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Archdiocese of KölnBishop
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Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki

Archbishop of Köln

Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Coat of Arms of the German Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne.
Born
Aug 18, 1956 Cologne, Cologne Government Region, Germany
Nationality
Germany
Ordained priest
Jun 14, 1985 Köln, Germany
Ordained bishop
Mar 30, 2003 Köln, Germany
Appointed
Sep 20, 2014
Principal consecrator
Joachim Meisner
Co-consecrators
Klaus Dick Norbert Trelle
Education
University of Bonn Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
Motto
Nos Sumus Testes

Rainer Maria Woelki was born on 18.08.1956 in Cologne. From 1978 to 1983 he studied in Bonn and Freiburg i. Br. On 20.06.1984 he was ordained deacon. On 14.06.1985 he was ordained priest in Cologne. From 1985 to 1990 he had various pastoral assignments, most recently chaplain at St. Josef, Ratingen. On 21.11.1999 he became Chaplain of His Holiness. On 30.03.2003 he received episcopal ordination, became titular bishop of Scampa/Albania and auxiliary bishop in Cologne, responsible for the North pastoral district. On 11.11.2003 he became resident cathedral chapter member. On 02.07.2011 he was appointed Archbishop of Berlin. On 27.08.2011 he was installed as Archbishop of Berlin. On 18.02.2012 he was created cardinal in Rome; titular church: San Giovanni Maria Vianney in Rome. On 21.04.2012 he was called to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. On 29.06.2012 the pallium was presented to him. On 30.06.2012 he took possession of the titular church San Giovanni Maria Vianney. On 29.04.2014 he was called to the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy. On 11.07.2014 he was appointed Archbishop of Cologne. On 20.09.2014 he was installed as Archbishop of Cologne. On 24.03.2015 he was appointed a member of the Administrative Council of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See (APSA). On 09.03.2016 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Sophia University Tokyo for his commitment in refugee work. From 12.10.2021 to 02.03.2022 he had a spiritual time away. He is chair of the Commission for Science and Culture (since 02.2018), member of the association council of the Association of Dioceses of Germany (VDD) (since 11.2019), member of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (since 04.2012), member of the Congregation for the Clergy (since 04.2014), member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (since 10.2016), member of the Administrative Council of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See (since 03.2015), and member of the Vatican authority for canonizations (since 12.2025).