As deacon he was assigned to Sankt Wendel. He was ordained a priest in Trier on 18 July 1987 by Bishop Hermann Josef Spital [de].[5] He worked as assistant priest (Kaplan) at the pilgrimage church Maria Heimsuchung in Klausen and in the parish of St. Josef [de] in Koblenz until 1990. He then was vice-rector (Subregens) of the Trier major seminary until 1996.[6] That same year he received his doctorate and became rector (Regens) of the seminary.[3][7] One of his functions was the organization of the Heilig-Rock-Wallfahrt in Trier in 2012, a pilgrimage to the most important relic of the Trier Cathedral, the seamless robe of Jesus, which was displayed in the cathedral from 13 April 2012 for the first time since 1996.[8]
In May 2023 Cardinal Parolin, Cardinal Ouellet and Cardinal Ladaria Ferrer wrote a letter to Batzing as chairman of the German Bishops on the Synodal Way. It stated that the German bishops “are not empowered to create a governing or decision-making synodal assembly” made up of clergy and laity.
[10]
In 2021 he, told KNA on that he was “not happy” that the Vatican had now decided to participate so determinedly in the debate on blessings for homosexual couples. He added that “It suggests that one wants to end the ongoing controversial theological discussions [on the subject] in various parts of the World Church, including in Germany, as soon as possible,”[17]
In May 2022, Bätzing expressed disappointment that Pope Francis had not changed the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding homosexuality and women's ordination. Citing the public departure of Andreas Sturm, the former vicar general of the Diocese of Speyer who had left the Roman Catholic Church to join the German Old Catholic Church, Bätzing said that he too would consider leaving the church if he "got the impression that nothing would ever change."[19]
In November 2022, Bätzing spoke at a news conference at the end of a week of talks between Pope Francis and Vatican officials on one side, and all of Germany's bishops on the other. Their focus was on the progressive Synodal Path, a series of conferences of the Catholic Church in Germany to discuss a range of contemporary theological and organizational questions concerning the Catholic Church, as well as possible reactions to the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church in Germany. "As far as the ordination of women is concerned, for example, (the Vatican's) view is very clear, that the question is closed. But the question exists and it has to be elaborated on and discussed," Bätzing said. "All these questions are on the table (of the German Synodal Path) and all attempts to cancel them will not have success," he said. "Popes have tried to say the question (of women priests) is closed but the fact is that the question exists. Many young women say 'a church that refuses all of this cannot be my church in the long run.'"[20]
Publications
Doctoral dissertation:
Kirche im Werden. Ekklesiologische Aspekte des Läuterungsgedankens, Trierer theologische Studien 56, Trier: Paulinus, 1996, ISBN978-3-7902-1284-6
Spiritual writings and published homilies
Die Eucharistie als Opfer der Kirche (1986)
Suchbewegungen (2000)
Helfer im Einsatz Gottes (2001)
Der Kreuzweg Jesu Christi (2003)
Bleib doch bei uns, Herr (2005)
Das Leben ausloten (2006)
Gott der kleinen Leute (2007)
Es gibt keine größere Liebe (2007)
Nachgefragt. Hilfen zum Verständnis des christlichen Glaubens (2008)
Beten üben. Anleitung zu einer christlichen Gebetspraxis (2009)
Das Trierer Christusgebet. Entstehung, Auslegung und Praxis eines Elementes bistumseigener Gebetstradition (2010)
Jesus Christus, Heiland und Erlöser. Impulse auf dem Weg der Erlösung (2011)
^ abCNA (2022-03-04). "German bishops' leader calls for change to Catechism on sexuality". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2022-03-09. Bishop Georg Bätzing agreed with the journalist's assertion that "no one" adhered to the Church's teaching that sexuality should only be practiced within marriage, saying: "That's true. And we have to somewhat change the Catechism on this matter. Sexuality is a gift from God. And not a sin."