Wim Eijk

infobox bishopbiog
name = The Most Reverend
Willem Jacobus Eijk

| religion = Roman Catholic
See = Archdiocese of Utrecht
Title = Archbishop of Utrecht
Period = December 11, 2007 — present
Predecessor = Adrianus Johannes Cardinal Simonis
Successor = incumbent
date of birth = Birth date and age|1953|06|22|mf=y
place of birth = Duivendrecht|

Willem Jacobus "Wim" Eijk (born June 22, 1953) is a Dutch prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. On 11 December 2007 Pope Benedict XVI appointed Wim Eijk as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Utrecht [ Cf. [http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/21292.php?index=21292&lang=en Holy See Press Office, "Daily Bulletin of 11.12.2007, Rinunce e nomine, Nomina dell’Arcivescovo Metropolita di Utrecht (Paesi Bassi)"] it icon] and, on the 26th of January 2008 Eijk will be installed in the Sint Catharina Church in Utrecht. He is the 70th successor of Saint Willibrord (658-739) [ [http://www.reportret.info/gallery/willibrord1.html Reportret: Willibrord ] ] on the See of Utrecht. He was formerly Bishop of Groningen-Leeuwarden.

Biography

Born in Duivendrecht he originally took a degree in medicine in 1978 at the University of Amsterdam. Consecutively studied to become a priest (after an intensive deliberation with, then Bishop, Simonis) in Kerkrade at Rolduc. From 1979 combined the religious formation with a study in medical ethics at the University of Leiden.

He was ordained to priesthood in 1985 and was incardinated in the Diocese of Roermond. Then he went to work as a chaplain in the parish of St. Anthony of Padua in Venlo Blerick.

In 1987 he completed a PhD degree in Medicine, with a dissertation about euthanasia, subsequently taking another PhD degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas ("Angelicum") [ Cf. [http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/21292.php?index=21292&lang=en Holy See Press Office, "Daily Bulletin of 11.12.2007, Rinunce e nomine, Nomina dell’Arcivescovo Metropolita di Utrecht (Paesi Bassi)"] it icon] in Rome in 1990, with a thesis which considered genetic manipulation. [ [http://www.katholieknederland.nl/actualiteit/2007/detail_objectID616608_FJaar2007.html Biografie aartsbisschop Wim Eijk [ Actualiteit | Katholiek Nederland ] ]

He also earned a master's degree and doctorate in theology at the Lateran University of Rome. At the same time he was teaching moral theology at the seminary of Rolduc in the diocese of Roermond. After 1996 Eijk moved to Lugano in Switzerland, where he was Professor of moral theology at the theological faculty of the local university. From 1997 to 2002 he was a member of the International Theological Commission.

When Bishop Eijk on July 17, 1999 was appointed as bishop of Groningen-Leeuwarden , he chose the motto "Noli recusare labore". After a difficult start, the episcopate of Bishop Eijk was marked by signs of growth in all parts of the Church. The most telling example may be seen in the Groningen cathedral, which changed from a church which was closed on weekdays, into a lively and open church community. The diocese saw the appearance of other "places of hope" as well, where parishes and other communities started to thrive. The number of ordinations to the diaconate and the priesthood has risen in recent years.

Wim Eijk is known to be conservative. Some consider his views extreme [ [http://www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/173187 RTV Utrecht - voor stad en provincie Utrecht ] ] , especially his views on abortion and homosexuality. Others have argued that he has done nothing else but restate the traditional Roman Catholic position. [ [http://www.nu.nl/news/1350680/10/Wim_Eijk_aartsbisschop_van_Utrecht.html nu.nl/algemeen | Wim Eijk aartsbisschop van Utrecht ] ] In 2001 Wim Eijk suffered from a subdural hematoma, but he fully recovered.

In May 2008 Pope Benedict named Archbishop Eijk a member of the Congregation for the Clergy in addition to his duties as Archbishop of Utrecht.

infobox bishopstyles
name=Willem Jacobus Eijk
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Archbishop
deathstyle=not applicable |

References