In an interview, Lépine said he received the news prayerfully, "from the perspective of answering Christ and doing the mission with the power of His grace."
Since his ordination, Lépine said he has appreciated the opportunity to get to know the different people and groups, speaking many different languages, in the diocese of 1.5 million Catholics, the second largest diocese in Canada.
"It was like entering more and more into the deep water of the diocese and receiving the people, listening to the people, taking the time to have the personal contact with the people I got to meet," he said.
Lépine says his vision includes keeping time for personal contact with the people of his diocese.
"A bishop does not exist for himself; a priest does not exist for himself, but to help people discover God and meet him," he said.
Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte of Montreal arrives at Santa Andrea della Valle Church in Rome Oct. 18 2010 for a Mass of thanksgiving for the canonization of St. Andre Bessette. Canadians packed the church the day after Pope Benedict XVI canonized their new saint and five others at the Vatican. The Pope has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, who reached the normal retirement age of 75 last June. Cardinal Turcotte had led the archdiocese since 1990.
CNS Photo/Paul Haring
In Quebec, where the secularist pressures are among the strongest in Canada to push religion out of the public square, Lépine said he is good to have a distinction between Church and state to protect religious freedom. But he rejects the notion that religious faith should be restricted to the private sphere.
"Freedom of religion means the freedom to profess our faith in the public and the private sphere," he said. "It's never about imposing anything on anyone."
Lépine said he has appreciated how Cardinal Turcotte has "always kept Christ at the centre," and made the "project of the diocese to announce Christ in this world."
In his 22 years as archbishop, Turcotte's message has been, "when times are difficult it is time to meet Christ more and more."
"There is never a point where you can say I know Christ and now I will go do something else," Lépine said. "Christ is not a program."
He hopes to continue building on Turcotte's legacy, to "be more and more the Church of Jesus Christ."
"When we have many things to do, many projects, it's not about our projects but about the plan of God."
Turcotte reached the retirement age of 75 last June. Ordained to the priesthood in 1959, the Montreal-born priest was named auxiliary Bishop of Montreal in 1982 by Pope John Paul II, who appointed him Archbishop of
Montreal in 1990. He was named a cardinal four years later.
For the past 20 years, Turcotte has served as an ex-officio member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' (CCCB) Permanent Council; as CCCB president from 1997-1999. As a member of the College of Cardinals, he has served on the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, the Congregation for the Evangelization of People and the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops.
Montreal serves a Catholic population of 1,494,132 million with 214 parishes and missions, 400 diocesan priests; 572 religious priests; 3,678 religious sisters and brothers; 96 permanent deacons and 105 lay pastoral assistants.