Statistics show sharp decline of German Catholic Church

July 18, 2016

Despite statistics that show a catastrophic decline, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich insists that the Catholic Church in Germany is "a strong force, whose message is heard and accepted."

Cardinal Marx-- who is president of the German bishops' conference, as well as a close adviser to Poper Francis-- spoke in response to statistics showing that over 180,000 Germans left the Catholic Church last year, while fewer than 10,000 adults entered or returned to the Church. Even taking into account the 167,000 babies who were baptized, the German Church experienced a net decline in official membership.

Among those Germans who remain formally affiliated with the Catholic Church, Mass attendance on an average Sunday has dropped to 10.4%, the figures show. Twenty years ago, that figure was 18.6%. The number of Catholic couples married in the Church has also been virtually halved in the past 20 years. 

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=28855

Last edited by Goose (7/19/2016 5:05 am)