In a statement published today in the Bulletin of the Holy See, the Pope has appointed Mons. Sylvain Bataille as the new archbishop of Bourges (France). Until now bishop of Saint-Étienne, he succeeds Mons. Jérôme Beau, who was transferred in March of this year to the archdiocese of Poitiers. Bataille’s installation Mass is scheduled for Sunday, November 30, in the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne de Bourges, as reported by the French Episcopal Conference.
A bishop with extensive training experience
Born in Soissons (Aisne) on July 22, 1964, Sylvain Bataille was ordained a priest in 1989 for the diocese of Beauvais. He soon joined the Society of Saint John Mary Vianney, known for its spirituality centered on the priesthood. His pastoral journey led him to be vicar in Beauvais, school chaplain, and parish priest in Grandvilliers.
From an early stage, his career was marked by the training of seminarians and priests: he was superior of the seminary of the Society of Saint John Mary Vianney in Ars (2000-2009) and rector of the Pontifical French Seminary in Rome (2009-2014). Subsequently, he served as parish priest in the Vexin and vicar general of the diocese of Beauvais before being appointed bishop of Saint-Étienne in 2016.
Academic and liturgical profile
Bataille studied Philosophy at Paray-le-Monial and Theology at the Pontifical French Seminary in Rome. He later obtained a licentiate in Theology at the Institut Catholique of Paris and a degree in Liturgy and Sacramental Theology at the Institut Supérieur de Liturgie of Paris. His academic profile has particularly linked him to liturgy and sacramental pastoral care, having been a member of the Liturgy Commission of the French Episcopal Conference from 2016 to 2022.
An episcopate with challenges
During his years in Saint-Étienne, Bataille encountered a context marked by secularization and the loss of religious practice. His appointment to Bourges reflects confidence in a pastor with experience in diocesan governance and priestly formation, in a country where the lack of vocations and the crisis of ecclesial identity are becoming increasingly evident.
At 61 years old, he assumes responsibility for an archdiocese of long tradition, which encompasses the departments of Cher and Indre, and which needs a new evangelizing impetus. His training and experience in liturgical life position him in a key role to safeguard the faith in a territory deeply marked by dechristianization.