German Catholic church loses half a million members in one year. Here's why

A Catholic church in Germany revealed it's been losing followers like never before. More than half a million people decided to renounce their membership in 2022. According to the German Bishops' Conference in Bonn, 522,821 people left the church last year. The number was way more than the forecasts made by the institution. In 2021, the number of people who left was under 360,000. Thoman Schuller, a canon lawyer, told the German media the church was "dying a painful death" and would grapple to recover from the fallout.

Why are people in Germany renouncing church membership?

According to the 2022 figures, the church has 21 million members, 24.8 per cent of the entire population. The departures happened after a series of child abuse scandals and accusations of a widespread cover-up.

The evidence collected by the authorities shows that the departures revved after an expert report on abuse got published in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. There was also discussion about Pope Benedict XVI's alleged involvement in the scandal.

In 2022, there were legal battles over compensationfor abuse victims in Cologne and Traunstein in Upper Bavaria. Cologne's cardinal, Rainer Maria Woelki, reportedly gave the wrong information about the abuse cases. However, Woelki has denied the accusation. He was the prime focus of the police raids on properties linked to the church, including his residence.

Besides the Catholic church, the Protestant church has also been losing members following the abuse scandals. According to the 2022 figures, the number of members in the Protestant church was 19.5 million, and the number of people who left was 380,000.

Kirchensteuer (Church Tax)

The departure of members means a sizeable loss of income for the church. Every German affiliated with the Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish denominations is liable to pay theKirchensteuer(church tax) orKultursteuer(cultural tax), amounting to eight to nine per cent of a person's income tax. The tax office draws the tax from their monthly income. Germany first introduced the church tax in 1919. However, the law was reaffirmed in 1949. After the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, Austria also introduced a compulsory tax for Catholics in 1939.

People who wish to leave can officially renounce their membership throughKirchenaustritt. In Kirchenaustritt or church withdrawal, the person has to visit a local register office and pay the administrative fee.

(With inputs from agencies)

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