Events, Elections and Appointments | January-February 2026

An overview of recent events and personnel changes in our Benedictine family.

Abbot Geraldo González y Lima and Archabbot Emeritus Korbinian Birnbacher

21 February 2026

On 14 February, Richard Moth was installed as Archbishop of Westminster, England. He is an Oblate of Pluscarden (Subiaco Cassinese Congregation).

On 2 February, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder established an International Secretariat for the Benedictine Secular Oblates and appointed Dr. Roberto Lomolino, Oblate of Sant’Anselmo, as its Secretary General. He works closely with Abbot Jean-Pierre Longeat, the Abbot Primate's Delegate for the Oblates. The Secretariat's main tasks are to promote international cooperation among the Oblates and to prepare for the next International Oblate Congress, scheduled for 2030. The Secretariat will also support preparations for the Benedictine Jubilee in 2029.

On the same day, it was announced that P. Juan Pablo Rubio, monk of the Abbey of Valle de los Caidos in Spain (Solesmensian Congregation), had been appointed the new Procurator General of the Solesmes Congregation.

31 January: Bishop Manel Nin Güell, monk of Montserrat (Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation) and previously Exarch for Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Greece, based in Athens, was appointed Exarch of the Monastery of Grottaferrata.

On 15 January, Fr. Geraldo González y Lima was elected abbot of his monastery, São Geraldo, in São Paulo (Hungarian Congregation). He served at Sant'Anselmo for over 20 years, first as secretary to Abbot Primate Notker and then as bursar of Sant'Anselmo and treasurer of the Confederation. He acted as procurator for several congregations in the Curia and was an active member of the AIM's International Team. In the autumn, Archabbot Emeritus Korbinian Birnbacher of Saint Peter's in Salzburg (Austrian Congregation) will assume the role of bursar of Sant'Anselmo. Until then, Fr. Rafael dos Santos will serve in this capacity.

28 January: P. Richard Multerer was elected for a third term as Prior Administrator of Schweiklberg (Congregation of Saint Ottilien).

27 January: Abbot Clement Ettany of Kappadu (Congregation of the Annunciation) was elected the new president of the India-Sri Lankan Benedictine Federation. Prioress Asha of Saint Lioba is his deputy, and Prior John Kaippallimyalil of Kumily (Saint Ottilien) is the secretary.

The “Fondazione Benedettina Pax et Sapientia” began its activities at the beginning of January. This foundation, established under Italian law, supports the cultural and academic activities of Sant’Anselmo and will also enable it to obtain public subsidies for these activities.

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