The Université Catholique de Lyon (UCLy) and the Association des Prêtres du Prado have organised a major event on 19 and 20 March 2025a tribute to the figure of Mgr Alfred Ancel and contemporary theological thought. The symposium, which brought together researchers, priests, students and lay people from all generations, provided an opportunity to delve deeper into the spiritual and pastoral heritage of Mgr Ancel, auxiliary bishop of Lyon and a prominent member of Prado. It was a great opportunity for some participants to learn about his commitment to the most disadvantaged and his active participation in the Second Vatican Council, a meeting of all the world's bishops (1962-1965).
An in-depth reflection on the legacy of Mgr Alfred Ancel
Over the course of the two half-day events, various speakers (historians, theologians, lay people, etc.) explored the life and work of Mgr Ancel, highlighting his impact on the Church's mission and the relevance of his message today.
Debates and conferences on the theme of "In a society undergoing profound change, does Mgr Alfred Ancel, the pradosian bishop and apostle of the working world, still have something to say to us? gave us a better understanding of his vision of a Church that is close to the poor and committed to social and spiritual transformation.
Each speaker was able to highlight, in his or her own way, the relevance of Bishop Alfred Ancel's message. Fathers Christian Delorme and Bruno Bibollet, Prado priests, spoke of their encounters with Father Alfred Ancel, which had an impact on both their personal lives and their lives as priests.
The conference programme
Wednesday 19 March 2025
2pm: Welcome by Michel Younès (Dean of the Faculty of Theology, UCLy) and Fr. Guy Rougerie (Head of the Institute of Prado de France priests).
2.15pm: Alfred Ancel's special contribution to the Second Vatican Council by Christian Sorrel (Professor Emeritus - Lyon 2 University).
15.00: Conversation with the world in a de-Christianised society by Gauthier Bès de Berc (Co-founder of Limite magazine) and Dominique Quinio (member of Semaines Sociales de France).
4.30pm: Conversation with the world from the perspective of interfaith dialogue by Michel Younès (Professor of Theology at UCLy) and Fr. Christian Delorme (Diocese of Lyon and member of Prado).
Thursday 20 March
9.00am: En-quête de pauvreté: essai d'une histoire socio-religieuse de la marge (Investigating poverty: an attempt at a socio-religious history of the margins) by Ellie Douska (Doctoral student in contemporary history - Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 - LARHRA).
9.45am: Echo and life stories by the father Bruno Bibollet (Prado priest).
10am: The preferential option, its relevance today by Jacques-Benoit Rauscher (Senior lecturer at UCLy).
Lecture by Christoph Theobald - "A Pradosian Bishop at the Second Vatican Council, the spiritual and missionary contribution of Mgr Alfred Ancel".
The conference also featured a special lecture by Christoph TheobaldJesuit priest and theologian at the Loyola Paris Faculty, which took place on 19 March 2025 at 6.15pm in the John Paul II amphitheatre. A specialist in the Second Vatican Council and the dynamics of transmitting the faith in a changing world, he addressed the contemporary challenges facing the Church in the light of Bishop Ancel's legacy. Through an exegesis of a number of conciliar texts, he compared the formulations of the 'matrix' speeches given by this bishop with the precise formulations found in the Dogmatic Constitution 'Lumen Gentium' 8.3 and the Pastoral Constitution 'Gaudium et Spes'. A highlight of the Colloquium, his speech helped to enlighten the participants on the challenges of a renewed reading of the evangelical, mystical and dogmatic contribution of this bishop for a changing world.
En-quête de pauvreté: essai d'une histoire socio-religieuse de la marge (Investigating poverty: an attempt at a socio-religious history of the margins)
A look back atEllie Douska (Doctoral student in contemporary history - Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 - LARHRA).
Using Alfred Ancel's life story as a pretext, this presentation explored the notion of poverty through a dialogue between theology and the social sciences. Poverty may seem obvious to an institute whose founding charism is rooted in it, but it is complex to define and conceptualise. An elusive, heterogeneous and ambivalent reality, poverty is as cardinal for Prado as it is central to the history of the Church, while at the same time constituting a major challenge for the contemporary societies in which it evolves. It is therefore not a question of opposing two approaches, but of seeing to what extent their articulation allows us to (re)think a point of junction.
