Jean Marie Balland

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Jean Marie Balland
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Lyon|

Jean Marie Balland (born 26 July 1934 in Bué in Bourges in France, died 1 March 1998 in Lyon) was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Lyon.

Early life

He entered the seminary and later attended the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he earned a licentiate in philosophy in 1956, and in theology. He later attended the Sorbonne University in Paris where he graduated with doctorates in philosophy and theology. He was ordained on 3 September 1961.

After his ordination he was a faculty member of the seminary where he was ordained from 1962-1968. He was transferred, teaching Tours from 1967-1973.

Episcopate

Pope John Paul II appointed him as Bishop of Dijon on November 6 1982. He was transferred to the Metropolitan see of Reims in 1988. He was appointed as the Archbishop of Lyon on 27 May 1995. Archbishop Balland was created and proclaimed Cardinal Priest in the consistory of 21 February 1998 with the titular church of "San Pietro in Vincoli".

He died in 1998, less than a month after becoming a cardinal.