in 1975, he was elected titular bishop of vina and auxiliary bishop to the apostolic administrator erfurt-meiningen. he was elected as a delegate to the fourth synod of bishops at the vatican in 1977, where he renewed a friendship with karol wojtyła, who in 1980 as pope john paul ii appointed meisner bishop of berlin and made him cardinal-priest of santa pudenziana in the consistory of 2 february 1983.