His Excellency

Heiner Koch
Archbishop of Berlin
ChurchRoman Catholic
ArchdioceseBerlin
Appointed8 June 2015
Installed19 September 2015
PredecessorRainer Maria Woelki
Orders
Ordination13 June 1980
Consecration7 May 2006
by Joachim Meisner
Personal details
Born
Heiner Koch

(1954-06-13) 13 June 1954
Düsseldorf, West Germany
NationalityGerman
DenominationRoman Catholic
Previous post(s)
EducationUniversity of Bonn
MottoGaudete semper Dominus prope ('Rejoice always, the Lord is near')
Coat of armsHeiner Koch's coat of arms
Styles of
Heiner Koch
Reference styleThe Most Reverend
Spoken styleExcellency
Religious styleMonsignor

Heiner Koch (born 13 June 1954) is a German prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been the Archbishop of Berlin since September 2015. He was an auxiliary bishop in Cologne from 2006 to 2013 and Bishop of Dresden-Meissen from 2013 to 2015.

Early life and career

Koch was born on 13 June 1954 in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He studied theology, philosophy and education at the University of Bonn and completed his examinations in education science. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Cologne on 13 June 1980, his 26th birthday. He held a variety of positions in Cologne and was often involved in youth ministry. While doing parish work he earned a doctorate in theology with a dissertation on the significance of liberation in Christian religious education.[1] Since 1995 he has been president of the Federation of Historic German Shooting Clubs (German: Historischer Deutschen Schützenbruderschaften (BHDS)).[2] Beginning in 2002 he served as Pro-Vicar General and Secretary General for the committee that organized the celebration of World Youth Day in Cologne in 2005.[3][4]

On 17 March 2006, Pope Benedict XVI named him auxiliary bishop of Cologne with the titular see of Ros Cré.[3] He was consecrated a bishop on 7 May 2006[5] by Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne, with Manfred Melzer and Rainer Maria Woelki as co-consecrators. He chose as his episcopal motto the Latin phrase Gaudete semper Dominus prope, "Rejoice always, the Lord is near", taken from the Epistle to the Philippians Phil 4:4.[2]

On 18 January 2013, Benedict XVI named him Bishop of Dresden-Meissen,[5] and he was installed there on 16 March.

In December 2014, he warned against dismissing the concerns of anti-immigrant demonstrators. He said: "While we remain committed to the basic right of asylum for refugees from war areas and victims of political persecution, we must ask ourselves what drives such a large number of people on to the streets every Monday and not tar them all with the same brush by a priori labeling them right-wingers."[6]

Berlin

On 8 June 2015, Pope Francis named Koch Archbishop of Berlin.[7] Following the procedures revived in 1989 following the reunion of Germany, Koch was first elected by the Berlin church and Pope Francis, seeing no objection, made the appointment.[8] Koch was installed in Berlin on 16 March.

The German Bishops' Conference selected him in 2014 to chair its Commission for Marriage and the Family.[9]

The German Bishops' Conference selected him as a delegate to the Synod on the Family, which met in Rome in October 2015.[9] In February 2015, discussing the issues facing the synod, he said the church needed a new approach to pastoral care of homosexuals, "a different language", and that to "portray homosexuality as a sin is hurtful". He added: "I know gay couples who value reliability and commitment and live these in an exemplary manner."[9] As the Synod approached, he expressed concern that its focus was shifting from the pastoral concerns it was meant to address to "mega issues such as the understanding of the Eucharist, the issue of church authority and its limits and the question of the definition of marriage". He said "It would have been better to limit the number of topics up for discussion"[10] and "We must not give the impression that the synod spent most of its time quarreling about the conditions for admission to the sacraments."[11] At the synod, the German language discussion group elected him their relator (secretary).[12][lower-alpha 1]

He told the Synod that theological arguments against allowing Catholics in irregular marriages to receive Communion "do not silence the questions in the hearts of people". He said:[14]

Is there no place at the Lord’s table for people who experienced and suffered an irreversible break in their lives? How perfect and holy must one be to be allowed to the supper of the Lord? It becomes clear to me every time that the question of allowing divorced and remarried people to the Eucharist is not in the first place a question about the indissolubility of the sacrament of marriage.... Many people question the Church and her mercy in this regard. More than a few people concerned leave the Church with their children on the basis of what they see as rejection. Ultimately and most profoundly it is much more about the Christian faith and God and His mercy. For many, the question of admittance to the Eucharist makes them doubt God.

