New Bishop for Görlitz, Former East Germany

Samstag, 18. Juni 2011 12:04.

Kreuz: The new Bishop of of Görlitz looks like the kind of man will allow the church to die in peace.

(Kreuz.net) today at 12:00 the Diocesan Administrator of Görlitz, Cathedral Rector Hubertus Zomack published the name of the new Bishop.

The present occupant of the office, Bishop Conrad Zdarsa - was named as Bishop of Augsburg.

AN ERFURT PRIEST

The new Görlitz Bishop will be Msgr Wolfgang Ipolt (57). He was born on 17 March, 1954 in the 46,000 population city of Gotha in Thuringia. The city belongs to the Diocese of Erfurt.

He studied theology in Erfurt and finished his studies with a licentiate. On 30 June, 1979, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Erfurt.

THE CHOICE ENDORSED BY THE POPE

From 1979 to 1983 he was active as Vicar of the 5000 population town of Wobis -- 110 km north of Erfurt.

From 1983 to 1985 he worked at the parish of Corpus Christi in East Berlin and from 1985 to 1992 in the Parish of Saint Lorenz in Erfurt.

In 1989 he was made the Subregent of Erfurt's Seminary.
From 1992 to 2004 he was pastor in the 44,000 population city of Nordhausen -- 75 km north of Erfurt. In 2001 he was named as the Erfurt Cathedral Regent and the Rector of the Seminary. A few weeks ago the Görlitzer Dicoesan chapter elected him as Bishop.

This choice has been confirmed by the Pope.

A MINI-DIOCESE

Görlitz is the smallest German Diocese. With an area of around 9,700 square kilometers in East Brandenburg and Saxony, ther are about 36,000 Catholics. That is less than four percent of the population.

At the founding of the Diocese iin 1994. There were 55,000 Catholics. The faithful belong to 47 parishes and pastoral centers. The Diocese of Görlitz is located in the area of the former Archdiocese of Breslau in Lower Silesia. This church territory was administrated after the Polish occupation of Lower Silesia in 1945 consequently "Archepiscopal Office of Görlitz"

In 1972 the Vatican erected the apostolic administrator of Görlitz.

It was raised to the Diocese of Görlitz in 1994.

http://www.kreuz.net/article.13383.html
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