Kurt Koch
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His Eminence Kurt Koch |
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| President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity | |
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| Appointed | 1 July 2010 |
| Predecessor | Walter Kasper |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Deacon of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 20 June 1982 by Otto Wüst |
| Consecration | 6 January 1997 by Pope John Paul II |
| Created Cardinal | 20 November 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI |
| Rank | Cardinal-Deacon |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Kurt Koch |
| Born |
15 March 1950 Emmenbrücke, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
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| Coat of arms |  |
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Styles of Kurt Koch |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Kurt Koch (born 15 March 1950) is a Swiss cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, currently serving as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity since his appointment was announced on 1 July 2010. He is also the bishop emeritus of Basel having served from 1995 until he resigned the see in 2010.
Koch was born in Emmenbrücke in the canton of Lucerne. He studied theology at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and at the University of Lucerne, graduating in 1975 with a Doctor of Theology degree. He was ordained to the priesthood on 20 June 1982.
On 21 August 1995, Koch was elected Bishop of Basel; his election was confirmed by Pope John Paul II on the following 6 December. He received episcopal consecration on 6 January 1997 from John Paul II himself, with Archbishops Giovanni Battista Re and Jorge María Mejía serving as co-consecrators.
When a group of Swiss intellectuals and theologians called for John Paul's resignation on 20 May 2004, Koch described the act as "disgusting and disloyal" as it was, moreover, the Pope's eighty-fourth birthday. In 2006, in an interview for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung he supported Muslim's freedom to build minarets in Switzerland, but also asked for greater religious freedom for Christians in Muslim countries.
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