Georges Cottier

His Eminence
Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P.
Pro-Theologian Emeritus of Prefecture of the Papal Household

Cardinal Georges Cottier at the Paul VI audience hall, 2013.
Other posts Secretary General of International Theological Commission (1989-2003)
Theologian of Prefecture of the Papal Household (1989-2003)
Pro-Theologian of Prefecture of the Papal Household (2003-2005)
Orders
Ordination 2 July 1951
Consecration 20 October 2003
Created Cardinal 21 October 2003
Rank Cardinal Priest of Santi Domenico e Sisto pro hac vice
Personal details
Born (1922-04-25)25 April 1922
Céligny, Switzerland
Died 31 March 2016(2016-03-31) (aged 93)
Vatican City
Nationality Swiss
Residence Vatican city
Coat of arms {{{coat_of_arms_alt}}}

Georges Marie Martin Cottier O.P., (25 April 1922 – 31 March 2016) was a Swiss Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop, Dominican, Theologian emeritus of the Pontifical Household.

Biography

Cottier was born in Carouge, Switzerland, joined the Dominican Order in 1945. Cottier studied theology and philosophy at the Pontificium Athenaeum Internationale Angelicum, the future Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum until 1952 obtaining a baccalaurate in philosophy and a licentiate in theology.[1] While at the Angelicum he was ordained a priest in 1951.

He was a professor at the Universities of Geneva and Fribourg. He became secretary of the International Theological Commission in 1989. He was nominated Pro-Theologian of the Pontifical Household in 1990. He was appointed Titular Archbishop of Tullia in 2003 and consecrated on 20 October 2003. He was named Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Domenico e Sisto, the University Church of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum[2] by Pope John Paul II in the Consistory of October 21, 2003.[3] Having served 10 years as a cardinal-deacon, he was promoted to cardinal-priest by Pope Francis on June 12, 2014.[4]

Views

In the run-up to President Barack Obama’s July 10, 2009 meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, Cottier praised Obama’s “humble realism” and compared the president’s approach to abortion to the thinking of St. Thomas Aquinas and early Christian tradition about framing laws in a pluralistic society.[5] Cottier reacted to John Paul II's encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia by saying that the Catholic Church rejects the concept of open communion.[6] Cottier defended the Church's view that the embryo is fully a human being.[7] He came out in defense of Pope Pius XII against those who continue to criticize his legacy.[8] Cottier was critical of anonymous Christianity, saying that a theological system that absorbs all realities into Christ ends by turning Christ into a kind of metaphysical postulate of the affirmation of human values, which makes the Church incapable of engaging in serious dialogue, even on the level of human rights. Then, saying that everybody is already of Christ, whether they know it or not, can make the mission futile.[9] Cottier said that the use of condoms may be morally licit in the context of fighting AIDS.[10]

References

  1. http://books.google.com/books?id=W8Ma_qbPQMUC&pg=PA86#v=onepage&q&f=false Accessed 2-19-2013
  2. Cf. Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, Consistory of October 21, 2003: Assignment of the Titles or the Deaconries to the new Cardinals
  3. Cf. Holy See Press Office, College of Cardinals, Biographical notes, Cottier Card. Georges Marie Martin, O.P.
  4. "Assegnazione del titolo presbiterale ad alcuni cardinali diaconi creati nel consistoro del 21 ottobre 2003" (in Italian). 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  5. Former papal theologian praises Obama's 'realism', even on abortion
  6. Eucharistic communion implies a communion in its entirety
  7. The embryo a already a human being
  8. Anachronistic polemic
  9. If everything is grace, then grace is no more»
  10. Cardinal : condoms can be legitimate

External links

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Mario Luigi Ciappi
Theologian of the Pontifical Household
19892005
Succeeded by
Wojciech Giertych
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