Benedictines elect new abbot primate

ROME (CNS) -- A global gathering of Benedictine abbots elected Abbot Jeremias Schröder of St. Ottilien Archabbey in Eresing, Germany, to an eight-year term as abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation.

The 59-year-old abbot, who currently lives at the historic St. Georgenberg Abbey in Austria, was elected Sept. 14 during the Congress of Abbots, which is taking place in Rome.

Abbot Schröder succeeds U.S. Abbot Gregory Polan, who came to Rome from Conception Abbey in Missouri and served as abbot primate 2016-2024.

The Benedictine Confederation is a loose association of autonomous monasteries that follow the 1,500-year-old Rule of St. Benedict; the monasteries include about 6,000 monks altogether. The abbot does not exercise governing authority over the monasteries but serves as a leader and a representative.

The abbot primate also serves as grand chancellor of the Pontifical Atheneum of Sant'Anselmo, a Rome-based institution for graduate studies in liturgy, theology and philosophy.

Abbot Schröder was born Maximilian Schröder in Bad Wörishofen Dec. 8, 1964. He joined the St. Ottilien Archabbey at the age of 20 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1992. He studied philosophy and theology at Sant'Anselmo and history at St. Benet's Hall, Oxford.

He was elected archabbot and president of the St. Ottilien Congregation in 2000. "Over his career, Abbot Jeremias has overseen growth, decline, elections and interventions across monastic communities," according to the confederation's announcement of his election.