Heiner Wilmer installed as Bishop of Mnster, signals break with churchs past

Heiner Wilmer was installed as Bishop of Münster on Sunday, 21 June 2026, in a ceremony at the diocesan cathedral, marking the start of a pastoral leadership that immediately signalled a break with the church’s recent history. The installation, reported by the *Süddeutsche Zeitung* , followed his formal appointment on the same day by the Holy See, which the *Zeit* described as an explicit appeal against exclusion and a call for greater inclusion within the diocese .

Wilmer, a 62-year-old theologian and former provincial superior of the German Jesuits, succeeds Bishop Felix Genn, who retired in May after reaching the canonical age limit. The installation Mass was concelebrated by Cardinal Reinhard Marx and Bishop Genn, with representatives from the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia in attendance. In his homily, Wilmer emphasised the need for the church to confront its past failures of inclusion, particularly regarding victims of abuse and those marginalised by gender or sexual orientation. “We must name the wounds and begin the healing,” he told the congregation of clergy, laity, and civic leaders.

The appointment comes at a time of deepening polarisation within German Catholicism, where progressive and traditionalist factions have clashed over issues such as blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples and the role of women in ministry. Wilmer’s predecessor had adopted a cautious, consensus-driven approach, but the new bishop has signalled a readiness to engage more openly with reform movements. His installation sermon referenced the Second Vatican Council and called for a “synodal church that listens before it speaks.”

In a parallel development in Potsdam, 13 female city councillors from the Green and Left parties have publicly opposed plans to relocate the Steuben monument to a prominent site in front of the state parliament building. In a statement carried by the *Tagesspiegel*, they described the move as “uncritical glorification of 18th-century military discipline” and part of a “patriarchal cult of monuments from the 19th century” . The councillors argue that the statue, which commemorates Baron von Steuben’s role in the American Revolutionary War, should remain in its current location in the city park. The debate reflects broader tensions in Germany over historical memory, particularly regarding militarism and colonial legacies.

Meanwhile, in Oslo, residents have reacted with dismay after the Labour Party secured approval to sell up to 1,500 municipal apartments in eastern districts, a move critics say will accelerate gentrification and displace long-term tenants. The *Aftenposten* reports that affected residents have organised protests, with one resident quoted as saying, “I will not live on the west side” . The policy, part of a wider housing reform package, has been hailed by Labour as a way to reduce public debt but condemned by housing activists as socially regressive.

In Potsdam’s Krampnitz district, more than 500 prospective buyers have registered interest in the first 100 apartments due for completion in November, despite the absence of a planned tram connection. The *Tagesspiegel* reports that a model apartment and a new supermarket are already open, with a primary school and kindergarten operational since the start of the year . The project, one of the largest housing developments in eastern Germany, is seen as a test case for sustainable urban expansion.