MONTREAL — A funeral will be held in Montreal's Mary Queen of the World Cathedral today for Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, who died April 8 after a lengthy illness at the age of 78.
Several people attended a public visitation Thursday at the cathedral for Turcotte, who served as the archbishop of Montreal for 22 years.
The casket was guarded by uniformed members of the Knights of Columbus, of which Turcotte was a member.
Mourners were welcomed by members of the cardinal's family, including one of his nephews, Pierre Turcotte, who is expected to speak for the family at the funeral.
Pope Francis had expressed his condolences in a statement soon after Turcotte's death, saying the Montreal archbishop had served the church with devotion.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a similar statement, saying Turcotte would be remembered for his compassion, humility and leadership.
Turcotte was ordained a priest in May 1959 and occupied several pastoral functions before being named bishop of Montreal in June 1982 and then archbishop of the city eight years later by Pope Jean-Paul II.
Turcotte become a cardinal in October 1994. He made headlines in 2008 when he returned his Order of Canada to protest the decision to bestow the honour on Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the well-known abortion pioneer.
In 2012, at the age of 75, he was replaced as archbishop of Montreal by Christian Lepine.
