Stephan Ackermann

The Right Reverend Stephan Ackermann
Bishop of Trier
File:Stephan Ackermann.jpg Bishop of Trier Stephan Ackermann
Church	Roman Catholic
Diocese	Diocese of Trier
Appointed	8 April 2009
Installed	24 May 2009
Predecessor	Reinhard Marx
Orders
Ordination	10 October 1987 by Georg Moser
Consecration	14 May 2006 by Reinhard Marx
Personal details
Born	(1963-03-20) 20 March 1963 Mayen Germany
Nationality	German
Motto	In Lumine Tuo Domine
Coat of arms

Stephan Ackermann (born March 20, 1963, in Mayen) is a German bishop. He was appointed Bishop of Trier (or Treves) in the Moselle area of Germany, in 2009.

Early Life

The eldest of two childern and son of Helmy and Hermann, Ackermann grew up in Nickenich. His father was a church books and souvenirs merchant and his mother a sales assistant in the Maria Laach Abbey gift shop. Ackerman was educated at secondary school level in Andernach.

Episcopate

After only months in the episcopate, Ackermann appointed the South African Eifel priest Stefan Hippler in the archdiocese of Cape Town; Hippler where he would be involved in the development and expansion of aid projects for AIDS-infected people - on behalf of the local archbishop. In the German Bishops' Conference, he became chairman of the Liturgy Commission the Universal Church Commission. [8]

Parish Abolishment and Clergy Role reformation Plan

Bishop Ackermann has announced that the diocese will be closing almost all of its parishes, reducing 903 parishes and all relevant organizations to 35 new regional authorities. The parishes of the future will have nothing in common with the parish concept “but the name”. . The new entities will include limitation to the duties of the clergy and the introduction of lay people duties. According to Ackermann's plan, Lay people will have the right to make decisions and lead "traditional and new worship forms" and "there'll continue to be a priest who takes overall responsibility, but tasks and duties will also be distributed by the team — so there'll be less emphasis on the clergy's leadership, and more on its priestly and pastoral functions" .

Diocese Synod

On June 29, 2012, Bishop Ackermann proclaimed a diocesan synod that was constituted on 13 and 14 December 2013. It was the first synod in the diocese of Trier for almost 50 years.

Child Abuse Controversy

While being the German Bishops Conference's spokesman on child abuse issues he encouraged victims of child abuse to come forward but later refused to actively pursue investigations or impose harsh penalties . Ackermann had to issue a public apology after failing to immediately suspend a suspected pedophile priest in 2011 yet ignored press revelations about seven other cases of priests in the bishop's diocese who are suspected of having abused minors . In January 2011, the police informed his office that a pastor from Saarbrücken, the state capital, had allegedly abused minors. According to the guidelines of the German Bishops' Conference, prompt action must be taken in such suspected cases, and the priest in question can be suspended until the accusations have been cleared up. But, despite these guidelines, and despite his status as the Church's spokesman on abuse issues, Ackermann allowed one suspected pedophile to remain in office. The priest continued to celebrate Mass and even held a dedication ceremony for a Catholic kindergarten in the summer. In the fall, another ceremony was held to mark his 70th birthday.