Bishop Hanke: Farewell in Eichstätter Cathedral - A venerable look back

Bishop Hanke: Farewell in Eichstätter Cathedral - A venerable look back

On Sunday, July 6, 2025, the resigned Bishop of Eichstätt, Gregor Maria Hanke, will be officially farewelled in a solemn ceremony. The faithful are invited to take part in the festive service, which begins at 10 a.m. in Eichstätter Cathedral. Afterwards there is the opportunity to meet Hanke in person on Pater-Philipp-Jeningen-Platz next to the cathedral domradio.de reported.

Hanke, who turned 71 on July 2nd, wanted a simple farewell and rejected a big ceremony. In a letter to the diocese's employees, he said that a reserved farewell was the appropriate form for him. On Sunday evening, Hanke will organize a vespers in the cathedral at 6 p.m., at which prominent guests such as Bamberg Archbishop Herwig Gössl and Würzburg Bishop Franz Jung are also expected.

The resignation and its background

Gregor Maria Hanke has headed the diocese of Eichstätt since December 2006 and on June 8th asked to be released from his episcopal office at his own request. Normally this step only takes place at the age of 75; Hanke cited “internal fatigue” as the reason for his resignation. After a routine operation before Christmas, he suffered serious complications that resulted in him being out of action for around six weeks.

The search for a new bishop has already begun. The cathedral chapter of the diocese of Eichstätt draws up a list of candidates, which is sent to the Vatican via the papal ambassador. Further suggestions come from other Bavarian dioceses. It is also interesting that the Bavarian state government has the right to veto over political concerns. When exactly a new bishop can be expected in the diocese of Eichstätt remains unclear.

The diocese of Eichstätt at a glance

The Catholic diocese of Eichstätt covers an area of ​​6,025 square kilometers and includes 271 parishes. Around 342,000 Catholics live in this region, which corresponds to more than a third of the total population in the diocese. The historical roots of the diocese go back to the 8th century, when Willibald was ordained a priest by Boniface in Eichstätt in 740 and a bishop in 741. This long tradition is also an important part of the Catholic landscape in Germany.

In total there are 27 (arch)dioceses in Germany, which are organized into seven ecclesiastical provinces Wikipedia holds on. The Archdiocese of Cologne has the largest community with 1.74 million Catholics, while the Diocese of Görlitz has the fewest believers. These structures are an expression of a long history and the challenges that the church still faces today, such as declining church attendance and increasing church departures.

So what will happen to the diocese of Eichstätt? The path into the future will be exciting, and the hope for a new bishop with a breath of fresh air remains.

For further information about Bishop Hanke and developments in the Diocese of Eichstätt: spiegel.de.