Church in Germany: major declines in numbers & revenue

Germany’s Catholic Church will be forced to give up a third of its properties in the face of dwindling membership and revenue, according to a new report, with many buildings facing demolition unless converted to other uses. Bishop Georg Bätzing, the bishops conference head, said he was “deeply shaken” by data showing 359,338 Catholics quit the church in 2021, 60 percent more than in 2020. ^[1]