Interview with Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec
By Edward Pentin, Rome correspondent
26 January 2008

We’re likely to hear quite a lot from Cardinal Marc Ouellet in the coming months. The Archbishop of Quebec will be taking a leading role in both the forthcoming International Eucharistic Congress and the Synod of Bishops in October. He is also considered by some to be a possible future Pope.

Quebec will host the 49th International Eucharistic Congress June 15-22, under the theme “Gift of God for the Life of the World”. What are your hopes and aims for the Congress?

First of all, I’d say that an International Eucharistic Congress is a testimony of the Catholic Church in the presence of the Risen Christ in the Holy Eucharist. So it’s a celebration, first of all. As you noticed, it’s “For the Life of the World”, so we want to show the link between the gift of God, which is the Risen Lord in the Holy Eucharist, and peace, justice, compassion, solidarity, the life of the world. So we want to address in the discussions of the congress the topics of justice, solidarity family and family life.

In 2005, there was the important Synod on the Eucharist. How much do you think the recommendations made at that Synod have been heeded?

I think a Eucharistic Congress is a great opportunity to implement what was suggested. For example, the Synod mentioned the renewal of Adoration and one of the aims of the Eucharistic Congress of Quebec will be to foster Adoration inside Mass, and also outside, in the Catholic tradition. On this aspect there is progress – we noticed that at the Synod. The movement of Adoration is growing in the world. It is a good sign and we hope that it will continue.

And why Quebec? What will hosting the Congress there bring to the event?

We have a history of holiness. We’ve had 14 people beatified or canonised during the pontificate of John Paul II. As holiness has always been linked to the Eucharist, so it’s the same for us: to celebrate the Holy Eucharist with the whole world is an extraordinary opportunity to come back to our roots and to be more aware of the gifts we have received, gifts we still have to develop (reform of education and so on) in a context that’s more difficult because of secularisation. So we really need to connect the gift of God par excellence which is the Holy Eucharist, our story of holiness, and the life of today.

You’re going to be the General Relator for the Bishops’ Synod on Sacred Scripture in October. Why was the theme of Sacred Scripture chosen?

This has been a desire for several years. The proposal was put forward and I think it is a very important choice. It compliments the Synod on the Holy Eucharist because the Catholic faith, or the Christian faith, is based on the fact that God speaks to the world through Jesus Christ and through Holy Scripture which is a witness to Jesus Christ. So we need really to compliment, to affirm the faith in the presence of God in Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We need to go back to the basis itself. God speaks to the world through Jesus Christ and the Church has kept the testimony of his life in the Holy Scripture, in the Jewish tradition and the continuity of this tradition. So it’s the most basic synod in a way because it comes back to the starting point: the Word of God.

What will be your precise role?

My role as Relator is to introduce the work of the synod, which will allow to be discussed further and provide the synod with a pastoral goal - how we receive scripture and the Word of God so people of God will live it out better. That’s the pastoral goal of the synod.

It’s said that General Relators of synods have often gone on to become Pope…

[Laughs] I’ve no... I know it’s a big task. It’s a difficult task, because you have to introduce the work and reflection of the Synod Fathers and then, after 10 days of listening to what has been said, you give a second intervention to the assembly to summarise and focus even more on the work. With others you then have role to finalise the propositions because at the end we have many amendments. We have to do a sort of editing and finalise the propositions. So those are the main tasks.

The Holy Father won’t be coming to Canada as hoped, but he will be visiting the United States. What impact do you think his visit will have, both on the United States and the world? what do you think he hopes to achieve?

It is an important visit. Obviously, his first aim is to go to New York and deliver a message of peace. At this time in the world we really need a word of wisdom on the situation of humanity and a call to peace. I think it will have a great impact on the United States, and Canada too because he will speak to the whole world from the United Nations. So I pray and hope it will be well received, and lead to a better understanding in the world as it is today, the role of the U.S. in the world and also the Muslim world which is difficult for us to understand and vice versa. The Pope will play a role in this search for better understanding between cultures and civilisations and religions. I think he is very much aware of his influence and of his role as Pope to foster peace in the world. It was said at the very beginning of his election that he wanted to be like his predecessor Benedict XV, to work for peace in a difficult time.

Do you think it will be the most important visit of his pontificate so far?

Yes, I would say so, from the perspective of peace in the world I would say it’s his most important visit.



Could you please tell us more about your new book “The Mystery and Sacrament of Love” that you recently launched here in Rome? Will it be available in English?

Yes, probably in some months time. I published one book in English which is entitled “Divine Lightness”. It was published while I was teaching in Rome for the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family. But these were specific publications. Now, in this new book, it’s the whole of my teaching. I gave a course on matrimony but also the link between marriage and the other sacraments of the Church. This book also covers a kind of theology of liturgy from the perspective of the nuptial mystery. So this is the content of the book. I think it has some originality and I hope it will help with the new evangelization, to give a new vision also of the family. The family has many problems nowadays, but the family is also a resource for evangelization because it’s a testimony of love which is also gives a sense that Christ is alive and present and present in the family, in human love.

How do you think Holy Father perceives Canada? What are his hopes and concerns for the country?

He shares in our concerns for the future of the family, education, Catholic education, and also for our testimony of peace and justice in the world. Canada has made an important contribution to peace in the world so the Pope will come to Canada I’m sure. It’s still a dream that he might come from the States to Quebec City for our 400th anniversary - the 400th anniversary of city of Quebec.

Do you think it still could happen?

It would be a miracle, a dream and I would be happy, but I know he cannot come to the Eucharistic Congress because three major trips in three months is for him too much. I understand and the people understand, but if there were a different solution I would be open to it.

What’s it like to work with the Pope, what’s his relationship like with his brother cardinals?

I knew him from before, and he’s a man of deep reflection. He’s a man who doesn’t spend much time socialising, so to speak, because he has a sense of his main contribution to the life of the Church. He is a Doctor of the Church so his preaching as a theologian is so important - his encyclicals, and his book [Jesus of Nazareth]. So it’s nice and amazing he’s giving the Church his personal experience as a theologian. It’s a way to communicate the Good News, or an understanding of the Good News, that will reach out to many more people than an official document. Some will be not be too interested in an official document like an encyclical but a private book of the Pope – they will read it and discuss it, so I think it was a very good idea. So the Pope is a doctor and, for me, the word that encapsulates his pontificate is wisdom. At his age and with his experience, he is a man of wisdom in what he communicates and in his way of reacting to political events. If we think of Regensburg, if we think of La Sapienza last week, the way he reacted and addressed the situation, brought a word of peace and at same time a word of education and a call to tolerance and freedom, he demonstrated great wisdom.