Michel Mouïsse (born October 31, 1939, in Mazamet, Tarn) is a French Catholic bishop.


Michel-Pierre-Marie Mouïsse
ChurchCatholic Church
SeeBishop of Diocese of Périgueux and Sarlat (emeritus)
In officeBishop of the Diocese of Périgueux and Sarlat
PredecessorGaston Poulain
SuccessorPhilippe Mousset
Orders
OrdinationDecember 18, 1966
ConsecrationMay 7, 2000
by Louis Dufaux
Personal details
Born
Michel-Pierre-Marie Mouïsse

October 31, 1939
Mazamet (Tarn)
NationalityFrench
DenominationRoman Catholic
Previous post(s)Auxiliary bishop of Grenoble (2000-2004) Titular bishop of Lambæsis (2000-2004)
MottoServir, ne pas être servi
Coat of armsMichel-Pierre-Marie Mouïsse's coat of arms

After his formation for the priesthood at the regional seminary of Toulouse in the 1960s, Michel Mouïsse was ordained a priest for the diocese of Albi on December 18, 1966. He began his career as a diocesan chaplain for several Catholic youth movements, then trained seminarians in Toulouse before moving on to various diocesan positions in the 1980s and 1990s.

After being appointed auxiliary bishop of Grenoble and titular bishop of Lambæsis on March 10, 2000, Michel Mouïsse was consecrated bishop on May 7 by Louis Dufaux. However, he left this position on March 5, 2004, when he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Périgueux and Sarlat. Later, in 2014, as bishop emeritus of the Diocese, he joined the team of priests of the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde in Marseille.

Biography edit

Youth and formation edit

Michel Pierre Marie[1] Mouïsse was born on October 31, 1939, in Mazamet, and was the oldest child of Julien Mouïsse, a woodworker, and Suzanne Hiriar.

He studied at the Notre Dame primary school in Mazamet, the collège in Barral de Castres, the lycée at Saint-Théodard in Montauban, where he obtained his baccalauréat, and then at the University of Toulouse.[2][3]

In 1960, Michel Mouïsse entered the seminary of Albi until 1964.[3] After his military service,[3] he continued his formation for the priesthood at the major seminary in Toulouse.[4]

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albi[5] on December 18, 1966.

Clerical life edit

 
Michel Mouïsse was appointed parish priest of Cathedral of Saint Cecilia of Albi in 1988.

He served as curate of the parish of Saint-Jacques de Villegoudou in Castres.

  • From 1967 to 1975: Diocesan chaplain of Action Catholique des Enfants (ACE), Jeunesse Indépendante Chrétienne (JIC), Young Christian Workers (YCW) and Guides de France (GDF).
  • From 1975 to 1978:[4] Diocesan chaplain of Jeunesse Indépendante Chrétienne Féminine (JICF).
 
Michel Mouïsse was appointed bishop to the Diocese of Périgueux and Sarlat in 2004.
  • From 1978 to 1988: Member of the leadership team of the regional seminary of Toulouse. He was responsible for the spiritual formation, apostolic insertion, and guidance of trainee seminarists.
  • From 1984 to 1985: He studied at the Institut de formation des éducateurs du clergé (IFEC) in Paris.[4]
  • From 1985 to 1988: In charge of the pastoral care of the family in the Diocese of Albi.
  • In 1988: Appointed as archpriest of the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia of Albi and episcopal vicar.
  • In 1996: He became Vicar General of the Diocese of Albi, in charge of the lay apostolate.[4]
  • In 1998: In collaboration with the historian Philippe Nélidoff, published À Dieu, Père Gaben,[5] in memory of Father Lucien Gaben, who died on April 1 of that year and who had served the diocese of Albi.
  • In 1999: After the death of Roger Meindre, he was elected as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Albi.
  • In 2000: Consecrated on May 7 by Louis Dufaux, assisted by Émile Marcus and Georges Pontier.[5] Over 2,000 people attended his episcopal consecration in Cathedral of Saint Cecilia of Albi.[6]
  • In 2004:[5] Succeeding Gaston Poulain,[7] he was appointed as bishop of the Diocese of Périgueux and Sarlat. His motto was Servir, ne pas être servi[8] (To serve, not to be served).
 
In 2014, Michel Mouïsse joined the team of priests of the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde in Marseille.
  • In 2012:
    • On April 12, in an interview with KTO, he shared his conviction to increase the visibility of the Church in Périgord, the unexpected success of the "invisible monastery" (vocations at home), and the opening of Saint-Jacques, a restaurant in the diocesan house.
    • On September 27: He met Pope Benedict XVI[9] and made visite ad limina.
  • In 2014:
    • On January 24, during the bishop's annual greetings, he announced his resignation to "serve the Church differently in Marseille", and to join the team of priests at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde.[10]
    • His resignation was accepted on June 18, and he remained Apostolic Administrator until the installation of his successor, Philippe Mousset, on September 14.[5][11]

Rugby union edit

Michel Mouïsse (alongside his father) has supported the local rugby team of Mazamet since his early childhood. He played as an amateur at school, at university, in the army, and at the seminary. Then, he became captain and coach of the Castres Olympique[6][12][13][14] reserve team.

