He himself calls it a “strong signal”: a man with non‑European roots serving as a Catholic bishop in Germany. This Sunday, Carmelite Father Joshy Pottackal, originally from India, is to be consecrated as a bishop in Mainz Cathedral and will serve as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Mainz in western Germany.
Since his appointment in November 2025, Pottackal, now 48, has often heard people of immigrant background exclaim, “At last!” He believes they mean that “now it’s acknowledged that they, too, belong to the Catholic Church in Germany.” For him, that recognition is a “wonderful motivation,” especially given how many Christians in Germany have a migration history.
For the Diocese of Mainz, his consecration marks the long‑awaited appointment of an auxiliary bishop who can help lighten the diocesan bishop’s workload. The English term “auxiliary bishop” (German: Weihbischof) simply means a bishop who assists. Until March 1, Pottackal served as a personnel officer in the diocese. In future he will visit parishes, administer confirmations and represent the church.
This is a historic step for the Catholic Church in Germany. Until now, those who became Catholic bishops in Germany typically came from a conventional German middle‑class background. Pottackal is the first bishop in Germany to have been born outside Europe.
Among Catholics in Germany, the picture has long been diverse. According to the German Bishops’ Conference, around 3.4 million Catholics in the country hold at least one foreign citizenship out of a total of just under 20 million. Many dioceses estimate how many of their faithful speak a language other than German at home: the Archdiocese of Cologne puts the share at about one‑fifth, while the dioceses of Fulda and Mainz each estimate around 25%. In Limburg the figure is nearly 35%.
As the number of young men in Germany who feel called to the priesthood continues to fall, more clergy and members of religious orders are invited by German dioceses or arrive on their own. Several hundred come from India, with a similar number from various African countries. Recently, a group of Indian religious sisters founded a new convent in the Diocese of Münster.
Pottackal explains that the Indian province of the Carmelite Order was originally founded by German Carmelites. Now he, like other Indian members of the order, has found himself serving in Germany. He even refers to Germany as a “mission country.”
Pottackal has lived in Germany for more than 20 years. To many in the diocese, he is simply Father Joshy. He holds a German passport and knows the social climate well. “At a time when society is polarized and people with a migration background often face headwinds, this is a strong signal,” he says of his appointment. The church is showing that diversity matters, Pottackal adds — and that it, too, reflects Germany as a country shaped by immigration.
Peter Kohlgraf, the bishop of Mainz who recommended Pottackal for the role of auxiliary bishop, called the appointment “a strong and important sign for our times” when he introduced him in November 2025. “The Catholic Church is a global Church,” Kohlgraf said. “There are no strangers in this Church.” In the same spirit, Pope Leo XIV — himself an American priest with long pastoral experience in Peru — has appointed several bishops with migration backgrounds since his election in May 2025.
What can parishes in Germany learn from a bishop with migration experience? Joshy Pottackal answers without hesitation: “Flexibility.” He contrasts the typical German parish festival, planned six months ahead with everything written down and carried out precisely, with Indian practice, where long‑term planning is uncommon and things are handled more loosely “with calmness and trust in God.”
He points to parish festivals along the Neckar where he served as pastor: one stall offering Polish food, another Indian food. Even in rural parishes, he says, the international character of the Church is unmistakable and integration is no longer an issue in church life. Within the Church environment in Germany, he has never felt excluded, though in everyday situations — in shops, for example — he has occasionally felt uncertain.
Pottackal recalls mission areas in India where people are grateful simply to have a tent in which to celebrate Mass. “No one asks how many steps a sanctuary should have, or whether the altar is made of wood or stone,” he says. “Those are typically German questions.” For people unsure what they will eat the next evening, such details simply don’t matter. Faith, he insists, is not about outward appearances; it means living together as a community and celebrating God.
His own bishop’s staff is made of wood rather than a more precious material; wood is also used in his pectoral cross and bishop’s ring — a modest expression of his values.
Pottackal will not move into a bishop’s residence. Even as an auxiliary bishop, he will remain a Carmelite and continue living in the Carmelite monastery in downtown Mainz, the order he joined at age 15. For him, the monastery is “the family.” Eight fellow brothers currently live and pray there. “I can’t even imagine living alone in a bishop’s residence,” he says. He is grateful that the bishop and the diocese immediately understood his wish to remain in the monastery — “that is where I feel at home.”
This article was originally written in German.