Cardinal: “I Need to Let Me Be Forgotten a Bit”

Retired Lyon Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, 70, is now teaching Ecclesiology every Tuesday in Saint-Yves Seminary in Rennes, France, to about twenty seminarians of the second cycle.

Soon he will add a class called “I believe in God” for the beginners, LeParisien.fr (January 31) writes, “I like to teach theology,” Barbarin is quoted.

The students are happy with the new professor. Hubert, 28, a seminarist in his fourth year said, "As he has a big experience of the Church, he can easily illustrate his words, it makes the subject very lively."

He is also one of the chaplains of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Saint-Pern where he lives. "He has integrated well but we don't see him much because he is often on the move," a sister is quoted.

Barbarin imparted the Last Rites to the Catholic actor Michael Lonsdale, 89, who died in September in Paris. In October, he celebrated his 70th birthday in Rom with Francis in Santa Marta.

“I need to let me be forgotten a bit,” Barbarin told LeParisien.fr.

Picture: Philippe Barbarin © wikicommons, CC BY-SA, #newsMsambgzgjn