Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen as a member of the Vatican Authority for Education and Culture. According to a statement from the Holy See on Saturday, the 58-year-old is the only German representative in the facility, which is responsible for Catholic schools and universities worldwide, among other things. According to Vatican News, the Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça has been the head of the authority, which the Pope restructured last year as part of the curia reform, since September.
Overbeck, also known as “Ruhrbishop”, was born on June 19, 1964 in Marl. He completed his theological studies in Münster and in Rome. He has been Bishop of Essen since the end of 2009.
