Second German bishop in two weeks resigns, citing ‘toll of office’

Pope Leo XIV accepted Wednesday another early resignation of a German diocesan bishop, who cited the toll of office as a reason for stepping down.

The Holy See press office announced Sept. 2 that the pope had accepted the resignation of Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of Dresden-Meissen, eastern Germany, almost a year before the bishop reached the typical retirement age of 75.

Timmerevers’ departure came exactly two weeks after the Aug. 19 resignation of 66-year-old Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of Speyer. Wiesemann cited “psychological strain” to explain why he resigned almost 10 years early.

Timmerevers, a supporter of Germany’s controversial synodal way, said he had submitted his resignation to Rome months earlier and discussed the matter at a private audience with Leo XIV.

In a video announcing his resignation, Timmerevers said the pope asked him a few questions and noted he would submit the request to the Dicastery for Bishops for consultation before informing him of his decision.

Timmerevers said that at a June 23 meeting in Berlin, Archbishop Hubertus van Megen, the new apostolic nuncio for