Disgraced German bishop claims he resigned months before marrying

German Bishop Reinhold Nann, 65, former Prelate of Caravelí in Peru, has claimed that he stepped down from his position months before marrying, even though the Vatican has not formally released him from his clerical obligations.

Writing on his personal blog, Bishop Nann said he “resigned from episcopal and priestly ministry 13 or 9 months before getting married.” 

He stressed that his decision should not be seen as a rejection of priestly celibacy. “I think that’s a misinterpretation. I’m not against it; it just didn’t work out for me,” he wrote. He went on to claim that “tens of thousands” of priests worldwide are secretly in relationships, arguing that the rule of mandatory celibacy is driving many away from ministry.

“If the Catholic Church continues to staunchly defend celibacy in theory, it will simply lose a large part of its personnel in practice very soon,” he warned.

Bishop Nann also questioned the historical roots of the rule, saying it had only been required for about half of the Church’s history. “It’s not a mandate from Jesus but from a 12th-century pope,” he said.

Recalling his own experience, he revealed that during his seven years as bishop he ordained three priests and two deacons but had to suspend four clerics for misconduct. “Of a total of 16 priests, this represents 25 per cent,” he wrote. “Telling the truth isn’t harming the Church but rather calling it to open its eyes to reality and finally react.”

The new comments follow Bishop Nann’s earlier admission, reported by the Catholic Herald, that he married a Peruvian woman in a civil ceremony despite still being ordained. In 2024, the Vatican accepted his resignation from the Caravelí prelature.

At the time, Bishop Nann cited poor health, including depression and high blood pressure, as reasons for stepping down. He has since admitted that his personal relationship was the true cause. “Depression was the reason; love was the cause,” he told the German Catholic news agency KNA.

His relationship reportedly developed after the Covid-19 pandemic, a period during which he said he felt “increasingly lonely and superficial.” He has since blamed institutional failures within the Church for what he described as a growing sense of isolation and disillusionment.

Despite his resignation being accepted, Bishop Nann has not been formally laicised, a process that would return him to lay status and allow him to marry within the Church. As a result, his relationship with a woman is a breach of his priestly celibacy.

The case has reignited debate within the Latin-rite Church about priestly celibacy, particularly in Germany and Latin America, where shortages of clergy and changing cultural attitudes have led to renewed calls for reform. While the Church continues to uphold celibacy as a sign of undivided service to God, critics argue that the discipline has contributed to burnout, loneliness, and the departure of many priests from ministry.

Related: German bishop admits civil marriage while remaining ordained

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