Michel-Marie Bernard Calvet S.M. (born 3 April 1944 in

Autun Autun () is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the e ...

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 ...

) is the French-born New Caledonian prelate who served as Archbishop of Nouméa from 19 June 1981 until his retirement on 14 January 2025. In this time, with more than 43 years, he was longest serving bishop.

Ministry

Calvert was ordained as a

Catholic 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 ...

priest in the Society of Mary on 28 April 1973. On 4 July 1979 Calvert was appointed as an

Auxiliary Bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...

of the

Archdiocese of Nouméa In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

. He was simultaneously appointed Titular Bishop of Nigrae Maiores on the same day. Michel-Marie Calvet was appointed Archbishop of Nouméa on 19 June 1981. Michel-Marie Calvet said during the Day of Pentecost Sunday mass as a result of the

2024 New Caledonia unrest In May 2024, protests and riots broke out in New Caledonia, a Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of overseas France in the Pacific Ocean. The violent protests led to at least 13 deaths, the declaration of a States of emergency ...

that the community had "betrayed our faith, our baptism and Jesus through its divisions." He also called on the public and leaders of New Caledonia to denounce violence and to work together for a "shared peaceful future, of lost and found fraternity."

References

1944 births People from Autun New Caledonian people of French descent New Caledonian Roman Catholic archbishops French Roman Catholic archbishops People from Nouméa Living people Marist Brothers Roman Catholic archbishops of Nouméa {{RC-archbishop-stub