Bishop Gerard Johannes Nicolaus de Korte

Gerardus Johannes Nicolaas de Korte is the seventeenth bishop of the Diocese of ’s-Hertogenbosch. Gerard de Korte was born on June 13, 1955, in Vianen, the youngest of three children in a family of contractors. From 1974 to 1980, he studied history at Utrecht University. During that period, his interest in faith and the church grew. He decided to study theology after graduating. After obtaining his master's degree in history, he enrolled as a student at the Catholic Theological University in Utrecht. In 1984, De Korte became a resident seminarian at the Ariënskonvikt, the seminary for the Archdiocese of Utrecht. After passing his master's examination in theology in 1987, he obtained his doctorate in theology in 1994 under the supervision of Prof. Rien van den Velden and Prof. Herwi Rikhof with the dissertation *Pastoraat van de verzoening. Mogelijkheden en grenzen van de theologie van het woord, in het bijzonder van Eduard Thurneysen, voor het katholiek pastoraat* (Pastoral Care of Reconciliation: Possibilities and Limits of the Theology of the Word—Particularly that of Eduard Thurneysen—for Catholic Pastoral Care). On January 10, 1987, he was ordained a deacon by Cardinal Adrianus Simonis in St. Catherine's Cathedral in Utrecht. On September 5 of that same year, he was ordained a priest by Cardinal Simonis in St. Aloysius Church in Utrecht. Following his ordination, De Korte became a staff member at the Ariënskonvikt and a pastor at St. Catherine's Cathedral. From 1992 to 1999, he served as rector of the Ariënskonvikt. In 1999, he was appointed Dean of Salland and of the former deaneries of the archdiocese. He took up residence in Zwolle. As Dean of Salland, he served on the diocesan council. On April 11, 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed De Korte as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Utrecht and titular bishop of Caesarea in Mauretania. Following his appointment as bishop, Cardinal Simonis appointed him episcopal vicar and, effective 1 January 2004, vicar general of the archdiocese. In addition, he remained Dean of Salland. His episcopal ordination took place on 2 June 2001 at the cathedral in Utrecht, performed by Cardinal Simonis, Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, and Msgr. Jan de Kok. On 18 June 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Gerard de Korte as diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden. On 5 March 2016, Pope Francis appointed him diocesan bishop of the Diocese of ’s-Hertogenbosch. He took possession of the episcopal see at St. John’s Cathedral in ’s-Hertogenbosch on 14 May 2016. In October 2016, Bishop De Korte presented his policy plan, ‘Building Together in Trust’ (*Samen bouwen in vertrouwen*), in which he prioritizes missionary pastoral care. You can read the full policy plan for the Diocese of ’s-Hertogenbosch here. Within the Bishops' Conference, all Dutch bishops manage one or more national portfolios in addition to their duties within their own dioceses. Since March 2001, the bishops have utilized a system of episcopal liaisons (*referenten*) for various policy sectors. Within the Bishops' Conference, Msgr. De Korte serves as the episcopal liaison for Church and Society, Women and Church, and the elderly.