Catholic Church: Heiner Wilmer turns into the brand new bishop in Münster | EUROtoday

The earlier Bishop of Hildesheim, Heiner Wilmer, would be the new Bishop of Münster. Pope Leo Wilmer was formally launched at St. Paul’s Cathedral at 12 p.m.

Wilmer, who was born in Emsland, has been bishop in Lower Saxony since 2018 and was elected chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference in February 2025. The 64-year-old is to be inaugurated into workplace on June twenty eighth within the cathedral in Münster. The largest German diocese by way of the variety of Catholics has been with out a bishop for nearly a 12 months. Wilmer’s predecessor Genn requested the Pope on his seventy fifth birthday to launch him from his duties.

The Diocese of Münster consists of the Münsterland in North Rhine-Westphalia as much as the Lower Rhine and the northern fringe of the Ruhr space in addition to the Oldenburger Land in Lower Saxony.

Alternative management fashions with girls

Wilmer is taken into account progressive; different management fashions with girls are additionally being examined in his present diocese in Lower Saxony. The designated new bishop in Münster has repeatedly spoken out in favor of a renewal of Catholic sexual morality. He likes the chance to bless gay {couples}.

After his election as head of the German bishops on February 24, Wilmer appeared imprecise and hesitant in his first interviews. When requested how girls might probably play a stronger function in a beforehand male-dominated church, he pointed to the world synod initiated by Pope Francis and didn’t turn into extra particular. He welcomed the truth that the difficulty of girls in places of work and companies was on the agenda there. And: He continues to be satisfied that the Holy Spirit continues to be at work as we speak.

On the opposite hand, the 64-year-old is strongly dedicated to the difficulty of evangelization, which is historically necessary to conservative bishops.