One of the four Bishops resisting German Synodalism resigns

Exhausted Shepherd

Bishop Hanke of Eichstätt Resigns

Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke has resigned. Due to many challenges and crises, he feels an "inner fatigue." He had his decision approved by the late Pope Francis.

Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke of Eichstätt has resigned. Pope Francis had already approved his resignation before his death – the exact date was not yet determined at the time. Now the resignation has taken place, as the Vatican and the diocese announced simultaneously on Pentecost Sunday.

Hanke, a member of the Benedictine Order, led the diocese since the end of 2006 and had previously served as spiritual director of the Benedictine Abbey of Plankstetten in Upper Palatinate. He celebrated his 70th birthday last year. According to the rules of the Bavarian Concordat, a new bishop is now being sought for the Diocese of Eichstätt. According to this agreement between Bavaria and the Pope, the Pope is free to appoint bishops in Bavaria.

In an initial statement from the Diocese, Hanke stated that he intends to return to pastoral care. "This step, which arose from a deep spiritual struggle, is driven by the desire to be there for people more directly again – as a priest and spiritual guide, no longer as a decision-maker in the foreground," said the former bishop. Inspired by the late Pope Francis, he wants to once again participate more in the "heartbeat of the Church."

After many challenges and crises, he feels an "inner fatigue." He said the conversations with victims of sexual violence were particularly shocking: "Some things in me have changed as a result." As a simple Father Gregor, he wants to work directly with people in a pastoral area outside the diocese, accompanying them in matters of faith and preparing them for the sacraments. He will therefore lay aside his episcopal insignia as a conscious decision for modesty and closeness to the grassroots – although, according to Catholic understanding, episcopal ordination is irrevocable.

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