The Military Ordinariate of Germany is a military ordinariate

Military ordinariate

A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, of Latin or Eastern Rite, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation....

 of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

. Immediately subject to the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

, it provides pastoral care

Pastoral care

Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...

 to Roman Catholics serving in the German Armed Forces

Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...

 and their families.

The current Military Ordinary for Germany is also the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen

Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen

The Diocese of Essen is a bishopric of the Roman Catholic church in Germany, founded on 1 January 1958. The Bishop of Essen is seated in Essen Cathedral , once the church of Essen Abbey, and over one thousand years old....

, His Excellency

Excellency

Excellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...

, the Most Reverend

Most Reverend

The Most Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Roman Catholic Church , all bishops are styled "The Most Reverend", as well as monsignors of the rank of protonotary apostolic de numero.*In the Roman Catholic Church , archbishops are styled "The...

 Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 Franz-Josef Overbeck. He was appointed Bishop of Essen by the Holy Father

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

, His Holiness

His Holiness

His Holiness is the official style or manner of address in reference to the leaders of certain religious groups. In Christianity, specifically the Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, Armenian Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Roman Catholic...

 Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

, in 2009, and was also appointed Military Ordinary for Germany on Thursday, February 24, 2011.

History

The first military bishop was appointment on 22 May 1868. A military vicariate was established on 20 July 1933, but it was not until 7 January 1938 that the first military vicar was appointed. It was elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986. The Episcopal seat

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

 is located at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist Patron of Breslavia (Basilika St. Johannes der Täufer Patron von Breslau) in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

.

Military bishops

• Franz Adolf Namszanowski (appointed 22 May 1868 – resigned 28 May 1872)
• Johann Baptist Assmann (appointed 1 June 1888 – died 27 May 1903)
• Heinrich Vollmar (appointed 9 November 1903 – resigned 1913)
• Heinrich Joeppen (appointed 27 October 1913 – resigned 9 November 1918)
• No military bishops (1918–1933)

Military vicars

• No military vicars (1933–1938)
• Franz Justus Rarkowski, S.M.
  Society of Mary (Marists)
  The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
  
   (appointed 7 January 1938 – resigned 1 February 1945)
• No military vicars (1945–1956)
• Joseph Wendel (appointed 4 February 1956 – died 31 December 1960)
• Franz Hengsbach
  Franz Hengsbach
  Franz Hengsbach was a German Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Essen from 1957 to 1991, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1988.- Biography :...
  
   (appointed 10 October 1961 – resigned 22 May 1978)
• Elmar Maria Kredel (appointed 22 May 1978 – became military ordinary 21 July 1986)

Military ordinaries

• Elmar Maria Kredel (appointed 21 July 1986 – resigned 30 November 1990)
• Johannes Dyba (appointed 30 November 1990 – died 23 July 2000)
• Walter Mixa
  Walter Mixa
  thumb|Walter Mixa Walter Johannes Mixa is a German Catholic priest, and Bishop Emeritus of Augsburg and Ordinary Emeritus of the Bundeswehr. He resigned as Bishop of Augsburg in 2010 due to allegations of fraud and violence towards children who had been in his care.- Biography :Mixa was born in...
  
   (appointed 31 August 2000 – resigned 21 April 2010)
• Franz-Josef Overbeck (appointed 24 February 2011 - )