Luc Marie Daniel Ravel, C.R.S.V. (born 21 May 1957) is a French prelate of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Ravel was born in Paris on 21 May 1957 to a family with origins in
Martinique
Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
on his father's side, and in the Var department of France on his mother's side. He was born the fourth child in a family of three girls and four boys. He graduated from the
and studied to become an engineer at the IFP School. He studied philosophy and theology at the Abbey Saint-Pierre in the commune of
Champagne
Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
, in the
Ardèche
Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.department in southern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and at the
University of Poitiers
The University of Poitiers (UP; , ) is a public university located in Poitiers, France. It is a member of the Coimbra Group. It is multidisciplinary and contributes to making Poitiers the city with the highest student/inhabitant ratio in France ...
.
Career
He made his solemn profession as a Canon Regular of St. Victor on 7 December 1985 and was ordained a priest on 25 June 1988.
He was then prior at the Church of Saint-Charles at Porrentruy, in Jura,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, at Montbron, and at the Tardoire and Bandiat deanery in
. He returned to the Abbey of Saint-Pierre where he was master of novices from 1996 to 2007 and subprior from 2003 to 2009. He founded Notre-Dame de l'Écoute, a movement for single and celibate people.
He was appointed bishop of the Diocese of the French Armed Forces by
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
on 7 October 2009.
He received his episcopal consecration in
on 18 February 2017.
His tenure in Strasbourg proved turbulent, as he was criticized for an authoritarian management style and neglect of his duties. He was the only French bishop to support French President
chrism Mass
The Chrism Mass is a religious service held in certain Christian denominations, such as Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism. It is usually celebrated each year on Maundy Thursday or on another day of Holy Week. During the ceremony, th ...
to attend a Macron rally. He supported the work of the Missionaries of Divine Mercy to evangelize Muslims, a controversial approach in contrast to interfaith dialog. His dismissal of several senior diocesan officials provoked concern, as did his removal of women and laymen from archdiocesan councils. In response to complaints the Vatican conducted an apostolic visitation of the Strasbourg archdiocese in the summer of 2022. Ravel then resisted when his resignation was demanded. In late March 2023, he removed his vicar general, who was thought a likely candidate to manage the archdiocese if Ravel resigned. Ravel submitted his resignation on 20 April 2023.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 27 May 2023 and named Archbishop-Bishop of Metz to administer the archdiocese. Macron's consent, given on 24 May, was published the same day. Because the appointment of Strasbourg's archbishop is governed by the
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between the First French Republic and the Holy See, signed by First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace–Lorraine, ...
, Ravel's removal required the assent of the French president, which Ravel had hoped would not be forthcoming.