Archbishop Kutleša Elected Vice President of European Bishops

The Archbishop of Zagreb and President of the Croatian Bishops' Conference (HBK), Dražen Kutleša, has been elected Vice President of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE) for a five-year term from 2026 to 2031. The decision was made at the plenary elective assembly held in Salzburg, as announced by the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe.

The election of Archbishop Dražen Kutleša to one of the leading positions in the CCEE is an important event for the Catholic Church in Croatia and its representation at the European level.

The Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe brings together the presidents of Catholic bishops' conferences of European countries and promotes cooperation and joint action of the Catholic Church in Europe.

Kutleša Among the Leading Representatives of European Bishops

The Archbishop of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas, was re-elected as President of the CCEE, while the Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, Primate of All Ireland, was elected alongside Dražen Kutleša as Vice President.

The new leadership was elected for the period from 2026 to 2031.

The elections were held during the CCEE plenary session in Salzburg, from October 27 to 30, dedicated to the theme "Evangelization and Synodality: The Mission of Today's Priests in Europe."

From Mostar to Zagreb and European Church Duties

Dražen Kutleša was ordained a priest in 1993, and he earned his doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome.

He carried out pastoral and academic duties in Mostar, and in 2006 he began his service in the Vatican Congregation for Bishops.

He was ordained a bishop in 2011, and a year later he assumed office as the Bishop of Poreč and Pula. Following his service as the Archbishop of Split-Makarska, on April 15, 2023, he became the Archbishop of Zagreb.

He was elected President of the Croatian Bishops' Conference in October 2022.

New Leadership of European Bishops' Conferences

The re-elected President of the CCEE, Gintaras Grušas, heads the Archdiocese of Vilnius and first became president of the Lithuanian Bishops' Conference in 2014. He has been leading the CCEE since September 2021.

Prior to his priestly calling, he graduated in mathematics and computer science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and worked at IBM. He was ordained a priest in 1994 and earned his doctorate in canon law in Rome.

The second Vice President, Eamon Martin, is the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. He was elected President of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference in October 2014.

Over the next five years, the newly elected leadership of the CCEE will coordinate cooperation among European bishops' conferences and the joint action of the Catholic Church in Europe.