Auxiliary Bishop Eberlein is retiring at the age of 75: a farewell full of gratitude

Auxiliary Bishop Eberlein is retiring at the age of 75: a farewell full of gratitude

On October 25, 2025, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Horst Eberlein. A crucial day for Eberlein, as he turns 75 on this date and, according to church protocol, traditionally offers his resignation to the Pope. This regulation is anchored in the Code of Canon Law, which states that bishops are asked to submit their resignation after their 75th birthday, which Eberlein did a few months ago. This was released by the Vatican at 12 p.m. and Archbishop Stefan Heße thanked Eberlein for his many years of service to the Archdiocese of Hamburg.

Horst Eberlein, born in Walsleben in 1950 and raised in Dobbertin, was ordained a priest in Waren an der Müritz in 1977. However, he had not previously felt called to be an auxiliary bishop. It was only in January 2017, during a vacation on the Baltic Sea, that he was contacted by Pope Francis and received the appointment, which he received on March 25, 2017 through his episcopal ordination in St. Mary's Cathedral in Hamburg. During his term in office, Eberlein had to struggle with challenges such as the corona pandemic and dealing with sexual abuse cases in the church, which shaped his work.

A new section

After the acceptance of his resignation request, Eberlein will continue to be active in giving confirmation in the parishes. Vicar General Father Sascha-Philipp Geißler SAC will immediately take over Eberlein's tasks in the areas of ecumenism, interreligious dialogue and spiritual accompaniment for Caritas. Pastor Tobias Sellenschlo will also take part in the meetings of the deacon council, while Regens Johannes Zehe is responsible for the training of the permanent diaconate. However, the appointment of a new auxiliary bishop will take some time, as Heße has already sought suggestions from various people in the diocese.

In a final personal audience with the Pope a few days ago, Archbishop Heße accompanied Eberlein, which once again underlined the significance of his resignation. This transition will also be noticeable for the faithful of the Archdiocese of Hamburg, as Eberlein noted with gratitude in his review of his life. He now plans to devote more time to his family, reading, going to the movies and his natural healing practices, especially fishing.

Farewell at the celebratory service

A celebratory service to say goodbye to Auxiliary Bishop Horst Eberlein is planned for October 31, 2025 at 6:15 p.m. in St. Mary's Cathedral - an event that many believers are already looking forward to. Personal interviews, stories and congratulations to Eberlein are also published on the website of the Archdiocese of Hamburg, which makes clear the community's appreciation and solidarity with its auxiliary bishop.

The decision, which was officially announced by Pope Leo XIV, brings a new chapter in the history of the Archdiocese of Hamburg. Hopefully the new auxiliary bishop will have as good a hand as Eberlein, whose confidence, approachability and warm-hearted nature were appreciated.

Further information is available on the websites of Archdiocese of Hamburg, NDR and Cathedral radio to find.