German bishops elect new leader amid ongoing tensions

Heiner Wilmer is a renowned theologian, to the point that his name was once mentioned as a possible prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, until Pope Francis chose Victor Manuel Fernández in 2023.

Ordained a priest in 1987 and educated at prestigious Catholic universities in Freiburg, Paris, and Rome, he wrote his thesis on the writings of French philosopher Maurice Blondel in 1991. He speaks Italian, an asset that his predecessor Bishop Bätzing did not have. This should serve him well in the ongoing dialogue with the Holy See.

Heiner Wilmer directed a high school where he also taught until 2007, when he was elected superior of his order's province. He returned to Rome in 2015 as superior general of the Dehonian order. Three years later, Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Hildesheim, in his home region.

In this capacity, Bishop Wilmer has been actively involved in the German Synodal Path (sometimes referred to as the “German Synod”), a process launched in 2019. It led in 2023 to controversial proposals: women deacons, blessing of same-sex couples, preaching and celebration of the sacraments entrusted to lay people, and an end to priestly celibacy. Pope Francis and some senior representatives of the Roman Curia openly criticized the situation.

From 2023 onwards, a sometimes heated dialogue took place between the Holy See and the German Bishops' Conference. The main disagreement concerned the creation of a “synodal conference” made up of bishops, priests, and laypeople, scheduled to launch in 2026. Some voices in the Holy See believe that this could potentially undermine the authority of the bishops.

However, these tensions have recently eased, with some of Rome's criticisms being taken into account in the establishment of the statutes of the synodal conference, which will ultimately be only an advisory body. Leo XIV is familiar with the issue, having participated in several meetings between the Curia and the Germans when he was prefect of the dicastery for bishops.

Bishop Wilmer was one of the German bishops received individually in an audience by Pope Leo XIV last fall — in his case, on November 13, 2025. It was during this period that a solution was found between the two parties: in Würzburg, the German bishops must vote on the entity's statutes. If they approve them, as is likely, the Holy See will in turn have to decide on their canonical validity.

As president of the Bishops' Conference, many other challenges await Bishop Wilmer: both Francis and Leo XIV have expressed concern about the marginalization, under Bishop Bätzing's presidency, of a section of the German episcopate and faithful who do not support the German Synodal Path movement. But he will also have to face pressure from certain Catholic groups who believe that the German bishops have not honored the promises made during this process.

Finally, Bishop Wilmer could play a role in the event of a possible trip by Pope Leo XIV to Germany, with some German Catholic media outlets reporting that a plan is being considered for 2027. Francis never visited Germany as pope, and the last visit by a reigning pope was that of native son Benedict XVI to Berlin, Erfurt, and Freiburg in 2011.