Archbishop of Paderborn
Udo Markus Bentz is Archbishop of Paderborn, Germany. Udo Bentz was born on 3 March 1967 in Rülzheim, in the Diocese of Speyer. After completing his secondary education and a course in banking sciences, he entered the major seminary of Mainz, initially for his native diocese of Speyer and later changing in favor of the Diocese of Mainz. He pursued philosophical and theological studies at the Universities of Mainz and Innsbruck. He was ordained a priest on 1 July 1995 and was incardinated in the Diocese of Mainz. He served as parochial vicar at the cathedral of Worms (1995-1998) and as private secretary to Cardinal Karl Lehmann (1998-2002). From 2002 he continued theological studies, completing a doctorate in theology in 2007 at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Freiburg im Breisgau, where he received the highest grade and the Karl-Rahner Prize. During his doctoral years he collaborated pastorally in the parishes of Sprendlingen (2002-2004) and Saint Peter Canisius in Mainz (2004-2007). In 2007 he was appointed rector of the major seminary of Mainz. In 2013 he was also elected president of the Conference of Rectors of German Major Seminaries. In addition to the office of rector, he directed the permanent formation of clergy and pastoral assistants. He holds the title Geistlicher Rat. On 15 July 2015 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Mainz and received episcopal consecration on 20 September of the same year. From 2017 he also served as vicar general. Within the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Bentz was a member of the Commission for Youth and the Commission for the Universal Church.