Brother Alois handed over his office in December 2023

In keeping with the Rule of Taizé, according to which the prior of the community appoints a brother to ensure continuity after him, Brother Alois carried out a consultation among all the brothers and handed over his office as prior to Brother Matthew, who is English and by denomination Anglican. The change of prior took place on Saturday 2 December, 2023 during the evening prayer. See Brother Matthew has become prior.

Brother Alois explains: Eighteen years after succeeding Brother Roger, with the world and the Church having changed so much over the last two decades, I feel the time has come for a brother who entered our community after me to take over my responsibility. In the family-like understanding we have of our community life, the ministry of prior has neither an age limit nor a time limit fixed in advance. But I said to myself: it is up to me to pass on this charge while I can take the time to prepare this transition without being under any constraints. Over the last two years, I have consulted all my brothers, we have prayed and reflected. And I have chosen Brother Matthew as the new prior of Taizé. I have complete confidence that he will provide continuity and take the right steps to impel our community to be, according to the intuition of its founder, a “little parable of communion”.

Brother Alois (Alois Loeser) was born on 11 June 1954 in Ehingen am Ries, Germany. A Roman Catholic, he joined the Taizé Community on 1 November 1974. He has been Prior since Brother Roger’s death on 16 August 2005.

Brother Matthew (Andrew Thorpe) was born on 10 May 1965 in Pudsey (United Kingdom). An Anglican, he joined the Taizé Community on 10 November 1986.

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Last updated: 30 October 2023