However, Heiner Wilmer, the new chairman of the German Catholic Bishops' Conference, is calling for unity and dialogue.
The new chairman of the Catholic German Bishops Conference, Heiner Wilmer, is four days older than his predecessor, Georg Bätzing: almost 65 years old.
But Bishop Wilmer of Hildesheim, a town in northern Germany known for its historic churches, is different from most of the 55 German bishops.
At his first appearance, Wilmer appeared more dynamic and younger than his predecessor, Bätzing, despite being almost the same age.
Bätzing and Wilmer belong to the younger half of the 25 bishops currently serving in Germany.