Change in leadership in the largest German diocese: Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki from Cologne will start his announced “spiritual break” on Tuesday.
As a so-called Apostolic Administrator, Auxiliary Bishop Rolf Steinhäuser will take over the management of the diocese until March 1, 2022.
The Archdiocese of Cologne announced on Monday that a decree from Rome would be officially published on Tuesday.
With the appointment, Cologne - Steinhäuser will receive all relevant rights and obligations.
The personnel regulation was announced in September.
Woelki's position had previously been considered uncertain after the Pope dispatched two plenipotentiaries to investigate the situation in the Cologne diocese, which is in crisis.
The trigger of the crisis was originally Woelki's refusal to publish an expert opinion commissioned by himself on how diocese officials dealt with allegations of abuse.
He gave legal reasons for this.
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In the end, the Vatican defended the cardinal against the accusation that it had covered up deficits in dealing with sexual abuse.
Woelki stayed in office.
Above all "at the level of communication", the cardinal also made "big mistakes", according to the Vatican.
Woelki explained that he had proposed "spiritual time out" to the Pope himself.
After her he wants to return to his office.
According to the diocese, Steinhäuser has now received two priority tasks from Rome.
On the one hand, it is supposed to ensure the "proper administration of the archdiocese".
On the other hand, he should ensure "that the entire archdiocese embarks on an inner path of conversion, reconciliation and renewal".
Steinhäuser wrote in a greeting: "Dear sisters and brothers, anyone who has experienced and suffered the situation in the Archdiocese of Cologne in the past few months will feel that this is the real challenge, perhaps even the overwhelming demands of everyone involved." Dpa