From a lack of goods to a lack of connections, the social sciences have highlighted the multidimensional and evolving nature of poverty, as a socially constructed fact that manifests itself in different ways depending on historical, cultural and civilisational contexts. In sociological terms, poverty refers more generally to the condition of those who find themselves in a relationship of dependence on the community. Relegated to a process of transforming their relationships with others, individuals designated as "poor" are on the margins, in an in-between situation that is often stigmatised. This approach to poverty would be simplistic, however, if it ignored the symbolic dimension and the religious imagery that permeates its representations. The Alfred Ancel's career - and, through it, that of the Prado around the world - provides a relevant observatory for addressing poverty in all its complexity, both as a social condition and as a lived experience. Without denying the existence of very real and undesirable economic and social poverty, Alfred Ancel shifts the focus from a material approach to an existential, symbolic and spiritual one. The (evangelical) poverty to which he refers is ultimately nothing other than the humanity of each individual in being aware of his or her perpetual interdependence with others; an interdependence that stems from the simple fact that man is neither self-sufficient nor omnipotent. Common to all, but specific to each individual, this poverty manifests itself first and foremost in the inner attitude of man, who places himself in the position of needing another and someone greater than himself. The result is that this poverty is in itself a perpetual quest: a quest for oneself, within oneself and through the eyes of others.
An opportunity for everyone to meet and reflect
The conference ended with a round table based on 2 keywords, dialogue (conversation with the world, a theme covered in the first part) and poverty (developed by the speakers in the second part).
This moment, led by Father Luc Lalire (Prado priest, 1er Assistant to Prado General), provided an opportunity for exchanges between witnesses and worthy heirs of Fathers Alfred Ancel and Antoine Chevrier. The guests were able to draw on their own experience to show how much attention to the margins of our societies reveals the urgent need to establish a dialogue to renew the economic, social and spiritual links that are essential to all human beings, whatever their place in society.
Bishop Ramzi Garmou (Emeritus Chaldean Archbishop of Tehran). Ordained to the priesthood in Lyon by Mgr Alfred Ancel, he is now an Eastern bishop of the Chaldean rite. He lived out his responsibilities in Tehran during the years of the revolution and until recently. Through his ministry as Apostolic Visitor for the Synod of Eastern Churches to the Chaldean communities scattered across Europe between 2013 and 2016, Bishop Ramzi Garmou is an observer on the borders of worlds that often find it difficult to engage in dialogue. As a Prado priest, he has been keen to live out the Prado spirituality, attentive to the presence of the poor in all societies.
Mrs Françoise Imperi (General Director of Prado Education). As a reminder, Prado Education is an institution born of the charism of Father Chevrier, which found its historical starting point in 1960 with Mgr Alfred Ancel, who created "the providence of Prado". Mgr Ancel was also behind the distinction between "Prado Education" and Prado as a "Spiritual Family". Today, Prado Education is made up of 35 centres for young people and their families in 5 départements (Rhône, Ain, Allier, Isère and Loire).
Mrs Marion Veziant-Rolland (General Manager of the "Foyer Notre-Dame des sans-abri"). The history of this institution, which is essentially dedicated to housing, began thanks to Gabriel Rosset, on 23 December 1950... In the Lyon region, the "Foyer Notre-Dame des sans-abri" now brings together 55 structures or social missions. 75 years after the creation of the hostel, the issue of housing remains an urgent one, closely linked to the integration of people marginalised by society.
The final words were delivered by Father Armando Pasqualotto (General Manager of the Institute of Priests and Brothers of Prado), who recalled that " Mgr Alfred Ancel was a man, a Christian, a priest of the diocese of Lyon, a pradosian, a general leader of Prado and a bishop. ". He thanked God for this gift. a gift for the men and women who recognise it, a gift for the association of the priests of Prado, the society of apostolic life of the sisters of Prado and for the Women's Institute of Prado. It is also a gift for other heirs such as Prado Education and the fraternity of permanent deacons and lay people attached to this charism. "He also thanked those who had helped us to (re)discover all the facets of Mgr Alfred Ancel, who played a major role in bringing together the Prado spiritual family.
His speech was also an opportunity to point out that the Prado logo, which symbolises the Crib, the Cross and the Tabernacle, enables us to discover the poor Christ and to follow his path based on the mystery of the Incarnation. " We can follow Christ by going up with him on the cross and thus grow in true love towards God and the people of this world, starting with the poorest. May this journey, which guided Father Ancel's entire life, also be a gift for us to ask for, to discover and to live in fraternity. "
In the end, the question remains: " How can the mystical dimension that roots us in the Christ of the Incarnation nourish and motivate the apostolic dimension of a charism that seeks to serve Christ in the poor by making itself poor? "
Food for thought...
This event, which testifies to the relevance and topicality of Bishop Ancel's work, is part of the ongoing academic and pastoral research carried out by UCLy and the Association des Prêtres du Prado.
In a society undergoing profound change, Bishop Alfred Ancel, a pradosian and apostle of the working world, has much to teach us. These days of dialogue have opened up new perspectives and avenues for reflection which, at the request of the participants, will no doubt be the subject of further conferences.
Don't miss the other events organised as part of the Mgr Alfred Ancel Year, all of which bear witness to a vibrant tribute to a key figure in the Church of the 20th century and a call to continue his commitment to serving the most vulnerable.
