Gerhard Feige

His Excellency

Gerhard Feige
Bishop of Magdeburg
Gerhard Feige
DioceseDiocese of Magdeburg
Appointed23 February 2005
Installed16 April 2005
PredecessorLeopold Nowak
Other post(s)Auxiliary Bishop of Magdeburg
Orders
Ordination1 July 1978
by Hans-Georg Braun
Consecration11 September 1999
by Leopold Nowak
Personal details
Born (1951-11-19) November 19, 1951 (age 72)
NationalityGerman
SignatureGerhard Feige's signature
Coat of armsGerhard Feige's coat of arms

Gerhard Feige (born 19 November 1951) is a German prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Magdeburg since 2005. Feige previously was the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Magdeburg from 1999 to 2005.

Biography

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Early life

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George Feige was born born in Halle, East Germany.[citation needed]

Priesthood

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Feige was ordained a priest on 1 July 1978 for the Diocese of Magdeburg and worked in Salzwedel. He promoted and worked as a teacher of church history, patrology and study of eastern churches.[citation needed]

Episcopacy

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On 11 September 1999 he was appointed titular bishop of Tisedi and an auxiliary bishop of Magdeburg. On 23 February 2005, he was appointed bishop of Magdeburg and installed on 16 April 2005. He succeeded Leo Nowak.[citation needed]

Since 2004, Feige has served as one of two co-chairmen of the Saint Irenaeus Joint Orthodox-Catholic Working Group, an ecumenical group of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologians—clerics and lay people—which promotes unity and investigates the differences between these Christian traditions.[1]

Feige is a member of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and a chairman of the Ecumenical Commission of the German Bishops' Conference.[2][3]

Views

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When asked about the potential ordination of women in January 2019, Feige said that the question remained open while recognizing that such a path is unlikely. He added that there is a possibility for married clergy in the Roman Catholic Church, as witnessed by the sacramental dignity of married Orthodox priests.[4]

In January 2020, Feige, the then-head of the German bishops' commission on ecumenism, voiced skepticism about a recent proposal by German theologians to give Protestants the ability to receive Communion in Catholic churches.[5]

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References

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  1. ^ "Working Group St. Irenaeus". Johann-Adam-Möhler-Institute for Ecumenism in Paderborn. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  2. ^ Eenboom, Björn. "Sterben ist keine Komödie" [Dying isn't a Comedy]. Cicero (in German). Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Members and Consultors". Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  4. ^ Katholisch.de: Bischof Feige: Priesterweihe für Frauen wird kommen
  5. ^ "German bishop dampens hopes of shared Communion". Catholic News Service. January 9, 2020. Retrieved Jan 14, 2020.