In February 2016, joining an alliance with the German Evangelical Church called the Alliance for Cosmopolitanism (German: Allianz für Weltoffenheit) Koch spoke on behalf of the German Bishops Conference: "Those who contribute words or deeds to the exclusion and reduction of refugees and migrants can not base that on Christianity. Human hostility and stranger hatred are not only in clear contradiction to the values of our free-democratic constitution, but ultimately bear witness to a deep disregard for the Christian message."[15] He has at other times called for special attention to the needs of Christian refugees, who are sometimes mistreated as a minority among the refugee population,[16] and for refugees who are homosexual or transgender.[17]

Koch, though an advocate for reconciliation between the Church and the LGBT community, denounced the German Bundestag's vote to legalize same-sex marriage on 30 June 2017. He said "As a Church, we respect same-sex partnerships in which mutual responsibility and care are taken" but he argued for maintaining a distinction between same-sex and different-sex relationships: "differentiation isn't discrimination, and same-sex cohabitation can be valued through other institutional arrangements without opening up the legal institute of marriage".[18]

Koch asked forgiveness for the church’s discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation. Homophobia was an “unholy line of tradition” in the Catholic Church, Koch said 17 May during an ecumenical service in the Protestant Twelve Apostles Church.[19]

Notes

  1. ↑ The German language group produced a statement its members endorsed unanimously.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Kirchliche Jugendarbeit unter der Grundperspektive der Befreiung des Menschen zum Sein". Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliotek (in German). Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Erzbischof Dr. Heiner Koch". Erzbistum Berlin (in German). Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Rinunce e Nomine, 17.03.2006" (Press release) (in Italian). Press Office of the Holy See. 17 March 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  4. ↑ "Plans Continue for World Youth Day in Germany". Zenit. 4 April 2005. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Rinunce e Nomine, 18.01.2003" (Press release) (in Italian). Press Office of the Holy See. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  6. ↑ Pongratz-Lippitt, Christa (8 January 2015). "In face of immigration protests, German bishops say churches must promote dialogue". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "Rinunce e nomine, 08.06.2015" (Press release) (in Italian). Press Office of the Holy See. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  8. ↑ Luxmoore, Jonathan (9 June 2015). "German church official says plan for electing bishops follows tradition". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 "Bishop Heiner Koch, a German delegate to Family Synod, appointed Berlin archbishop". Catholic News Agency. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  10. ↑ Pongratz-Lippitt, Christa (10 September 2015). "Marx: Streamlining annulments 'sensible' but doesn't solve problems". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  11. ↑ Wooden, Cindy (9 October 2015). "Synod changes: Making less time for speeches, more time for dialogue". America. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  12. ↑ Gagliarducci, Andrea (12 October 2015). "How the 'shadow council' is trying to influence the Synod on the Family". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  13. ↑ "The German bishops reflect on justice, mercy and love at the Synod on the Family [complete text]". America. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  14. ↑ McElwee, Joshua J. (9 October 2015). "German archbishop: Church's stance on divorce makes people 'doubt God'". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  15. ↑ "Gesellschaft muss sich für die Schwächsten einsetzen" [Society must support the most vulnerable] (Press release) (in German). Deutsche Bischofskonferenz. 11 February 2016. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  16. ↑ Luxmoore, Jonathan (11 March 2016). "Charity urges better protection for Christian refugees in Germany". America. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  17. ↑ "Erzbischof besucht Zentrum für gleichgeschlechtliche Flüchtlinge" [Archbishop visits center for same-sex refugees]. Kath.net (in German). 13 January 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  18. ↑ "German bishops 'regret' same-sex marriage vote". Catholic Herald. Catholic News Service. 1 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  19. ↑ "Berlin archbishop asks forgiveness for homophobia in the church". 18 May 2022.
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