Bernd Wallet

Barend Theodoor "Bernd" Wallet (* 1971 in Middelburg ) is the elected Archbishop of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands .

Career

Bernd Wallet grew up as the son of a Protestant pastor and studied history and later theology in Utrecht . Since he was fascinated by the liturgical tradition and practice of the Old Catholic Church, he converted to Old Catholicism. He completed his theological studies at the University of Hull and the Old Catholic Seminary in Amersfoort . During this time he was in the Anglican Church, where he in 2006 by the Archbishop of York , John Sentamu , the deacon was ordained. The following year, he Archbishop of Utrecht gave Joris Vercammen , the ordination in St. Gertrudis cathedral in Utrecht.

After his return to the Netherlands, Wallet was a military chaplain in the Air Force and pastor of the St. Gertrudis Cathedral Church in Utrecht. Archbishop Vercammen appointed him his personal assistant, responsible in particular for external relations, to the other Old Catholic churches of the Union of Utrecht and to the Anglican church fellowship .

He is married and has four kids.

Election as archbishop

Bernd Wallet was elected on February 15, 2020 by the electoral college, which consists of clergy and lay people from the Archdiocese of Utrecht, with 19 out of 37 votes in the first ballot. His episcopal ordination was scheduled for June 21, 2020, but had to be postponed indefinitely due to the corona crisis . He is to succeed Joris Vercammen as the seventeenth Old Catholic Archbishop and 84th successor to Saint Willibrord in the Archbishopric of Utrecht .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Bernd Wallet verkozen dead nieuwe aartsbisschop van Utrecht. oudkatholiek.nl, February 15, 2020, accessed on July 20, 2020
2. ↑ Bisschopswijding Bernd Wallet uitgesteld. oudkatholiek.nl, April 25, 2020, accessed on July 20, 2020