Zbigniew Jan Zieliński was born on 14 January 1965 in Gdańsk to Rupert and Teresa (née Karczewska) Zieliński. He completed high school at the Shipbuilding Technical School "Conradinum" in 1985.[1][2] He studied at the major seminary of Gdańsk and on 18 May 1991 was ordained a priest of that archdiocese[3] by Archbishop Tadeusz Gocłowski.[1] In 1995 he continued his studies at the Academy of Catholic Theology in Warsaw, now Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, earning a doctorate in sociology in 2004[3] with a thesis on "The transmission of religious values in the reformed Polish public school after 1990".[1]
From 1991 to 1999 he was Vicar in the Parish of B.V.M. Addolorata in Gdańsk and from 1999 to 2000 in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in the Oliwa section of Gdańsk. From 2000 to 2008 he was director of the Department for Pastoral Care of the archdiocese.[3] He served on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and was a member of the Commission of the Third Synod of Gdańsk held in 2001.[1] From 2004 to 2006 he was a professor of the sociology of religion at the University of Gdańsk. From 2004 to 2007 he was pastor of the parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Sopot and from 2007 to 2014 of the Cathedral in Oliwa. In 2014-2015, he was parish priest of the Co-Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gdańsk.[3] He also served as chaplain to several men's groups, including forestry workers and hunters.[1] He was named a canon of the archcathedral in 2005 and provost of the chapter in 2013.[2]
On 26 September 2015 he was appointed titular bishop of Medeli and auxiliary of the archdiocese of Gdańsk.[4] He received his episcopal consecration from Sławoj Leszek Głódź, Archbishop of Gdańsk, with Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, and Tadeusz Gocłowski, Archbishop emeritus of Gdańsk as co-consecrators, on 24 October.[2][5] In the Polish Bishops' Conference, he became member of the Council for Social Affairs in November 2021 and in January 2022 its secretary.[2]
On 10 March 2022, Pope Francis named him bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Koszalin-Kołobrzeg.[3] He succeeded as bishop upon the retirement of Bishop Edward Dajczak on 2 February 2023.[6]
He was apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamień from February to October 2024.[7]
On 19 March 2025, Pope Francis named him metropolitan archbishop of Poznań.[8] His installation was hold on 1 May 2025.[9]
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