Bishop of Limburg; President
Georg Bätzing was born on 13 April 1961 in Kirchen and grew up in Niederfischbach an der Sieg, the so-called Trier Island in the Westerwald (Altenkirchen district), not far from the boundary of the Diocese of Limburg. After studying philosophy and theology in Trier and Freiburg, he was ordained a priest in 1987. He was chaplain in Klausen and Koblenz before, in 1990, he took over the deputy leadership of the Episcopal Seminary in Trier. From 1996 until January 2010, Bätzing was then responsible as rector for priestly formation in the Diocese of Trier and directed the seminary. In 2005 he was appointed Monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI. In November 2007, the then Bishop of Trier, Dr. Reinhard Marx, appointed him head of the Holy Robe pilgrimage. Since 1 November 2012 he has headed the Episcopal General Vicariate in Trier as vicar general. Pope Francis appointed him on 1 July 2016 as the 13th Bishop of Limburg. On 18 September 2016 Georg Bätzing was consecrated in Limburg Cathedral as the 13th Bishop of Limburg.