After his ordination, he continued playing the sport for another eight years and left the club at the age of thirty-five.

He regularly reads Midi Olympique and one of his favorite rugby writers is Denis Tillinac.[12]

After moving to the Episcopal see of Périgueux, he supported the Club Athlétique Périgueux Dordogne.

Position and opinions edit

His vision of society edit

In 2010, amid the global economic crisis, Michel Mouïsse called for a "burst of humanity and fraternity" and greater social justice.[15]

The situation of Christians in the East edit

In January 2011, with the Middle East amid the Arab Spring, Michel Mouïsse called for peace and dialogue in this part of the world.[16]

In the face of the silence of the French media, on September 10, 2013, Michel Mouïsse addressed the Diocese of Périgueux and Sarlat and the local press under the title "Un silence assourdissant" ("A deafening silence") to raise public awareness of the violence against Christians in the East and the multiple destructions of their places of worship on August 14.

This caused a stir, after being circulated on social networks, along with a photograph of the bishop, and used "for partisan purposes".[17][18]

In the 2014 municipal elections, according to Christian Foucher[19] (the bishopric's communications director), the modified statement was written by the National Front, with passages "against the socialists" and others inciting to "total war" against "jihadist fanatics,"

On February 4, 2015, a press release (claiming to be written by the bishop) was posted on several extremist websites, denouncing the complicity of the media and the "famous intellectual and political elites" in the attacks on Christian places of worship in Egypt.[19] However, Michel Mouïsse denies this claim, calling it a "hoax".[19]

Awards edit

See also edit

Related articles edit

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Bishop Michel Pierre Marie Mouïsse". Catholic-hierarchy.org.
  2. ^ L. B. (2007). Mgr Michel Mouïsse, l'évêque rugbyman (PDF) (in French). Pèlerin.
  3. ^ a b c "Rinuncia del vescovo di Périgueux (Francia) e nomina del successore" (PDF) (in Italian).
  4. ^ a b c d "Mgr Michel Mouïsse". Église catholique en France (in French).
  5. ^ a b c d e Mouïsse, Michel; Nélidoff, Philippe (1998). À Dieu, Père Gaben (in French). Association paroissiale Sainte-Cécile-Saint-Salvy.
  6. ^ a b "Mgr Mouïsse prend l'anneau à Sainte-Cécile". ladepeche.fr (in French). 2000.
  7. ^ "Bishop Gaston Élie Poulain [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org.
  8. ^ "Diocese of Périgueux, France 🇫🇷". GCatholic.
  9. ^ "Ad Limina - September 2012 [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org.
  10. ^ "Mgr Mouïsse, l'évêque de Périgueux et Sarlat, prendra sa retraite en 2014". SudOuest.fr (in French).
  11. ^ Podvin, Bernard (2014). Communiqué de presse: Mgr Philippe Mousset nommé évêque de Périgueux et Sarlat (PDF) (in French). Conférence des évêques de France.
  12. ^ a b Adrian, Luc (2007). "Mgr Michel Mouïsse : Le rugby est une école de vie" (PDF). Église et sport (1549).
  13. ^ P.G. (2014). "Les adieux de l'évêque". SudOuest.
  14. ^ Séry, Macha (2012). Ceci est pour vous : De Baudelaire à Modiano : À qui sont dédiées les grandes œuvres ? (in French). Philippe Rey. ISBN 978-2848762159.
  15. ^ Libero, Romano (2010-01-20). "LE DEVOIR D'INTERVENTION DE MGR MOUISSE (Périgueux)". Éditions Golias (in French).
  16. ^ "Que souhaitent-ils pour cette année ?". SudOuest.fr (in French). 2011-01-06.
  17. ^ "L'épiscopat français dément des rumeurs circulant sur Internet". La Croix (in French). 2014-04-09. ISSN 0242-6056.
  18. ^ Communication, Service (2013-10-29). "Un silence assourdissant, mais un écho qui l'est encore plus..." Diocèse de Périgueux et Sarlat (in French).
  19. ^ a b c "L'ancien évêque de Périgueux et Sarlat piraté par des extrémistes". SudOuest.fr (in French). 2015-02-05.
  20. ^ Décret du 13 juillet 2011 portant promotion et nomination, 2011