Swiss Bishop Charles More-rod of Lausanne, Geneva and Friburg has appointed a woman theologian to succeed the present episcopal vicar.

On 1 August, Marianne Pohl-Henzen will succeed the present episcopal vicar for the German part of the diocese.

Pohl-Henzen (60) studied theology and philology at university and has three children and four grandchildren. For the past eight years, she been the right hand of the present episcopal-vicar of the German-speaking vicariate (region in the diocese) of Fribourg, Fr Pascal Marquard, who is moving to Zurich.

The diocese has announced that in her new post, she will be “the person responsible in the vicariate/diocesan region in the bishop’s name.” In other words, as from 1 August, she will re-present the bishop in the vicariate and will be a member of the episcopal council.

Vatican News first called her an “episcopal vicar” but later withdrew the term. According to church law, only priests can become episcopal vicars. Church papers are now calling her an “episcopal delegate” or “episcopal adjutant.”

She herself recalled in a KNA interview, that, unlike her predecessor, she would not be able to administer confirmation, install parish priests or hold funerals for priests, “that is anything to do with Sacraments and liturgy.”