Similar to the bishop of Bozen-Brixen, now Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau (Germany) – a member of the Salesian Order – has announced that he will suspend any confirmation in his diocese, beginning around 2019. In a period of four years the diocese should find a new model for confirmation of young people.
In Passau the confirmation usually takes place at the age of 11 or 12 (which is younger than in most other German speaking dioceses). According to the Passauer Neue Presse, Bishop Oster aims at a minimum age of 16 for the future and has already discussed this topic with diocesan priests and lay ministers over several months.
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