Individual information - The Mayor of Osnabrück welcomes the arriving Bishop in "turbulent times."
Osnabrück's Mayor, Katharina Pötter, anticipates that Dominicus Meier's appointment as the new Bishop of Osnabrück will rejuvenate the Catholic Church. Amidst a time of turmoil for the Catholic Church, with numerous members distancing themselves, the 64-year-old ex-auxiliary bishop of Paderborn makes his way to the diocese, and Pötter remarks, "In this crisis for the Catholic Church where many Catholic individuals have drifted away from the ecclesiastical institution, bridge builders are needed. I'm confident that Bishop Meier can serve as one of these bridge builders." The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician made this comment in a statement from the city on Tuesday.
In a statement from the Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing, the chairperson, praised Meier's appointment as a "superb decision from all involved." He trusts that the Benedictine priest will act as a bishop who "reaches out to the public, aids searchers, offers solutions to queriers, and instills confidence in the hesitant." Bätzing expects Meier to follow the intended role of a bishop in these aspects.
Meier is set to replace Franz-Josef Bode, who stepped down on March 25, 2023. Bode took responsibility for his mishandling of sexual abuse cases during his 27-year tenure and is the first German bishop to surrender his office in light of the Catholic Church's sex abuse crisis.
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- Bishop Dominicus Meier, hailing from the diocese of Paderborn in North Rhine-Westphalia, is set to take over in Osnabrück, a city in Lower Saxony, following the departure of Bishop Franz-Josef Bode.
- The German Bishops' Conference, headed by Chairperson Georg Bätzing, expressed approval of Meier's appointment, commending him as a bishop who will foster engagement with the public and support those seeking answers.
- Meier's appointment comes at a time when the Catholic Church in Germany is grappling with the aftermath of sexual abuse cases, with Bishop Bode becoming the first to resign in response to mishandled cases during his 27-year tenure.
- In light of the crisis, Meier's role as a bridge builder in Osnabrück is highly anticipated by the city's Mayor, Katharina Pötter, who believes he can help rebuild trust in the Catholic Church.
- The appointment of Meier as Bishop of Osnabrück was praised by the Bishops' Conference, with Bätzing expressing hope that the Benedictine priest will follow the Church's role of reaching out, aiding, and offering solutions to the hesitant, in the spirit of rejuvenating the Catholic Church in Germany.
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