Stanislas Lalanne, a French Roman Catholic bishop and former secretary general of the Conference of Bishops of France, died suddenly in Versailles on Aug. 17, 2026, at 78, Catholique 95 reported.
Lalanne was ordained a priest in 1975 and served as a chaplain for secondary-school students in Versailles. From 1985 to 1993, he directed France’s national center for religious education. He later led parishes and oversaw communications for the Diocese of Versailles.
In 1999, Lalanne became deputy secretary general and spokesman of the Conference of Bishops of France. He then served as its secretary general from 2001 to 2007.
In 2007, he became bishop of Coutances and Avranches. He supported the April 2012 beatification of Pierre-Adrien Toulorge and backed religious and heritage projects involving the Ardevon priory and the Grange de la Paix.
From 2013 until his retirement in 2024, Lalanne led the Diocese of Pontoise, overseeing 50 parishes and 200 church buildings in a population representing 140 nationalities. The Sainte Tunique pilgrimage in Argenteuil drew a large public response in 2016 during his tenure.
