Wolfgang Haas

Wolfgang Haas (born 7 August 1948) is a Liechtenstein-born prelate of the Catholic Church who was the first archbishop of the newly established Archdiocese of Vaduz in Liechtenstein from 1997 to 2023.

[2] A group of about 7,000 Catholics attempted to deny Haas entry into the cathedral when he took possession of the see on 17 June 1990, and he entered by a back entrance.

[2] In 1991, Haas made a series of controversial decisions regarding the local theological college, St Luzi Seminary, allowing only candidates for the priesthood to study there.

[5] In March 1995, the president of the Synodal Council Eugen Baumgartner said: "We have been waiting for a long time for the removal of Wolfgang Haas.

[6][b] On 2 December 1997, Pope John Paul erected the Archdiocese of Vaduz in Liechtenstein covering territory formerly part of the diocese of Chur, and he named Haas its first archbishop.

Some observers thought Haas' transfer to the new archdiocese has been negotiated by the Apostolic Nuncio to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Archbishop Karl-Josef Rauber.

[11] In Vaduz, Haas has demonstrated strong support for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, frequently ordaining its members.

[17] In June 2022, Haas refused to participate in the annual confirmation Mass and dinner with local officials in Schaan, because the town was hosting Liechtenstein's first gay pride march the day before.

[19] There was speculation that with Haas due to tender his resignation in 2023 the archdiocese might disappear, given that it was created for him and is extremely small, isolated from national bishops organizations.

[20] Hereditary Prince Alois has expressed his hope that the archdiocese continue to exist and criticized Haas' décision to cancel the annual Mass for the opening of parliament.

[17] Archbishop Paul Gallagher of the Vatican's Secretariat of State indicated during an April 2023 visit to Vaduz that the archdiocese would continue to exist.