Appointed new bishop for České Budějovice, Vlastimil Kročil

On Thursday 19th March 2015, Pope Francis appointed a new bishop for the diocese of České Budějovice – Msgr. Vlastimil Kročil.

České Budějovice: The Apostolic Nunciature in the Czech Republic has announced that on the solemnity of St. Joseph, 19^th March 2015, the Holy Father appointed Msgr. Vlastimil Kročil, Ph.D., parish priest in Veselí nad Lužnicí, new bishop of the diocese of České Budějovice.

The new pastor of the South Bohemian diocese was born on 10^th May 1961 in Brno. He studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Lateran University (1988–1993) and specialized in the patristic theology during his postgraduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University (1993–1996). In 2008 he finished his doctoral studies at the Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia.

He was ordained priest on 16^th July 1994 for the diocese of České Budějovice and served subsequently in Jindřichův Hradec and later in Veselí nad Lužnicí; he is a vicar of the Tábor vicariate and a canon of the cathedral chapter, he teaches patrology and ancient Christian literature at the Faculty of Theology of the University of South Bohemia and is a member of the diocesan council of priests and the college of consultors as well as an officer of the curia responsible for pastoral care.