Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Metropolitan Archbishop of Cologne (Germany), was born in Cologne on 18 August 1956.

He was ordained a priest on 14 June 1985.  He holds a doctorate in theology. From 1985 to 1989 he was parish vicar of St Marien in Neuss. In 1989 he was appointed Military Chaplain in Münster and in 1990 parish vicar of Saint Joseph’s in Ratingen.

In 1990 he was appointed Secretary to the Archbishop of Cologne.

In 1997 he became Director of the Collegium Albertinum in Bonn for seminarians studying theology at the University of Bonn.

On 24 February 2003 he was appointed Titular Bishop of Scampa and Auxiliary Bishop of Cologne.  He was consecrated bishop on 30 March 2003.

On 2 July 2011 he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Berlin.  Less than a month after his installation as Archbishop, he received Benedict XVI on the Pope’s third visit to his homeland.

On 11 July 2014 Pope Francis appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Cologne.

He participated in the Conclave of March 2013 that elected Pope Francis.

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal by Benedict XVI in the Consistory of 18 February 2012, and was assigned the titular church San Giovanni Maria Vianney.

Member of:

• Dicasteries: for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; for the Clergy; for Promoting Christian Unity.
• Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See.