Brother Alois Löser, prior of the Taizé Community for the past nearly two decades, has announced that he’s stepping down as leader of the world-renowned ecumenical monastery in France that the late Brother Roger Schutz founded.
In a message on July 23 to the community, the 69-year-old prior – a German Catholic – said he has chosen Brother Matthew Thorpe, a 58-year-old Anglican from England as his successor.
“Eighteen years after having succeeded Brother Roger, and as the world and the Church have changed so much over the last two decades, I feel that the time has come for a brother who joined our community after me to take over my responsibility,” said Brother Alois, who has been prior of Taizé since 2005.