And the Rhine flows into the Rhine

Last liberal left standing elected chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, as the favourite the conservative Archbishop of Munich, Marx falls by the wayside.

The new chairman of the German Bishops' Conference: Roland Zollitsch

(in fact, Robert!, such an unknown then even the mainstream press did not know his name.  I am writing this update in 2023- incredible to think in 2008, Marx was presenting himself as a Conservative)

The Archbishop of Freiburg, Roland Zollitsch is the new chairman of the German Bishops' Conference. The Spring General Assembly in Würzburg has elected him to succeed Cardinal Karl Lehmann. Thus, the chief pastors have opted for a bishop who always seeks the consensus.

The Spring General Meeting elected the 69-year-old on Tuesday in Würzburg to succeed Cardinal Karl Lehmann, who is prematurely leaving his post after more than 20 years for health reasons.

Zollitsch will have a six-year term. The current 69 members of the General Assembly of the German Bishops' Conference voted for him. The Archbishop of Freiburg was after the new Archbishop of Munich, Reinhard Marx, one of the favourites.

Bishop without airs

With Robert Zollitsch, they have opted for a bishop with his feet firmly on the ground . An exaggerated sense of his own importance as well as airs and graces are alien to the 69-year-old.

Within the Catholic Church, the cleric is seen as an efficient, dedicated and reliable worker with great organizational skills. Since July 2003, Archbishop Zollitsch has been in Freiburg and chief pastor of more than two million Catholics. With Freiburg, he heads the second largest of a total of 27 dioceses in Germany.

Concerned about consensus. The day begins for Zollitsch with sport. He starts each morning with a training session on training bicycle. In his office, Zollitsch operates silently. He clearly states his positions, but the Freiburg Archbishop is not a fan of excessively ideological debates. Zollitsch seeks consensus rather than confrontation. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Dioceses, Zollitsch Germany enjoys an excellent reputation. (Cathcon- responsible for the finances of the German dioceses)

"I see myself as a bridge builder," said Zollitsch in the summer of 2003, when he was appointed Archbishop. "I want to be a bishop in contact with people." The personal interview is his strength, Zollitsch is open, he can listen and bring opinions together. He remains always forthcoming. With these characteristics, the head of the Church in Freiburg is in the tradition of Cardinal Karl Lehmann. Both are friends have been friends for years.

For a voluntary celibacy. A champion of the people, Zollitsch is not. To folksy, the cleric will not become. In sermons, he takes social positions, with the themes that are contemporary. Even to church critics, he leaves himself open. "Problems cannot be hidden, but must be tackled," he says.

Zollitsch is considered a liberal. To the mandatory celibacy of priesthood, supported by Rome, he would prefer a voluntary rule of life. Celibacy, he says, is for the priestly activity positive, but does not have a theological basis. He would even be open for a reform of episcopal elections which are criticized as undemocratic .

Zollitsch was born on 9 August 1938 in Filipovo / Yugoslavia. At the end of the Second World War, his family fled to Germany. Zollitsch grew up in Mannheim in Baden Tauberbischofsheim. In 1965, he was ordained in Freiburg Cathedral. Before his appointment as archbishop, he was responsible for personnel in the Diocese of Fribourg. Within the Diocese has Zollitsch has developed, over the years , a well-functioning network. The strengthening of ecumenism and the promotion of young priests are concerns dear to his heart.

In his private life, Zollitsch loves mountain climbing. "When I exercise in the fresh air, then that is for me the best medicine," he says. During his holidays, Zollitsch is therefore always in the mountains.

Source

Cathcon update 2023.  His reputation has not survived.