In the bishop's message "Courage to hope", published at the weekend, he calls on Catholics to believe in the future of the church despite dwindling membership numbers.
"Even if we as a church are becoming smaller and fewer in number, I am not giving up hope that with the right attitude we can continue to be effective in the future. It is not the numbers that are decisive, but the attitude of wanting to give hope to as many people as possible."
During his visits to the archdiocese in recent months, many people have told him of their concerns about what is no longer possible in their local communities, said Bentz.
"Frustration about the dwindling relevance of the church. Helplessness about how to deal with it." Added to this is uncertainty and fear in the face of political and social crises: Wars, economic worries, crumbling cohesion in society as well as populist will-o'-the-wisps with unspeakable messages. In this situation, it is important to take "courage to hope", said Bentz. "Even today, God will not abandon us. He still cares for us today."
Responsibility for the common good
"A hopeful person does not wait in the face of fate," said the archbishop. "The gap between reality as it is and hope as it could be from God should be our motivation to commit ourselves to living differently." Christian hope also includes a willingness to take responsibility for society, future generations and the common good. "Our place is not the sacristy, but the world."
Bentz also appealed to Catholics not to close their eyes to "where we actually stand in the Archdiocese of Paderborn". In view of the declining number of full-time chaplains and volunteers, the question must be: "What works and what has long been difficult or - if we are honest - no longer works at all." Now is the time for an inventory in the parishes, committees and associations. "But let's not numb the grief over the loss that comes with it."
Bentz, who comes from the diocese of Mainz, succeeded Hans-Josef Becker as Archbishop of Paderborn in March.
Around 1.3 million Catholics live in the East Westphalian archdiocese.