Prepst Thomas Besch leaves Cottbus - who will be his successor?

Prepst Thomas Besch leaves Cottbus - who will be his successor?

In Cottbus it means saying goodbye: after 19 years, Thomas Besch leaves the Catholic community and moves to the diocese management to Görlitz. His farewell service took place on July 6, 2025 and attracted numerous believers. The 64-year-old had been a pastor for the large community of Cottbus since 2021 and had previously served as a provost of the municipality of St. Maria Peace Queen. Thomas Besch was an active sponsor of various initiatives, including the academy and blessing celebrations for non -baptized young people. In emotional moments he received gifts that should record his traces in the community, including a must-have: a book full of memories and a colorful stole.

In particular, the sales speech of Protestant superintendent Georg Thimme emphasized the importance of ecumenism in the container. Through his interventions, he strengthened the connection between the different faiths and promoted ecumenical coexistence. In the face of this valuable experience, the new provost, Daniel Laske, will succeed from August 25, 2025, while pastor Christoph Lamm and Kaplan Roland Pisarek will look after the community until then.

a change with tradition

The decision to choose Thomas Besch as a new cathedral propstation was made on June 25, 2025. Dr. Alfred Hoffmann, who is currently a pastor of Hoyerswerda, remains in the office of the bishop at the request of the bishop. From July 1, 2025, the change will not only be deputy vicar of general, but also Dompropst in Görlitz. The solemn introduction as a cathedral propstation is planned for September 21, 2025 in the St. Jakobus Cathedral. This tradition of the handover is deeply anchored in the region's life and testifies to the continuity within the diocese management.

What is important in the Catholic Church and the whole world is ecumenical opening. The headquarters here is the second Vatican Council, which took place between 1962 and 1965 and is considered a kind of "Copernican turn" in the Catholic Church. It led to the church opened more and more other denominations and actively participated in the ecumenical movement. Against this background, the in -depth cooperation between the churches is of central importance. The dynamics of the shared search for unit have noticeably changed particularly in denominational divided countries like Germany.

the ecumenism in change

The decree "Unitatis Redintegratio", adopted on November 21, 1964, set the Catholic principles for ecumenism and emphasizes the importance of dialogue between the religious communities. Even if young people are less familiar with these topics these days, ecumenical cooperation remains an essential element of Christian unity. The Catholic Church, not a member of the World Church Council (ÖRK), is always looking for the theological dialogue and emphasizes that the visible unity is still a common goal between the denominations.

The era of Thomas Vesch is not only seen as his personal farewell, but also as part of a greater movement towards an integrative and uniform church that focuses on dialogue and cooperation between the faith communities. A strong step to tackle the challenges of today.

The next few months will promise to be exciting, both for the municipality in Cottbus and for the diocese management in Görlitz. Stay tuned for the next developments!