Roman Catholic Cardinal. Paray-le-Monial born Jean-Pierre Boyer studied at the seminaries of Semur and Autun, being ordained priest on December 23, 1854. Named parochial vicar in the diocese of Autun, he rendered ministry in the archdiocese of Aix, serving among others as secretary to the local ordinary and professor of dogmatic theology at the local grand seminary, of which he ultimately became dean. Elected bishop of the titular see of Euroa and appointed coadjutor with right of succession of the diocese of Clermont-Ferrand on July 15, 1878, he received his episcopal consecration on the following August 24 at the cathedral of Aix. Succeeding to the see on December 24, 1879, he was promoted to the metropolitan see of Bourges on January 19, 1893. Pope Leo XIII created him cardinal priest in the consistory of November 29, 1895 with the title of Santissima Trintà al Monte Pincio. Knight of the Légion d'honneur, Boyer was well known for his knowledge of philosophy and theology. A gifted preacher, he strongly upheld the rights of the Church. When the French government seized his minor seminary of Billom, he bravely set himself at considerable personal self sacrifice to remedy the deficiency, founding another establishment in its place. Passing away a year after his cardinalitial creation, in accordance with his wishes his funeral was conducted with all the solemnity of the liturgy but be free from all pomp and display. His coffin was simple with no wreath placed upon it and no panegyric preached. Attended by all the civil, military and religious authorities, sixteen prelates were in attendance. The music was Luigi Cherubini's 'Requiem' and in conformity with the rubrics of the era, five absolutions were given by the archbishop of Besancon, the bishops of Mende, Nevers and Blois, and Cardinal Adolphe Perraud of the diocese of Autun before interment in the vault of the cathedral of Bourges.