Claude Dagens

Claude Jean Pierre Dagens (born 20 May 1940 in Bordeaux, Gironde) is a French prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of Angoulême from 1993 to 2015.

Religious life
Gagens was ordained as a Catholic priest on 4 October 1970. He served as the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Poitiers from 1987 to 1993. He was coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Angoulême from 15 June 1993, before becoming Bishop of Angoulême on 22 December 1993. He retired on 9 November 2015, and was made Bishop Emeritus of Angoulême.

He is a specialist theologian, and was elected the twentieth member to occupy seat 1 of the Académie française in April 2008. He has written abundantly about the role of the Church in French society and its relationship with secularism.

Because of his dialogue with members of Freemasonry, he has provoked the irritation of some Traditionalist Catholics (see Catholicism and Freemasonry).