Pope Leo’s pick to lead German diocese proposes scrapping priestly celibacy

Bishop Christian Würtz, who supported the Synodal Way's push for homosexual 'blessings,' says he is open to abolishing mandatory priestly celibacy as part of ‘synodal’ talks.

(LifeSiteNews) — A German bishop who backed the Synodal Way’s push for homosexual “blessings” says he’s open to abolishing priestly celibacy, telling German broadcasters the Church must weigh what it “gains and gives up.” Bishop Christian Würtz, who was recently appointed as bishop of Eichstätt by Pope Leo XIV, gave an interview to Bayerischer Rundfunk in which he talked about his attitude toward the “reforms” demanded by the heretical German Synodal Way.

Würtz said he is in favor of an open debate on priestly celibacy, arguing that the Church should weigh the “costs and benefits.” The 55-year-old Würtz was among the 38 German bishops in 2023 who voted in favor of a document endorsing “blessings” for homosexual “couples” as well as for the divorced and “remarried.” Six months earlier, Würtz supported the German Synodal Way’s heterodox “Theological Reassessment of Homosexuality” document that called homosexual acts “not sinful” and “not intrinsically evil,” contrary to the timeless teaching of Scripture and the Church.

His predecessor as bishop of Eichstätt, Gregor Maria Hanke, was known as a conservative who rejected the radical proposals of the Synodal Way and wanted to remain faithful to the Church’s perennial teaching. However, Würtz said that he did not want to make these differences into a point of contention. “It’s important not to get lost in factional struggles, but to always look for what unites us and what is central,” he stated.

“That’s also an important aspect of synodality – this listening to one another, this working together, moving forward together, learning from one another, and not immediately treating one’s own opinion as absolute.” According to his own account, Würtz was visiting Eichstätt for the very first time when he was appointed as bishop. “I suspect that when most people heard the name Christian Würtz, they had no idea who he was,” the new bishop of Eichstätt said.

“But it was really wonderful for me to see that the cathedral was so full, that people spontaneously applauded, and right after the announcement of my appointment, I went out to the cathedral’s forecourt and met many people there.” “It is a beautiful coincidence that my appointment takes place on the feast day of St. Willibald, the patron saint of the Diocese of Eichstätt. I hope that, with my experience and abilities, I can also contribute to building the Kingdom of God in Eichstätt and walk alongside the people here,” Würtz said in an official diocesan statement after his appointment.

“I thank Pope Leo for the trust he has placed in me and am now looking forward to getting to know the people in the diocese,” he added.