New Berlin Archbishop a Surprise: Auxiliary Bishop Rainer Woelke

Editor: He studied at Holy Cross in Rome and is more conservative than what might have otherwise have been. He wasn't on the short list chosen by the locals either. This was likely a personal choice.

A difficult birth.  The successor of the deceased Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky as Archbishop of Berlin will be made public shortly.

Auxiliary Bishop Rainer Woelke

(kreuz.net)Today at 12:00 o'clock the Cathedral Rector Stefan Dybowski, like the 'Angel of the Lord' will announce the Archbishop of Berlin.

It will fall about the Cologne Auxiliary Bishop Msgr Rainer Maria Woelki (54).

The Archdiocese of Berlin has about 400,000 Catholics on paper.

The region of Upper Pommerania and part of Brandenburg belong to this Archdiocese.

The previous Ordinary, Georg Cardinal Sterzinsky († 75)died on June 30th a few days ago.

Previously, Curial Bishop Josef Clemens (64), Cologne Auxiliary Bishop Heiner Koch and Berlin's Auxiliary Matthias Heinrich were hot candidates for the office.

Msgr Woelki studied Catholic Theology from 1978 - 1983 in Bonn and Freiburg.

He was ordained on June 14th 1985 by Archbishop Joseph Cardinal Höffner in Cologne Cathedral.

After pastoral activity as chaplain to St. Marien in Neuss, as Minister of the Kolpings family Neuss-Zentral, Military Pastor and chaplain to St. Joseph in Ratingen, he was made the Archbishop's chaplain and personal secretary.

From 1997 to 2003 Msgr Woelke was Director of the Theological Faculty of the Albertininum in Bonn.

Pope John Paul II named him in 1999 as a Chaplain to His Holiness.

In 2000 he was at the Papal University of Holy Cross -- which is directed by Opus Dei -- in Rome where he received a Doctorate for a dissertation on the theme "The Parish -- an Article on its Ecclesiological Localization" [ „Die Pfarrei – ein Beitrag zu ihrer ekklesiologischen Ortsbestimmung“]

Pope John Paul II named him as titular Bishop of Scampa in 2003 and sent him to be Auxiliary Bishop in Cologne.

Joachim Cardinal Meisner consecrated him a Bishop on 30. March 2003 in Cologne Cathedral.

Co-Consecrators were his predecessor Auxiliary Klaus Dick and current Auxiliary Bishop of Cologne and current Bishop of Hildescheim, Msgr Norbert Trelle.

Joachim Cardinal Meisner named Msgr Woelki as the Episcopal Vicar for questions of Doctrine and Ecumenism and charged him with the East Pastoral District of the Archdiocese.

In 2003 he was elected as resident Cathedral Rector.

Since 1 Juanary 20005, Msgr Woelki has been Diocesan Vicar of the Permanent Diaconate and since 1 January 2006 as responsible for the North Pastoral Area.

He is a member of the Commission IV "Spiritual Professions and Church Service" and VIII "Science and Culture" of the German Bishops Conference.

Church insiders get more important Diocese than Berlin.

The Archdiocese is attractive for that reason, because the coming Archbishop will be put into the ring for elevation to Cardinal.

As one of the first official acts the new Bishops will be requested to visit the Pope on September 22.

The naming of Msgr Woelke for Berlin is probably a first step, toward being later sent back to take over the Archdiocese of Cologne.

Link to original, kreuz...

© Pressefoto Erzbistum Köln

The Patriarch of Venice is in the Running for the Diocese of Milan

Naturally all questions fall under the seal of papal secrecy. In other words: everyone knows everything.

(kreuz.net)The Patriarch of Venice, Angelo Cardinal Scola (69) and the prefect of the pointless Pontifical Council for Culture, Gianfranco Cardinal Ravasi (68)are the front leading candidates for the Archdiocese of Milan.

The Milan paper 'Il Giorno' reported this on Saturday.

With 4.9 Million Catholics Milan is one of the largest Diocese in the world.

The current office holder, Dionigi Cardinal Tettamannzi is 77 years old now.

As of March 2009 his age of retirement arrived, and Benedict XVI lengthened his mandate for two more years.

But 'Il Giorno' points out that the appointment of his successor is imminent.

In the beginning of March the Nuncio of Italy sent a letter to all Diocesan Bishops of Lombardy, Auxiliary Bishops of Milan, the Presidents of the regional Bishops Conferences and all Italian Cardinals and even lay representatives of the nation.

Among the lay representatives are members of the left leaning 'Catholic Action' and the neo-Conservative movement 'Communion and Liberation'.

They were all asked to recommend candidates for Milan.

From the applied names the Nuncio produced a list of three which was put to the Vatican Congregation of Bishops.

The prefect of the Bishops Congregation, Marc Cardinal Ouellet, compiled a definitive list of three which is sent to the Pope.

Then finally he makes a decision completely independently.

Actually the consultation till now has proceeded under the so-called "papal secret".

But that doesn't mean anything.

Because 'Il Gioarnno' knows the names which are on the list of three: Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, Cardinal Angelo Scola and Bishop Gianni Ambrosio (67) of Piacenza-Bobbio.

Cardinal ravasi and Cardinal Scola were ordained in Milan as priests.

Original, translated from kreuz.net...

New Auxiliary Bishop in Münster

Editor: another clerics averse pastor for the Diocese that gave us the +Clemens von Galen and Joseph Pieper.


Today Pope Benedict XVI has elevated the Münster Cathedral Chapter to Auxiliary Bishop.

