The archbishop of Freiburg, mgr. Robert Zollitsch, is the new president of the German Bishops Conference. The new president, who replaces cardinal Karl Lehmann, bishop of Meinz and president for over twenty years, has been appointed for a six years’ term by the German Bishops during their spring plenary meeting in Würzburg. Born in 1938 at Philippsdorf (Filipovo, former Yugoslavia) and ordained priest in 1965, mgr. Zollitsch was appointed archbishop of Freiburg in 2003 by John Paul II. Within the German Bishops Conference, he was a member of the Commission for Social Affairs and Ecclesial Services, and a member of the Commission of Faith. Since 2004, archbishop Zollitsch has been the president of the governors’ board and the committee of the Union of German dioceses. On 15th January 2008, card. Lehmann had announced that on 18th February he would resign from his position as a president, due to health reasons. The cardinal will keep his post as the bishop of Meinz and member of the Bishops Conference. The deputy president of the Bishops Conference, Heinrich Mussinghoff, bishop of Aachen, the secretary, father Hans Langendörfer, and his deputy, Rainer Ilgner, have all been reconfirmed.
