Gilson was ordained a priest in 1957. In 1974, he was appointed
vicar general of the
Archdiocese of Paris. Since 1976, he served as auxiliary bishop to
Cardinal Marty of Paris. On the appointment of
Cardinal Lustiger as Archbishop of Paris, Gilson was rapidly appointed to the
see of Le Mans (1981). From 1996 to 2004 he served as
Archbishop of Sens-Auxerre (the see lost its metropolitan functions in 2002) and simultaneously as
Prelate to the Mission de France (
Pontigny). He retired on 31 December 2004. Gilson died on 27 November 2024, at the age of 95. ==References==