Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Ludwig Schick, the archbishop of Bamberg, according to the Holy See.
The surprising decision by Schick leaves two bishop posts vacant in Germany.
Generally, bishops offer their resignation to the head of the Catholic Church after reaching the age of 75 and Schick is 73.
The cleric was at the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis at the end of April.
The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, paid tribute to Schick’s work.
“You were a member of the German Bishops’ Conference for almost a quarter of a century and contributed with commitment.
“You played a major role in shaping debates and were our safe authority in all questions of church law,” a letter from the DBK said.