Bernd Wallet

Bernd Wallet serves as Old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands. Elected on 15 February 2020,[1][2] he was installed as Archbishop of Utrecht on 7 November 2020[3][4] as the seventeenth Old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht and the 84th successor to St. Willibrord in the See of Utrecht.[5]

The Most Reverend Bernd Wallet
Old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht
Church	Old Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Utrecht
Elected	15 February 2020
In office	2020 to present
Predecessor	Joris Vercammen
Personal details
Birth name	Barend Theodor Wallet
Born	27 February 1971 Middelburg, Netherlands

Life and career

The son of a Protestant pastor, Wallet converted to Old Catholicism and completed his theological studies at the University of Hull in 2005 and from the Old Catholic Seminary in Amersfoort in 2006. He was ordained a deacon in 2006 by Archbishop John Sentamu of the Anglican Diocese of York. One year later, he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Joris Vercammen at St. Gertrude Cathedral in Utrecht.

From 2007 to 2010, Wallet served as assistant curate in Northallerton, in the Diocese of York. Upon his return to the Netherlands, he served as personal assistant to Archbishop Vercammen, responsible for external relations with other Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht and the Anglican Church.

Wallet served as pastor of St. Gertrude Cathedral in Utrecht from 2015 to 2020.[6] On 15 February 2020, he was elected Archbishop of Utrecht by the Cathedral Chapter of Utrecht. At that time, he shared, "I want to challenge our parishes to be open houses for those in their areas...We must continue to be open to society and testify with joy to the hope that is in us."[7]

On 7 November 2020, Bernd Wallet was consecrated by Joris Vercammen and multiple foreign Independent Catholic and other bishops.[8]

Wallet is married and has four children.

References

1. "Bernd Wallet (48) New Archbishop Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands". EN24 News. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
2. "Bernd Wallet verkozen tot nieuwe aartsbisschop Oud-Katholieke Kerk". Friesch Dagblad (in Dutch). 17 February 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
3. "Canceled again: Consecration and installation of the new Archbishop Bernd Wallet". Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
4. "Bernd Wallet aartsbisschop van Utrecht". Oud-Katholieke Parochie St. Agnes, Egmond. Bisschoppelijk Bureau. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
5. "Bernd Wallet verkozen tot nieuwe aartsbisschop van Utrecht". Oud-Katholieke Kerk van Nederland. Bisschoppelijk Bureau. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
6. "Installatie nieuwe pastoors - induction new pastors". Bas de Meijer. Bas de Meijer. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
7. de Jong, Piet. "Nieuwe aartsbisschop Bernd Wallet: 'Ik wil parochies uitdagen een open huis te zijn voor mensen in hun omgeving'". Nederlands Dagblad. Nederlands Dagblad. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
8. "Utrechter Union - Canceled again: Consecration and instatllation of the new Archbishop Bernd Wallet". www.utrechter-union.org. Retrieved 5 February 2021.