Pope accepts Gadecki's resignation – and appoints new archbishop

Vatican City - As Archbishop of Poznan, Stanislaw Gadecki was one of the most important figures in the Polish Catholic Church for decades. Now the Pope has accepted his resignation and appointed a successor.

Published on 19.03.2025 at 13:15 –

Zbigniew Zielinski (60) has been appointed by the Pope as the new Archbishop of Poznan (Poznan) in western Poland. This was announced by the Vatican press office on Wednesday. Zielinski was previously Bishop of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg (Köslin-Kolberg) in Pomerania. At the same time, Francis accepted the resignation of the previous Metropolitan Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki (75). Gadecki's resignation marks the end of an era in the Polish church. He had led the large archdiocese of Poznan since 2002 and was appointed by Pope John Paul II.

Gadecki played a leading role in the Polish Bishops' Conference for decades. He was deputy chairman from 2004 to 2014 and chairman of the Bishops' Conference from 2014 to 2024. From 2016 to 2021, he was also Vice President of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE).

In Germany, Gadecki became known for a critical open letter to the Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK), Georg Bätzing, in February 2022. In it, he criticised the working methods and resolutions of the German Synodal Path to Church Reform. Among other things, he wrote at the time: "The Catholic Church in Germany is important on the map of Europe and I am aware that it will either spread its faith or its unbelief to the entire continent." (KNA)