Bishop Genn celebrates farewell: a life in the service of the church!

Bishop Genn celebrates farewell: a life in the service of the church!

On March 9, 2025, Dr. Felix Genn, the Bishop of Münster, who turned 75 on March 6. On the occasion of his birthday, a solemn service took place in the St. Paulus-Dom zu Münster, in which Genn expressed his gratitude for the past few years. In his last sermon, he addressed aspects such as health, human relationships and the proclamation of faith. Reference to a biblical text from the Lukas Gospel about the temptation of Jesus in the desert, he spoke about the desert experiences of the church, including the severe abuse scandals.

Pope Francis has accepted Bishop Genn's request for resignation. This decision was announced by the Vatican on Sunday afternoon. Genn had been bishop of Münster for 16 years and had previously headed the diocese of Essen for six years and served as a consecration bishop in Trier from 1999 to 2003. Already last year he had submitted his application for resignation, which now becomes effective after reaching the age limit. The Pope is considered known for compliance with these regulations in the Roman Catholic Church, which stipulates bishops, to offer their resignation at the age of 75.

transition control and new management

With the end of Genn's term of office, a transitional arrangement will come into force on March 10. The management of the diocese of Münster takes over Dr. Christoph Hegge, the oldest auxiliary bishop. This transition phase is limited to a maximum of eight days, in which the consultor college chooses a diocesan administrator that functions during the Sedisvakanz. The college is made up of the cathedral propstation, the cathedral dean and eight other residing cathedral capitals of the St. Paulus Cathedral. However, the new diocesan administrator does not have the authority to make fundamental changes.

The selection process for a successor to Bishop Genn will take several months. In cooperation with 16 lay representatives, the cathedral chapter of Münster will send names to the Vatican. From this, the Vatican creates a list of three from which the cathedral chapter can choose the new bishop. This is then appointed by Pope Francis.

Despite the challenges with which the church is confronted, Genn expressed a message of confidence in life and resurrection in his sermon. The reflection on the current crises, including the abuse scandals, is constructive from the desert in accordance with church striving, as is expressed in his biblical comparison.

[Diensum-muenster.de] reports that the celebrations for the 75th birthday of Genn were accompanied by a reception in the Halle Münsterland. During his tenure, Genn also acted actively in the Vatican Bishop's Authority and planned to continue to participate in various projects until his retirement in 2029, including the coordination of a working group to improve the selection of bishop candidates.

The Roman Catholic Church remains dynamic, and changes such as the age limits for bishops, also in other churches, show the current development of church hierarchies. At a time when the Pope continues to work, the choice of the new Bishop of Münster is another step to redesign the management structures within the church.

[katholisch.de] points out that, according to the canon law, the diocesan administrator must not make any fundamental decisions during the transition period, which ensures certain stability during this change of upheaval. The next few months will be crucial for the future of the Diocese of Münster and its administration.