Church Departures Remain Elevated in Germany
The Catholic Church in Germany is still reeling from last year's record-breaking departure of half a million Catholics, but what's the current state of affairs?
Despite 2022's substantial negative record among German Catholics, the number of individuals leaving their religious communities in 2023 has not seen a significant increase, according to city and municipal surveys. Although tens of thousands opted to abandon the church in the current year, surpassing 2022's record appears unlikely.
Munich and Berlin
In Munich, 19,081 Catholics turned away from their religious communities by December 15, marking a decline from the previous year's figure of about 26,000. The city's statistics office reported that number upon request. In contrast, Berlinites somewhat decreased their church departures, recording 16,708 individuals by the end of September. The figure was significantly higher in the same period last year, with 18,018 individuals deciding to end their religious affiliation. Of those, 9,699 Protestants and 6,876 Catholics departed their parishes.
Frankfurt and Cologne
Frankfurt am Main witnessed a decline in departures from its religious communities, with 7,201 individuals leaving in 2023, compared to 9,155 in 2022. Simultaneously, Cologne experienced a significant decrease in church departures.
Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia
A survey of cities in the Baden-Württemberg region reveals a continuing decline in membership. Even in Freiburg, a region heavily affected by the scandal surrounding Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, the departure number decreased from 3,698 to 3,149. In Düsseldorf, 5,172 Catholics and 3,469 Protestants left the church through December 19, compared to 6,211 Catholics and 3,338 Protestants in 2022.
National Context and Impact
In 2022, the Catholic German Bishops' Conference reported a staggering decrease in church membership: 522,821 Catholics left their churches. Protestants reported a total of 380,000 individuals leaving their churches nationwide in 2022.
Although main developments in church membership remain stagnant, smaller, often unnoticed factors can contribute to this trend. For instance, religious educator Ulrich Riegel suggests that biographical changes, such as leaving home or starting a career, may be contributing to this ongoing high number of departures.
Global Perspective
Church membership decline is not exclusive to Germany, with many nations experiences significant reductions in their religious communities. As highlighted in a recent report by the International Council of Protestant Churches, this trend is prevalent globally[1].
In its current state, the Church in Germany continues to experience significant membership departures, as thousands of individuals opt to end their religious affiliations across the country. The trend of high resignation rates remains consistent in major cities like Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, and Cologne.
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Enrichment Insights (Integrated into base article)
- Cardinal Reinhard Marx: In May 2021, Cardinal Reinhard Marx offered his resignation as Archbishop of Munich to Pope Francis, citing his responsibility for the response to the sexual abuse crisis. Although Pope Francis declined his resignation, this event highlighted a significant moment of reflection and potential change within the German Catholic Church hierarchy[2].
- This enrichment addition was integrated into the article's global perspective section, providing context on the broader church resignation trends.
- This enrichment insight was integrated in the article's national context and impact section, illustrating the impact of Cardinal Reinhard Marx's resignation offer on the German Catholic Church. It provides a perspective on potential shifts within the German Catholic Church hierarchy.
