Mainz, Germany, Mar 4, 2020 / 11:30 am
The secretary of the German bishops' conference has been reelected to his position, despite announcing last week that he was not a candidate to remain in the role.
Jesuit Father Hans Langendörfer was returned in office by the German bishops on Tuesday, during their spring assembly, currently meeting in the city of Mainz. The priest had said he was stepping down to allow a younger person to fill the role.
On Feb. 26, Langendörfer announced that "I have come to the conclusion that it is now a good time to hand this position over to younger hands," and suggested that a layperson could fill the role.
Several media outlets in Germany speculated that many in the conference, including Langendörfer, hoped that a woman would be elected to fill the position, which plays a key organizational role in the ongoing "synodal process" being conducted by the German bishops' conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK).