Regional Bishop Gohl and Synodal President Foth greet Bishop Dr. Gebhard Fürst on his birthday and farewell
On December 2nd, Bishop Dr. Gebhard Fürst (Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart) celebrated his 75th birthday and at the same time his farewell to the episcopate. Regional Bishop Ernst-Wilhelm Gohl and Synod President Sabine Foth congratulate.
Regional Bishop Ernst-Wilhelm Gohl (left) and Bishop Dr. Gebhard Prince.Picture: DRS
In his appreciation, regional bishop Ernst-Wilhelm Gohl lists the many common services, topics and concerns that connect Fürst with the Württemberg regional church and for which he is very grateful: “Bishop Dr. Gebhard Fürst was always ecumenically open-minded. He celebrated a large number of joint services with the Protestant regional churches. A highlight was the reconciliation service with regional bishop Dr. hc Frank Otfried July at the Reformation anniversary 2017 in Biberach. At the Stuttgart Catholic Day in 2022, he ensured that there was a separate focus on ecumenism for the first time. When it came to interdenominational marriages, he was keen to open up a path for participation in the Eucharist. As media bishop, he financially supported the religious education film project “Little People – Big Questions” on interreligious competence in daycare centers, which was initiated by the Evangelical Regional Church. When the EKD Council published its statement on abortion, we jointly advocated maintaining the existing legal regulation and emphasized the importance of protecting unborn life.Given the Catholic understanding of ministry, I find it remarkable that he has now commissioned community leaders to administer the sacrament of baptism, which was previously reserved for priests.”
Sabine Foth, President of the 16th Württemberg Evangelical State Synod, pays tribute to Bishop Fürst as follows: “I warmly congratulate Bishop Gebhard Fürst on behalf of the Württemberg State Synod on his birthday and wish him God’s blessing for the new phase of his life. Bishop Fürst always kept an eye on social changes. By commissioning pastoral and community representatives to conduct baptisms, he continued to work at the end of his term as acting bishop for a church that is close to the people and their longing for personal closeness to God.
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2023-12-02 13:28:21
#ecumenically #openminded
