Brother Alois
Brother Alois, né Aloïs Löser (born June 11, 1954 in Nördlingen, Bavaria, Germany) is the Prior of the Taizé Community who succeeded Brother Roger after the latter's death on August 16, 2005.
Biography
Brother Alois was born in 1954 in Bavaria, to Czechoslovakian German parents, and raised in Stuttgart. Unlike his Protestant predecessor, Brother Roger, Brother Alois is a Catholic. As a teenager he was an altar-boy and a youth leader in the St. Nikolaus parish in eastern Stuttgart. Later he studied theology in Lyon, though he never became a priest. He first visited the Taizé Community in 1974. The community impressed him deeply, he became a volunteer and soon a member.
Brother Alois was chosen by Brother Roger as his successor in 1998. He became the prior of the community after the death of Brother Roger in 2005. In the last years, Brother Alois has represented the community in numerous protests and has given a large number of interviews. He is also known for his musical activities. Numerous songs penned by him are sung throughout the world today. He also travels to christians throughout the world, and has made numerous of visits this year too(2006).