(CP) In 2023, a considerable number of people, totalling 402,694, decided to formally dissociate themselves from the Catholic Church in Germany, a major figure though barely lower than the record set in 2022.
The German Bishops’ Conference, which got here out with these statistics, said while these numbers are high, they reflect a slight decrease from the 522,821 departures recorded the previous 12 months, indicating that this was the second-highest departure rate thus far, in line with National Catholic Reporter.
In Germany, church membership has financial implications as a consequence of the church tax system, which is a component of the broader tax structure. Members who formally exit the church now not must pay this tax, providing a financial incentive for deregistration. Exceptions to this requirement include low earners, the unemployed, retirees, students and others.
Despite the slight decrease in departures, the general membership of the country’s Catholic Church stood at roughly 20.35 million by the tip of 2023, in line with the German Bishops’ Conference.
The backdrop to those departures features a longstanding crisis stemming from scandals related to abuse by clergy members, NCR noted. In recent years, many have turned away from the Catholic Church as these issues have persevered.
In an effort to handle these concerns, the bishops and a distinguished lay organization launched a three-year reform initiative often called the “Synodal Path.” The process, marked by deep divides between progressive and conservative elements throughout the Catholic Church, culminated last 12 months with calls for the church to sanction blessings for same-sex unions despite overt opposition from the Vatican.
Further tensions have surfaced in a subsequent reform process initiated this 12 months following Vatican pressures to halt previous reform votes.
“The figures are alarming. They show that the church is in a wide-ranging crisis,” Limburg Bishop Georg Bätzing, the top of the Bishops’ Conference, was quoted as saying. “Reforms alone won’t solve the church crisis, however the crisis will worsen without reforms. And so changes are mandatory.”
The issue of declining church membership shouldn’t be isolated to the Catholic Church in Germany.
The Protestant Church also reported substantial departures, with around 380,000 members leaving up to now 12 months, mirroring levels seen in 2022 and reflecting challenges facing religious institutions in Germany.
Meanwhile, within the United States, the Catholic Church’s situation presents a contrast in certain areas. While the Northeast sees ongoing declines in church enrollment, areas like South Florida are witnessing growth, largely driven by an increasing Hispanic population, in line with an October 2023 piece published on Substack by Pastor Ryan Burge.
Research by Burge noted that from 2008 to 2022, only six states — Vermont, Idaho, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Arizona and Tennessee — saw increases within the proportion of residents identifying as Roman Catholic. In contrast, states equivalent to Hawaii and Connecticut experienced significant declines in Catholic identification.
Furthermore, attendance at weekly Mass showed varied trends across the U.S., with states like Alaska and Hawaii seeing increases, while others like Wyoming and Rhode Island having seen sharp declines.
