The archbishop of Quebec is the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec, who is responsible for looking after its spiritual and administrative needs. As the archdiocese is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province encompassing the north-central part of the province of Quebec, the Archbishop of Quebec also administers the bishops who head the suffragan dioceses of Chicoutimi, Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, and Trois-Rivières. The current archbishop is Gérald Lacroix.

The archdiocese began as the Vicariate Apostolic of New France, which was created on April 11, 1658. François de Laval was appointed its first bishop, and under his reign, the Séminaire de Québec was established. On October 1, 1674, the vicariate was elevated to the status of diocese. It was raised to the level of archdiocese on January 12, 1819, and subsequently became a metropolitan see when the ecclesiastical province of Quebec was constituted in 1844. In recognition of its status as the first diocese north of Mexico and New Spain, the Archdiocese of Quebec was designated as the country's primatial see on January 24, 1956. Maurice Roy became the first archbishop to hold the honorific title of Primate of Canada.

Fifteen men have been Archbishop of Quebec; another ten were heads of its antecedent jurisdictions. Of these, seven were members of institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life. Eight archbishops were elevated to the College of Cardinals. Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d'Esgly, the eighth ordinary of the archdiocese, was the first bishop to be born in Canada. His immediate successor, Jean-François Hubert, whose episcopacy spanned from 1788 to 1797, was the first bishop born in Quebec City. Jean-Baptiste de La Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier had the longest tenure as Bishop of Quebec, serving for 39 years from 1688 to 1727, while Paul-Eugène Roy held the position for seven months (1925–1926), marking the shortest archiepiscopacy.

List of ordinaries

Black and white illustration of a man wearing a zucchetto, liturgical vestments, and a pectoral cross facing left.
François de Laval was the first Apostolic Vicar of New France and Bishop of Quebec, reigning from 1658 to 1688.
Black and white illustration of a man with wavy hair, wearing a zucchetto, liturgical vestments, and a pectoral cross facing left.
Jean-Baptiste de La Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier was Bishop of Quebec for 39 years, serving from 1688 until his death in 1727.
Black and white illustration of a man wearing liturgical vestments and a pectoral cross facing forward, with a book in his right hand and an ecclesiastical ring on his right ring finger.
Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d'Esgly was the first Canadian-born bishop.
Black and white illustration of a man wearing a zucchetto, liturgical vestments, and a pectoral cross facing right, with a crucifix on a table to his right.
Joseph-Octave Plessis was the last Bishop of Quebec and its first archbishop.
A man wearing a mozzetta, liturgical vestments, and pectoral cross faces forward.
Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau became the first Canadian-born cardinal in 1886.
Key
‡Denotes archbishop who was elevated to the College of Cardinals
ISPXSecular Institute Pius X
MEPParis Foreign Missions Society
OFM CapOrder of Friars Minor Capuchin
OMIMissionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
OPDominican Order
PSSSociety of the Priests of Saint Sulpice
RSVReligieux de Saint Vincent de Paul

Apostolic Vicars of New France

Apostolic Vicars
FromUntilIncumbentNotesRef(s)
16581674François de Laval, MEPAppointed on April 11, 1658. Arrived in Quebec on June 16, 1659.

Bishops of Quebec

Bishops
FromUntilIncumbentNotesRef(s)
16741688François de Laval, MEPBecame the first Bishop of Quebec on October 1, 1674. Resigned on January 24, 1688. Died on May 6, 1708.
16881727Jean-Baptiste de La Croix de Chevrières de Saint-VallierAppointed on July 7, 1687. Arrived in Quebec on July 31, 1688. Died on December 26, 1727.
17271733Louis-François Duplessis de Mornay, OFM CapCoadjutor bishop from 1713 to 1727. Resigned on September 12, 1733, having never visited the Diocese. Died on November 28, 1741.
17331739Pierre-Herman Dosquet, PSSDiocesan administrator from 1729 to 1730. Coadjutor bishop from 1730 to 1733. Returned to France in October 1735. Resigned on June 25, 1739. Died on March 4, 1777.
17391740François-Louis de Pourroy de LauberivièreAppointed on July 20, 1739. Died on August 20, 1740.
17411760Henri-Marie Dubreil de PontbriandAppointed on March 6, 1741. Died on June 8, 1760. Last bishop of New France before its conquest by the British.
17661784Jean-Olivier BriandAppointed on January 21, 1766. Resigned on November 29, 1784. Died on June 25, 1794.
17841788Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d'EsglyCoadjutor bishop from 1772 to 1784. First bishop to be born in Canada. Died on June 4, 1788.
17881797Jean-François HubertCoadjutor bishop from 1785 to 1788. First bishop born in Quebec City. Resigned on September 1, 1797. Died on October 17, 1797.
17971806Pierre DenautCoadjutor bishop from 1794 to 1797. Died on January 17, 1806.
18061819Joseph-Octave PlessisCoadjutor bishop from 1800 to 1806.

Archbishops of Quebec

Archbishops
FromUntilIncumbentNotesRef(s)
18191825Joseph-Octave PlessisBecame the first Archbishop of Quebec on January 12, 1819. Died on December 4, 1825.
18251833Bernard-Claude PanetCoadjutor bishop from 1806 to 1825. Died on February 14, 1833.
18331850Joseph SignayCoadjutor archbishop from 1826 to 1832. Apostolic administrator from 1832 to 1833. Died on October 3, 1850.
18501867Pierre-Flavien TurgeonCoadjutor archbishop from 1834 to 1849. Apostolic administrator from 1849 to 1850. Died on August 25, 1867.
18671870Charles-François BaillargeonCoadjutor archbishop from 1851 to 1855. Apostolic administrator from 1855 to 1867. Died on October 13, 1870.
18701898Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau‡Appointed on December 24, 1870. Elevated to cardinal on June 7, 1886. Died on April 12, 1898.
18981925Louis-Nazaire Bégin‡Coadjutor archbishop from 1892 to 1898. Elevated to cardinal on May 25, 1914. Died on July 18, 1925.
19251926Paul-Eugène RoyAuxiliary bishop from 1908 to 1920. Coadjutor archbishop from 1920 to 1925. Died on February 20, 1926.
19261931Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, OP‡Appointed on July 9, 1926. Elevated to cardinal on December 19, 1927. Died on May 31, 1931.
19311947Jean-Marie-Rodrigue Villeneuve, OMI‡Appointed on December 11, 1931. Elevated to cardinal on March 13, 1933. Died on January 17, 1947.
19471981Maurice Roy‡Appointed on June 2, 1947. Named the first Primate of Canada on January 24, 1956. Elevated to cardinal on February 22, 1965. Retired on March 20, 1981, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Died on October 24, 1985.
19811990Louis-Albert Vachon‡Auxiliary bishop from 1977 to 1981. Elevated to cardinal on May 25, 1985. Retired on March 17, 1990, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Died on September 29, 2006.
19902002Maurice Couture, RSVAuxiliary bishop from 1982 to 1988. Retired on November 15, 2002, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Died on January 19, 2018.
20032010Marc Ouellet, PSS‡Appointed on November 15, 2002. Elevated to cardinal on October 21, 2003. Resigned in 2010 after being appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
2011presentGérald Lacroix, ISPX‡Auxiliary bishop from 2009 to 2011. Elevated to cardinal on February 22, 2014.

Notes

General

  • . Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec. Archived from on June 5, 2020. (in French)
  • . Archives of the Archdiocese of Quebec. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec. Archived from on June 22, 2020. (in French)

Footnotes

Bibliography

  • Lentz, Harris M. (July 11, 2015). . McFarland. p. 198. ISBN 9781476621555.