of who would replace Cardinal Ouellet as archbishop has hung in the air since he officially left the Archdiocese of Quebec in August 2010.

Born in 1951 in Saint-Lilaire de Dorset, Que., Bishop Lacroix earned his master's degree in pastoral theology at Laval University before being ordained to the priesthood in 1988.

Bishop Lacroix was ordained as an auxiliary in Quebec by Cardinal Ouellet in 2009 and worked alongside the Cardinal Ouellet, who was then the archbishop, until his departure.

Bishop Lacroix has been acting as the diocesan administrator since Pope Benedict XVI named Cardinal Ouellet the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and transferred him to Rome.

As archbishop of the oldest diocese in Canada, Bishop Lacroix will be given the title Primate of the Church of Canada. This title is honourific and has no responsibility or authority, according to a spokesperson from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.