Matthias Heinrich

Auxiliary Bishop Heinrich at confirmation in Berlin-Spandau, Maria, Hilfe der Christisten (2016)

Coat of arms of the auxiliary bishop

Matthias Heinrich (born June 26, 1954 in Berlin ) is a German Roman Catholic clergyman and auxiliary bishop in Berlin .

Life

After studying Catholic theology and philosophy at the Theological Faculty of Paderborn Heinrich was born on 22 November 1980 on the deacon and on 20 June 1981 by Joachim Meisner for priests ordained . After years of chaplaincy at St. Bonifatius in Berlin-Kreuzberg , Matthias Heinrich was appointed cathedral vicar in 1984 , worked as a youth pastor in the western part of the diocese of Berlin and was responsible for vocational pastoral care. In 1985 he became the regens of the Berlin seminary . From 1989 Heinrich studied canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University and in 1998 he wrote his dissertation The understanding of authority in the insular penitential literature. An investigation into the legal legitimation and the legal character of non-continental penitentials for Dr. iur. can. PhD . During his time in Rome, Heinrich was also Vice Rector of the Priestly College at Campo Santo Teutonico . After his return to Berlin, he was appointed a full professor in 1998 . From 2003 to 2012 he headed the Archdiocese's personnel department as Episcopal Vicar . In 2004 he became a canon of the Metropolitan Chapter of St. Hedwig's Cathedral appointed.

On February 18, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Matthias Heinrich as titular bishop of Thibaris and auxiliary bishop in Berlin. At the same time, the retirement of the previous auxiliary bishop in Berlin, Wolfgang Weider , was announced in April. The episcopal ordination received his Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky on April 19 of that year in the St. Hedwig's Cathedral; Co- consecrators were the Archbishop of Cologne , Cardinal Joachim Meisner, and the Berlin Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Wolfgang Weider. On the occasion of his appointment, Matthias Heinrich chose the episcopal motto Illum oportet crescere (“He must grow”), which comes from the Gospel of John ( Joh 3,30  EU ).

From February 24, 2011 until the inauguration of Berlin's new Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki on August 27, 2011, Heinrich initially managed the official business of the Archdiocese of Berlin on a provisional basis in accordance with the provisions of canon law , until the cathedral chapter elected him diocesan administrator on February 28, 2011 . Effective March 1, 2012, Auxiliary Bishop Heinrich relinquished the management of the personnel department and took over the official position of Tobias Przytarski , who was appointed vicar general . Archbishop Heiner Koch confirmed him as an official and appointed him, with effect from December 1, 2015, as episcopal vicar for ecumenism .

At the German Bishops' Conference , Matthias Heinrich is a member of the liturgy commission , the commission for social issues and the migration commission .

See also

• List of auxiliary bishops in Berlin

Web links

Commons : Matthias Heinrich  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Entry to Matthias Heinrich on catholic-hierarchy.org
• Press release from the Archdiocese of Berlin

Individual evidence

1. ^ Rinuncia di Ausiliare di Berlin (Germania) e Nomina di nuovo Ausiliare , in: Press Office of the Holy See: Daily Bulletin of February 18, 2009.
2. ↑ Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Matthias Heinrich elected diocesan administrator. In: press release. Archdiocese of Berlin, February 28, 2011, accessed on September 22, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Personnel changes in the diocese leadership. In: press release. Archdiocese of Berlin, February 7, 2012, accessed on September 22, 2019 . 
4. ^ Auxiliary Bishop Heinrich becomes Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenism. In: press release. Archdiocese of Berlin, January 8, 2016, accessed on September 22, 2019 . 
5. ^ German Bishops' Conference: Press release of September 20, 2016 - No. 175