
Pierre-Guérin de Tencin
FREE Catholic Classes
French statesman and cardinal, b. at Grenoble, 22 August, 1680; d. at Lyons, 2 March, 1758. After studying with the Oratorians at Grenoble he entered the Sorbonne, where he became prior in 1702, and obtained the doctorate in 1705. He was then appointed Vicar-General of Sens and, in 1721, accompanied Cardinal de Rohan to Rome as his conclavist, to support the candidacy of Cardinal Conti ( Innocent XIII ), from whom he had obtained a promise to bestow the purple on the unworthy French minister Dubois. He remained at Rome as French chargé d'affaires until Benedict XIII , with whom he was very influential, consecrated him Archbishop of Embrun (26 June, 1724). With the selfish motive of paving his way to higher ecclesiastical honours, he was overzealous in the persecution of the Jansenists, and, at the provincial synod which he held at Embrun from 16 August to 28 September, 1727, he suspended Bishop Jean Soanen of Senez, a prelate eighty years of age, who had appealed against the Bull "Unigenitus". On 22 February, 1739, Tencin was created cardinal, of the title of Sts. Nereus and Achilleus. He remained at Rome as French ambassador until 1742, when he took possession of the archiepiscopal See of Lyons, to which he had succeeded on 19 November, 1740. King Louis XV appointed him minister of state in September, 1742. After the death of the Prime Minister, to whom he owed much of his political advancement, his influence began to decrease. The death of his profligate sister, Madame Tencin, on 4 Dec., 1749, removed the greatest spur of his political ambition, and in 1752 he retired to his See of Lyons.
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
- Easter / Lent
- Ascension Day
- 7 Morning Prayers
- Mysteries of the Rosary
- Litany of the Bl. Virgin Mary
- Popular Saints
- Popular Prayers
- Female Saints
- Saint Feast Days by Month
- Stations of the Cross
- St. Francis of Assisi
- St. Michael the Archangel
- The Apostles' Creed
- Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
- Pray the Rosary

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s Example Inspires a New Generation of Catholic Mountaineers

Why Marian Devotions Matter in Vocational Discernment: New Study Reveals the Rosary’s Deep Impact

Christian Music Surges in 2025: A Sign of Hope and Revival Among Catholic and Christian Listeners
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Thursday, July 17, 2025
Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne: Saint of the Day for Thursday, July 17, 2025
Prayer to St. Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, July 17, 2025
Daily Readings for Wednesday, July 16, 2025
St. Carmen: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, July 16, 2025
- A Parent's Prayer for Their Children: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.