Joël Mercier (born 5 January 1945) is a French prelate of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
who serves in the Roman Curia as the Secretary of the
Congregation for the Clergy
The Dicastery for the Clergy, formerly named Congregation for the Clergy (; formerly the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy and Sacred Congregation of the Council), is the dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing matters regardin ...
.
Biography
Mercier was born in
Chaudefonds-sur-Layon
Chaudefonds-sur-Layon (, literally ''Chaudefonds on Layon'') is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department of western France.
Geography
The commune is traversed by the river Layon.
See also
*Communes of the Maine-et-Loire department
The follow ...
, France, and ordained a priest of the
Diocese of Angers
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Angers (Latin: ''Dioecesis Andegavensis''; French language, French: ''Diocèse d'Angers'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The episcopal see is located in Angers Cathedral in t ...
on 27 June 1970.
He did his graduate studies in classics at the
Sorbonne
Sorbonne may refer to:
* Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities.
*the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970)
*one of its components or linked institution, ...
and in 1964 entered the seminary in his Angers, where he earned a B.A. in philosophy and a licentiate in theology at the
Catholic University of the West
The Catholic University of the West (UCO; French: Université catholique de l'Ouest), known colloquially to its students as «''la Catho''», is a university located in Angers, France.
History
Early in the 11th century this school became famous ...
. On 27 June 1970 he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Angers.
From 1971 to 1974 he completed his training at the
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as ...
in Rome where he obtained a license and then a doctorate in canon law.
He then served as vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Angers until 1979. He was chaplain of the College and Catholic High School in Angers from 1979 to 1987, when Bishop Jean Orchampt made him his private secretary. He held that post until 2001. While in that position, he served as a member of the ecclesiastical court "Pays de Loire" beginning in 1975 and as a member of the Theological Faculty of Angers beginning in 1980.
In January 2002 he entered the service of the Roman Curia as official of the
Congregation for Bishops
The Dicastery for Bishops, formerly named Congregation for Bishops (), is the department of the Roman Curia that oversees the selection of most new bishops. Its proposals require papal approval to take effect, but are usually followed. The Dic ...
. He was appointed
chaplain of His Holiness
A Chaplain of His Holiness is a priest to whom the Pope has granted this title. They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges with respect to ecclesiastical dress and vestments.French Seminary in Rome.
On 8 January 2015,
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
appointed him Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy and named him titular Archbishop of Rota in Spain. He succeeds Archbishop
Celso Morga Iruzubieta
Celso Morga Iruzubieta (born 28 January 1948 in Huércanos, La Rioja, Spain) is the current Archbishop of Mérida-Badajoz. He had previously served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on ...
who was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of
Mérida–Badajoz in October 2014.