Cardinal Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P., Theologian emeritus of the Pontifical Household, was born in Carouge, Geneva, Switzerland, on 25 April 1922. He entered the Dominican Order in 1945 and was ordained a priest on 2 July 1951. He holds a degree in classical studies, a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a doctorate in theology.
In 1962 Cardinal Cottier began teaching at the Faculty of Letters in Geneva. In 1973 he was put in charge of certain courses at the University of Fribourg. He was Visiting Professor at the University of Montreal, the University of the Catholic Institute in Paris, the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan and the University of Padua.
He took part as an expert in the Second Vatican Council and was a consultor to the then-Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers, participating in colloquiums around the world.
In 1986 he was appointed a member of the International Theological Commission and became its secretary in 1989, until 2003.
In 1990, he was nominated Theologian of the Pontifical Household.
He has also served as president of historical-theological commission of the organizing committee of the Grand Jubilee of the Year 2000 and as director of the journal Nova et Vetera (Geneva), founded by Cardinal Journet.
Preconized Cardinal, was elected to the titular Church of Tullia, with personal title of Archbishop, on 7 October 2003 and consacrated on 20 October.

Theologian emeritus of the Pontifical Household, 1 December 2005

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the St. John Paul II in the Consistory of 21 October 2003, of the Title of Ss. Domenico e Sisto (Sts. Dominic and Sixtus), Deaconry elevated pro illa vice to presbyteral title (12 June 2014).

Cardinal Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P., died on 31 March 2016.