Pope Leo XIV accepts early resignation of Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of Dresden-Meissen
Heinrich Timmerevers, bishop of the eastern German diocese of Dresden-Meissen for the past 10 years, asked to step down a year before the retirement age set by canon law, citing declining physical strength
Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Heinrich Timmerevers as bishop of Dresden-Meissen, in eastern Germany, on September 2, 2026. Timmerevers, who had asked the Vatican to relieve him months earlier, chose to leave a year before turning 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation. He said the many responsibilities and challenges of the office had demanded a great deal of energy, and that this was the right time to hand over the leadership to someone younger.
Over the past two years, Timmerevers said, his physical strength has steadily declined, and he needs more time to rest and recover if he is to meet the demands of the diocese. "I decided to place the leadership of our diocese of Dresden-Meissen, which over these ten years has become very dear to me, in younger hands," he said in his official statement. The resignation took effect immediately, leaving the see vacant while the canonical process to choose his successor begins.
The decision was not sudden. Timmerevers had been in constant contact with the Holy See for several months before making his resignation public. During a personal audience with Leo XIV at the Vatican, he set out in detail his personal and pastoral reasons for asking to be relieved.
Resignation follows 10th anniversary in Dresden-Meissen
Timmerevers had recently marked the 10th anniversary of his arrival in the diocese of Dresden-Meissen. A large event had been planned to mark his 25 years as a bishop, an anniversary due to fall soon.
Days before the announcement, on August 27, Timmerevers took part in a public event alongside Hubertus van Megen, the new apostolic nuncio to Germany. It was not known at the time that his resignation was about to be made public, and the event was reported as ordinary diocesan business, with no sign of an imminent change in leadership.
A decade of service
Heiner Wilmer, president of the German Bishops' Conference, said he regretted the resignation and pointed to Timmerevers's deep commitment to people and his consistent dedication to the diocese over a decade. "You have always put people first, you have told their stories and shared their moments of faith," Wilmer said in a statement from the conference.
Wilmer said the resignation was a "great loss" both for the diocese of Dresden-Meissen and for the German Bishops' Conference, in which Timmerevers has taken an active part for 25 years. He acknowledged the bishop's record and his role in the life of the Church in Germany, and said he respected his decision to retire early for reasons of health and pastoral renewal.