(kreuz.net, Münster)  The Diocese of Münster has published the naming of Stefan Zekorn as Auxiliary Bishop.

Msgr Zekorn assumed the assignment from Msgr Franz-Josef Overbeck, who has been Bishop of Essen since 2009.

 The new Auxiliary Bishop was brought to the light of the world on 3. October 1959.

 On 8. October 1984 he received priestly ordination in Rome by Cardinal Joachim Meisner.

Then he was released for his study in the Doctorate.

In 1985 he was made chaplain of Warendorf St. Larentius.

Two years later he became the private secretary and chaplain of the old Liberal Bishop Reinhard Letterman.  At the same time he was Cathedral Vicar of St. Paul's Cathedral and employed at the Episcopal Office in Münster.

By  1992Msgr Zekorn was Formation Director in the Borromaeum at Münster and Master of Ceremonies in the St. Paul Cathedral.

In 2006 the Bishop named him the Pastor at the Marian Shrine of Kevelaer in the same year also the non-resident Cathedral Chapter in Münster.





Link to kreuz.net...

Pope Benedict Won't Appoint Liberal Bishop's Choices for Auxiliary

Is the Linz Auxiliary Bishop on the Way?

Editor: considering the Vienna Cardinal's earlier attack against Pope Benedict's choice for auxiliary Bishop of the scandal Diocese of Linz, it might not be hard to see how Pope Benedict regards this situation, considering the embarrassment the Linz Bishop faces, lying to the press about the fact that Rome refuses to acknowledge any of his choices.

Bishop Schwarz denied to "Standard" - a rumour - that Rome has said "No", back -- fact is: The Bishop has already proposed a large number of people to Rome.

Linz (kath.net) The Linz Bishop Ludwig Schwarz has denied the "Standard" publicized rumour, that Rome supposedly has said "No" to a Linz Auxiliary Bishop.  "There isn't a single word in this report that's true!  Rome has not given me a refusal concerning this matter," said Schwarz to the "Linzer Kirchenzeitung" (LKZ).  The Linz Bishop has made known in any case, that the new Prefect required a time of "introduction and orientation in this matter".  As kath.net has learned from Roman Church circles, the Linz Bishop  Ludwig Schwarz has proposed an unusually large number of candidates to Rome.  Fact is, that till now none of the proposals have been accepted by Rome and this subject is explosive considering the forced resignation of Gerhard Maria Wagner.

Will Prelate Imkamp [Conservative] be the Next Archbishop of Berlin?

(Berlin, kreuz.net)The Director of the Shrine Maria Vesperbild in the Diocese of Augsburg, Wilhelm Imkamp (59), is the most qualified candidate to succeed the former Archbishop of Berlin.

This was according to 'Bild' today in its Berlin edition. The paper gave no source for its alleged information.

Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky of Berlin will reach his 75th birthday this coming February and must submit his resignation. The boulevard magazine informs us that he is weary of his office.

They have profiled the Catholic Prelate Imkamp as "well connected in the Vatican".

He would be like a breath of Don Camillo and Peppone in the Red Capital: "For the Reverend with stately baroque stature 6'2 fears no one besides God."

Least of all does Imkamp fear politicians. That's already been the experience of a few Christian Democrats in Bavaria already.

The son of a tobacco grower and coffee roaster he he is held to be a "modern soul catcher".

In his methods as Pastor he's as "modern as Microsoft" -- was the well-intentioned but failed compliment.

I Faith he is "as conservative as the Pope" -- the paper doesn't understand the unchanging content of the Faith.

The success of the Prelate can't be denied by 'Bildzeitung': "While many colleagues preach to almost empty pews, churches with [Prelate] Imkamp must close their doors because they're regularly overflowing.

As a secret of success the paper attributes it to the Prelate's short sentences -- in order subject, predicate, object, point.

Because -- the 'Bild' manipulates with 'despite' -- his uncompromising approach to the Faith, he is a man full of joy for life. [pfft, at least they don't feel the two are mutually exclusive]

Finally 'Bild' did notice while Preaching on New Year's, how Prelate Imkamp had a bottle of champagne on the podium:

"This was founded by the Benedictine Monk, Dom Perignon. And the Widow Clicquot had to hide an underground priest in the champagne cellar because of persecution during the French Revolution.

The Widow Clicquot would be the only woman I'd want to run off with" -- this is the boulevard magazine's attempt to make an acceptable citation for a decadent audience.

Link to kreuz.net article...

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Riga Gets a New Archbishop

The Catholics in Latvia are getting a new Archbishop. The Vatican reported this on Saturday. Zbignev Stankevics will be the new Archbishop of Riga. He was previously a spiritual director of seminarians and Director of the Science of Religion Institute in Riga. The Vatican received at the same time the resignation of Archbishop Cardinal Janis Pujats (79).

Link to original...Radio Vatikan.

The Most Traditional Bishop in Belgium is Selected for Brussels

This just in from kreuz.net, 69 year old Bishop André-Mutien Léonard of Nur will be the new Archbishop of Brussels to the rejoicing of Traditionalists everywhere.

According to Tornielli, he is a friend of the Immemorial Mass of All Ages, strong in matters of pro-life and is an uncompromising conservative with a backround as a Moral Theologian.

He takes up the office to replace the now retiring Cardinal Daneels who is now 76, and Tornielli says he was "hand picked" by the Holy Father Himself.

Mr. Gillibrand at Catholic Conservation thinks it will infuriate Cardinal Daneels; we hope so.