Pope Leo names reconciliation champion as new archbishop of Prague

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Stanislav Přibyl of Litoměřice as the new archbishop of Prague, selecting a prelate known for championing reconciliation between ethnic Germans and Czechs to lead the Czech capital’s historic archdiocese.

The 54-year-old Redemptorist returns to his hometown to succeed Archbishop Jan Graubner, who submitted his resignation upon reaching the canonical retirement age of 75. The Vatican announced the appointment Feb. 2, and Přibyl will be installed April 25.

The newly appointed archbishop said his priority is reconciliation and overcoming polarization within the Church and society.

“It is not only a matter of the Church and only of the Prague Archdiocese,” Přibyl said in an interview following his appointment. “It often seems that when we come across an idea, we first examine who said or wrote it and then evaluate the content accordingly. Everything is too ad hominem.”

Přibyl’s episcopal motto is “Pax vobis” — “Peace to you.” He said he wants to be a “shepherd who listens, encourages, and connects as a sign of this peace.”

The prelate recently declared a Year of Reconciliation in his Diocese of Litoměřice marking 80 years since the expulsion of millions of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia following World War II.

Addressing contemporary divisions, Přibyl warned that society is influenced by “the algorithms of social networks” where friendship has become “a completely different concept than true friendship between people.”

“Christ is above all bubbles and interest groups, and only in him can we truly be one,” the bishop said, echoing Pope Leo XIV’s papal motto “In illo uno unum” — “In the One, we are one.”

Přibyl said the synodal process can help Catholics “talk to each other and listen more” and noted that “where the word fails because we are experiencing an inflation of information, there is also a very powerful act of love.”

The newly appointed archbishop sees Catholic faith becoming attractive across Western Europe. “In the Litoměřice Diocese, we are seeing more adult baptisms and vocations in which personal testimony and the authenticity of our relationship with Christ are very important, as well as the living environment in the Church,” he said.

Born Nov. 16, 1971, in Prague, Přibyl was ordained a priest in 1996 and appointed bishop of Litoměřice by Pope Francis on Dec. 23, 2023.