The 62-year-old is to support the Hamburg archbishop in the leadership of the diocese in the future.
Hesse called on Zehe in his sermon to be a witness to the Gospel and messenger of peace as a bishop. The episcopal ministry is only viable and understandable in fidelity to Jesus Christ, the archbishop said.
The bishop is not ordained a manager or board member of a religious corporation, but as a witness to the resurrection.
With a view to the Gospel of the disciples sitting behind closed doors after the death of Jesus, Hesse warned of fear as the basic attitude of the Church. "With fear, you don't move anything at all," he said. Where Jesus steps into the middle, however, community, confidence and dynamism arise. The bishop is not only sent to Catholics, but to all people. Toe should bring peace "into all corners of our diocese and the whole world."
Politicians also present
The service was also attended by members of the state governments and parliaments from Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as well as representatives of other denominations and religions.
Among them were the Hamburg bishop Kirsten Fehrs as well as the bishops Felix Genn and Heinrich Timmerevers.
Pope Leo XIV had appointed Zehe as auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Hamburg at the end of June. The Mecklenburg native succeeds the Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop Horst Eberlein, who had been retired in October 2025.
The tasks of an auxiliary bishop include the donation of the confirmation. In addition, he represents the archbishop on church and social occasions and assumes pastoral tasks.
Toe was born in 1963 in Neustrelitz. Before studying theology, he studied music in Berlin, worked as a violin teacher and played in the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Theatre Stralsund. In 1999 he was ordained a priest in Hamburg.
He then worked in Neubrandenburg and Lübeck, among others. Most recently, he was responsible for the priestly formation of the Archdiocese as a rain – a task that he should continue to do in the future.
The Archdiocese of Hamburg includes the approximately 330,000 Catholics in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg. It is the largest diocese in Germany in terms of area.