Mgr Joseph DORÉ, P.S.S., Archbishop Emeritus of Strasbourg, is a noted Sulpician and theologian in Europe and abroad. Dean Emeritus of Theologicum of the Catholic Institute of Paris, Mgr Doré continues to maintain a very active schedule, especially devoting his energies to research and publications in a variety of areas, as well as speaking engagements.
Mgr Doré recently published three books in French worth drawing attention to. The first is titled Le Monde des Cathédrales: Un évêque raconte les cathédrales [The World of Cathedrals: A Bishop Speaks About Cathedrals] (Paris: Mame, 2014). This small gem of a book, which grew out of a much larger project that Mgr Doré directs, the elegant coffee-table collection titled, “La grâce des cathédrales,” recounts the importance of cathedrals in Catholic history and theology. It offers cultural, social, historical, and theological reflections on the importance of the cathedral as the “seat” of a diocese.
A second book is titled Être catholique aujourd’hui dans l’église du pape François [Being a Catholic Today in the Church of Pope Francis] (Montrouge: Bayard, 2014). This short, personal reflection offers an analysis of the papacy of Pope Francis and the hope that it has brought the Church. It is an upbeat analysis based upon the author’s experience as a theologian and a diocesan bishop. He sees in Pope Francis’ energetic style a sign of Catholic “openness” and vitality.
Finally, Mgr Doré’s third book offers a popular and passionate study of the importance of Jesus Christ for the world today. Titled Jésus expliqué à tous [Jesus Explained for Everyone] (Paris: Seuil, 2015), this short book a lucid and focused explanation of the significance of Jesus Christ, from the perspective of both history and faith. It follows a simple question-and-answer format and is intended for a general audience, including those who may not know about Jesus of Nazareth personally. This book, too, grew out of a much larger project edited and directed by Mgr Doré, the prestigious collection Jésus et Jésus-Christ, which consists of 101 volumes from many world-renowned authors.
Although these books are currently only available in French, they offer testimony that so-called “retirement” can indeed be very active and fruitful! French-speakers may also wish to consult an interview with Mgr Doré done at La Procure in Paris to promote his recent book on Jesus just below.
The Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice express sincere gratitude to Mgr Doré for his many contributions to the study of theology, and congratulate him on his most recent publications.