German Bishops' Conference elects as president an advocate of the controversial Synodal Way

By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News

The German Bishops' Conference announced that it has elected Bishop Heiner Wilmer of Hildesheim as its next president.

He will serve a six-year term as president, succeeding Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, who decided not to seek re-election during the conference's spring plenary assembly, held Feb. 23-26 in Würzburg.

Bishop Wilmer has supported the controversial reforms of Germany's Synodal Way, including blessings for same-sex couples and expanded roles for women.

First words

At a press conference following his election on February 24, Bishop Wilmer expressed his gratitude to his fellow bishops for their confidence and to Bishop Bätzing for leading «our conference through difficult times.».

Addressing German Catholics in the country, the new president of the German Bishops« Conference said they were the »living face of the Church« and said that faith was a »source of strength« that provides »support and connects generations.".

Pope Francis made it clear to us that the Gospel is joy; a joy that sustains us and moves us. Pope Leo XIV continues this journey with spiritual clarity," he said. The worldwide synodal process has shown us how valuable it is to listen together. Synodality continues to be a spiritual attitude: walking together, sharing responsibility, making decisions together.

Bishop Wilmer also addressed victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse, acknowledging that «your voices carry weight.».

«Every step in overcoming the past takes on depth and veracity thanks to their witness,» the bishop said. «Listening and trust shape this journey. In this way, a space can emerge where dignity is protected and trust is renewed.».

Some controversies

Bishop Wilmer was ordained a priest of the Congregation of the Fathers of the Sacred Heart, or Dehonians, in 1987. After serving as provincial of his congregation in Bonn and Rome, he was appointed bishop of Hildesheim by Pope Francis in 2018.

He came under fire a few months after being appointed bishop for his comments against the Catholic Church's stance on abuse. In an interview with the German newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Bishop Wilmer said he believed that «abuse of power is in the DNA of the Church».

He also said Catholics «must abandon this notion» that the Church is completely pure and immaculate because there are «structures of evil» within it, according to the Bonn-based online news agency Katholisch .

Cardinal Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki of Cologne responded to Bishop Wilmer's statement by saying that «if that were the case, then I would have to leave the Church.».

In refuting Bishop Wilmer's assertion, Cardinal Woelki acknowledged that «for too long we did not believe the victims and for too long we did not consider such a thing possible. We have incurred a grave fault.».

Opinions on the Synodal Way

Prior to his election, Bishop Wilmer served as president of the Social and Societal Affairs Commission of the Episcopal Conference, as well as of the Justice and Peace Commission.

The new president of the bishops' conference has also been a strong advocate of the Synodal Way, a reform process established in response to a 2018 report known as the Mannheim, Heidelberg and Gießen study, or MHG, a comprehensive investigation into clergy sexual abuse in Germany from 1946 to 2014.

The Synodal Way's push to revise established Church teachings on homosexuality, the ordination of women and priestly celibacy sparked concern among bishops around the world that this would set a dangerous precedent that would ultimately separate German Catholics from the universal Church.

Bishop Wilmer has come out in favor of allowing blessings for same-sex couples, one of the proposals of the Synodal Way. In a 2023 letter to the faithful of his diocese, the bishop stated that it had become clear that «we need significant changes in sexual morality within the Catholic Church.».

Women and gender

«For me it is very important that LGBTQ people receive pastoral, spiritual and liturgical accompaniment,» he wrote. «I welcome the Synodal Way's promotion of the creation of a working group to develop guidelines for blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples, as well as for divorced couples who have remarried.».

Previously, he has also advocated for the ordination of women. According to the German radio station Domradio, Bishop Wilmer stated, «Women urgently need to assume leadership and positions of responsibility.».

«We can no longer simply say: the question of whether women should be admitted to ordination is settled. I trust the Holy Spirit on this,» he said in a 2019 interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

In December, the Vatican released a seven-page synthesis report of the «Study Commission on the Female Diaconate,» which voted against ordaining women deacons and deferred the issue for «further theological and pastoral studies.».

At the press conference, Bishop Wilmer was asked what he would like to say to the women of the Church and those who yearn for change. However, his answer was removed from the video posted on the German Bishops' Conference YouTube page.

In response to another journalist, who asked him about his 2019 comments regarding the ordination of women, the bishop did not respond directly about his comments and instead welcomed «the fact that the global Synod (of Bishops) has placed the issue of women in ministries and services on the agenda.».

«I remain convinced that the Holy Spirit is at work even today. I look forward to the surprises of the Holy Spirit,» he said before concluding the press conference.

Among those most concerned about the direction the Synodal Way was taking was Pope Francis, who had criticized the path the German bishops were taking.

In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, the late pontiff said Germany's synodal process was being led by the «elite» and warned that it was guided by ideological principles rather than the Holy Spirit.

«When ideology gets involved in the processes of the Church, the Holy Spirit goes home, because ideology defeats the Holy Spirit,» he said.