Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran received his education for the priesthood at the Gregorian University studying Philosophy and Theology.
Ordained to the priesthood, he served as parochial vicar in Bordeaux, while studying Canon Law at the neighboring Institut Catholique after which he joined the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy to train for the Pontifical Diplomatic Corps In 1983, he was called to the Vatican and joined the Council for Public Affairs of the Church and for many years he represented the Holy See at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Appointed Undersecretary of the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church he was later consecrated as titular Archbishop of Telepte and appointed as Secretary of the same Council. Cardinal Tauran was appointed cardinal deacon in the consistory and received the red biretta and the deaconry of Saint Apollinare alle Terme Neroniane-Alessandrine the same year he was named Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church.