Pope confirms election of Olivetan Benedictine abbot
September 19, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: Pope Leo XIV confirmed the election of Dom Antonio Bran Tecun, O.S.B. Oliv., as the abbot general of the Olivetan Benedictines and appointed him ordinary of the Territorial Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Italy.
Born in 1973 in Guatemala, Abbot Tecun professed temporary vows in the institute in 1995 and solemn vows in 2000. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2002, taught math and physics at an Olivetan school, and served as director of the abbey’s farm.
Founded in 1313, the Olivetan Benedictine Congregation has 18 religious houses and 181 members, 107 of whom are priests, according to the online edition of the Annuario Pontificio (2024 data). The Territorial Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, whose ordinary is the abbot general, is one of the world’s smallest ecclesiastical jurisdictions: it covers a territory of 19 square miles, with 510 Catholics in four parishes.
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