Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen, Germany, has given permission for women to perform Baptisms.

The bishop commission 18 lay ministers, including 17 women, to perform Baptisms, explaining that the shortage of priests made the move necessary.

Church law stipulates that only an ordained minister—a priest or deacon—is the ordinary minister for Baptism. However the bishop can authorize another person to perform the ceremony if a priest is not available, and in an emergency anyone can baptize.