Bishop Georg Bätzing marks ten years in Limburg

Bishop Georg Bätzing is marking ten years since his consecration as the Bishop of Limburg on September 18, 2016. Bätzing took office during a period of significant crisis for the diocese following the tenure of his predecessor, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, whose spending on a 31-million-euro episcopal residence caused a major loss of trust among the faithful.

Bätzing has focused his leadership on transparency and rebuilding trust through direct engagement with the community. His tenure has included the publication of independent studies regarding sexual abuse and the establishment of the project ‘Betroffene hören – Missbrauch verhindern’ (Listening to victims – preventing abuse).

In addition to his role in Limburg, Bätzing served as the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference starting in 2020 and has been a prominent figure in the ‘Synodal Way’, a reform process within the Catholic Church.