Beat Grögli

The Most Reverend

Beat Grögli
Bishop of St. Gallen
ChurchCatholic Church
DioceseSt. Gallen
Appointed22 May 2025
PredecessorMarkus Büchel
Orders
Ordination16 August 1998
Consecration5 July 2025
Personal details
Born(1970-09-20)20 September 1970
Wil, St. Gallen, Switzerland
MottoLatin: In concordiam Christi, lit. 'Toward the harmony of Christ'[1]
Coat of armsBeat Grögli's coat of arms

Beat Grögli (born 20 September 1970) is a Swiss Roman Catholic prelate, serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Saint Gallen and the apostolic administrator of Appenzell since 2025.

Life

Beat Grögli was born in Wil on 20 September 1970,[2] the eldest of three boys born to Anton and Rita Grögli-Büeler. After his early schooling in Wil, he spent three years as a boarder at the Untere Waid Gymnasium in Mörschwil. He graduated from the Friedberg Gymnasium in Gossau in 1991 and then interned for a year at a social education facility for children and young people in Lucerne.[3] From 1992 to 1997 he studied philosophy and theology at the University of Fribourg and University of Innsbruck as well as psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.[2][3] He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Saint Gallen by Bishop Ivo Fürer in St. Gallen Cathedral on 16 August 1998.[3]

He served as vicar of St. Otmar parish in St. Gallen from 1998 to 2003 and then undertook additional training in psychology at the Gregorian from 2003 to 2006. Returning to Switzerland, he worked from 2006 to 2013 in the parishes of Rotmonten and Heiligkreuz, and part-time in the interdiocesan program in Chur. In 2013, Bishop Markus Büchel named him a member of the cathedral chapter and cathedral priest, and he joined the diocesan leadership team. In 2018, the role of dean for pastoral care was added to his responsibilities.[3]

The cathedral chapter of the diocese elected him bishop[a] on 20 May 2025,[b][6] and on 22 May Pope Leo XIV appointed him bishop of St. Gallen, a position which entails as well the responsibilities of apostolic administrator of the two semi-cantons of Appenzell.[2] The Neue Zürcher Zeitung described him as "an unknown quantity" with respect to current Church issues, but thought to be "in the moderate camp".[5]

He received his episcopal consecration on 5 July 2025 from Bishop Markus Büchel, his predecessor in St. Gallen,[7] and became the youngest bishop in Switzerland.[5]

Views

In May 2025, Grögli expressed optimism about the eventual ordination of women, without advocating for the practice.[8] As bishop-elect, he affirmed that although he considered the theological arguments against the ordination of women to be "weak", he nevertheless recognized that the wider issue was "complex" and emphasised his loyalty to Rome.[9]

In a personal statement after his election, Grögli expressed his support for synodality in the Catholic Church.[10] In a July 2025 interview, he said he was willing to bless same-sex couples, stating that a blessing is "not a church political manifestation". He also expressed disapproval of the Tridentine Mass as "not evolving" and that groups which celebrate it in his diocese (namely the FSSP and the SSPX) have "separated themselves from the larger community". At the same time, he has noted his appreciation for Eastern Rite liturgies, saying that it takes him "into another dimension" despite the language barrier.[9]

Grögli has a special devotion to Ignatius of Loyola and to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ An 1845 pact between the Holy See and the Swiss government controls the process for filling the position of Bishop of St. Gallen.[4]
  2. ^ The election was originally scheduled for late April but was postponed because of the death of Pope Francis.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Bischof Beat Grögli". Bistum St. Gallen (in German). Römisch-katholisches Bistum St. Gallen. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Resignations and Appointments" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bistumsleitung erw. Bischof Beat Grögli". Diocese of St. Gallen (in German).
  4. ^ "Beat Grögli ist neuer Bischof von St. Gallen" (in German). Swiss Bishops Conference. Wie funktioniert eine Bischofswahl in St. Gallen?. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Rostetter, Andri (23 May 2025). "Neue Hirten, Alte Lasten". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Pope Leo XIV-approved Bishop of St. Gallen elected". swiss info.ch. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Bischof Beat Grögli geweiht". linth24 (in German). 6 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  8. ^ Freudiger, Nicole. "Neuer St. Galler Bischof - Der künftige Bischof Beat Grögli muss viele Erwartungen erfüllen". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). Schweizerischen Radio- und Fernsehgesellschaft. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "Das grosse Interview mit Bischof Beat Grögli – kath.ch". kath.ch (in German). Archived from the original on 3 July 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Persönliche Worte von Bischof Beat Grögli" (PDF). www.bistum-stgallen.ch. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
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