2012 he stated in the weekly "Le Journal d'Ici" that gay marriage "est idiot." It is "the beginning of madness" and "it denies nature" by allowing such a right. He also considered it preferable to use the words "contract or covenant" because "marriage is the union of a man and a woman in order to be fruitful." In these sentiments he was echoing the official position of the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI. See also Jean Legrez article, French Wikipedia References 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in France Living people Archbishops of Albi 1948 births