Jean-Marie Villot
Jean-Marie Cardinal Villot (11 October 1905 – 9 March 1979) was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop of Lyon, and a prominent member of the Roman Curia in Vatican City.
Born in Saint-Amant-Tallende, France in 1905, Jean-Marie Villot was ordained a priest in 1930 and an auxiliary bishop of Paris in 1954.
Villot was named Archbishop of Lyon in January 1965 and was elevated to Cardinal the next month by Pope Paul VI, in the consistory of 22 February, with the title of Cardinal-Priest of SS. Trinità al Monte Pincio. He was later given the title of Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati in 1974. Pope Paul VI appointed him prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy in April 1967 and he would then from henceforth play a very prominent role in the papacy of Paul VI, being named Cardinal Secretary of State by Paul in May 1969.
In July 1971 he was appointed president the the newly-formed pontifical council Cor Unum. It was a position he held until 1978 when he resigned from it during the reign of Pope John Paul I.
Villot remained Secretary of State for the remainder of Paul VI's reign, and was retained in that capacity by both John Paul I and John Paul II, although there is some speculation that he might have been slated for replacement by John Paul I had the Pope reigned longer.
Cardinal Villot participated as an elector in both the August 1978 Papal conlave that elected John Paul I and the October 1978 Papal conclave that elected John Paul II as Pope.
Jean-Marie Cardinal Villot died on 9 March 1979.