Wednesday 14 April |

More than 200,000 Catholics left the German church in 2014

Deacon Greg Kandra - published on 07/18/15

Germans who are officially enrolled in congregation are subject to a “church tax,” and so disaffected Catholics have an incentive to drop their registration, rather than simply stop attending Mass. The number of Catholics taking that step has increased sharply in recent years. In 2013, 178,805 Catholics formally dropped off the parish rolls in Germany. In 2014 that figure jumped by 22%, to 217,716, according to official statistic released by the German bishops’ conference. The statistics show that while more than 200,000 people left the Church in Germany, only 2,809 entered, and 6,314 others were “readmitted.”

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