Marc Armand Ouellet PSS (born 8 June 1944) is a Canadian Catholic prelate who served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America from 2010 to 2023.

He spent his early career as a priest from 1972 to 2001 developing his credentials as a theologian and working as a seminary teacher and administrator in Canada, Colombia, and Rome.

[1][2] He returned to teaching at the Major Seminary of Manizales, Colombia, joining in its management as well and then performed those same roles at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal beginning in 1976.

[2] He studied dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University beginning in 1978, earning a doctorate in 1983 with a thesis on Hans Urs von Balthasar.

From 1996 to 2002 he held the chair in dogmatic theology at the John Paul II Institute for the Study of Marriage and the Family, then part of the Pontifical Lateran University.

[8] On 12 June 2001 he was named a consultor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith[9] On 15 November 2002, Pope John Paul II appointed him Archbishop of Quebec.

"[c][13][14][15] In October 2008, Ouellet was sharply critical of a required course newly instituted in Quebec's schools Ethics and religious culture, established as part of a program to eliminate sectarianism from public education.

[d] He doubted that teachers could provide instruction with "complete neutrality" to "produce a new little Quebecer, pluralist, expert in interreligious relations and critical of all beliefs".

He advocated the protection of Quebec's religious heritage, which he described as "a force for social integration much more effective than the abstract knowledge of a few simple notions about six or several religions".

"[17] In May 2010 Ouellet stood by his comments that abortion is unjustifiable, even in the case of rape, and urged the federal government to help pregnant women keep their child.

[citation needed] On 24 November 2003, Pope John Paul named him a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and a consultor for the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

[29] Ouellet was appointed relator-general (recording secretary) of the Synod of Bishops that met in October 2008 to consider "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church".

[30] In his opening-day address he advocated for Biblical exegesis motivated by faith, not driven by the "superficial characteristics" explored in linguistic and archeological scholarship.

[34] As the electors gathered for this conclave, he helped arrange for Cardinal Keith O'Brien to withdraw from participation amid multiple accusations of sexual misconduct.

[50] In October he told the Synod of Bishops on Young People that it was "possible and necessary to accelerate the processes of struggle against the 'machista' culture and clericalism, to develop respect for women and the recognition of their charisms as well as their equal integration in the life of society and the church".

[53] Pope Francis accepted his resignation from his curial positions on 30 January 2023,[54] though he continued to be accorded the title of prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops pending his successor's assumption of that office on 12 April 2023.

[56] Some texts published under Ouellet's name have been found to be plagiarized from multiple sources, possibly by his alleged ghostwriter, Fr Thomas Rosica.

[57] On August 8, 2022, a class-action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec named Ouellet as the assailant of an unnamed woman (referred to as "F") who accused the cleric of kissing her, at a cocktail reception in 2008.

[62] The Vatican began an internal preliminary investigation into her charge against Ouellet in February 2021, led by Jacques Servais, a Jesuit priest and theologian.