Gerard Johannes Nicolaus de Korte was born on 13 June 1955 in Vianen in the Netherlands. He was the youngest of three children.
De Korte graduated in 1974 from the Alberdingk Thijmcollege in Hilversum. He studied history at the Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht from 1974 to 1980. During this time De Korte got more interested in religion and the Church. While writing his final thesis he received certificates in Greek and Latin. He graduated in 1980. Soon after that he became a student at the Katholieke Theologische Universiteit in Utrecht. After graduation, he decided to study theology. In 1984 he became a seminarian at the Ariënskonvikt [nl] of the Archdiocese of Utrecht. He graduated from his theology studies in 1987. In 1994 he was promoted to doctor of theology on a thesis titled Priesthood of reconciliation. Possibilities and borders of the theology of the word, especially that of Eduard Thurneysen, for Catholic pastoral care.
Church career
Following his priestly ordination in 1987 he became a member of the staff of the Ariënskovikt seminary. he was also appointed as parish priest of the Cathedral of St. Catharina in Utrecht. From 1992 to 1999 he was rector of the Ariënskonvikt. In 1999 he was appointed to dean of Salland, which was merged with the deanery of Veluwe-Flevoland to form the deanery of IJsellanden. As such he was also a member of the bishop's council.
On 18 June 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of the diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden, succeeding Msgr. Eijk who had been made Archbishop of Utrecht earlier that year. De Korte was enthroned on 13 September 2008.
In March 2016 was announced that De Korte will succeed Bishop Hurkmans as bishop of the Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch, the most populous diocese in the Netherlands.[2]