400,000 Germans quit Catholic Church in 2023, study finds

03 July 18:56
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Limburg Cathedral in Hesse, Germany. Photo: Mylius via Wikimedia Limburg Cathedral in Hesse, Germany. Photo: Mylius via Wikimedia

The trend remains alarming for Church leaders and Catholics alike, according to sources in Germany.

According to official statistics published on June 27, 2024, by the Conference of German Bishops, more than 400,000 people officially left the Roman Catholic Church in 2023. This was reported by the Catholic News Agency.

"While this represents a decrease from the 522,000 departures in 2022, the trend remains alarming for Church leaders and Catholics alike," the publication states.

Currently, there are 20,345,872 registered Catholics in Germany. If trends continue, this number could drop below 20 million in 2024.

Previously, scientists from the University of Freiburg predicted that by 2060, the number of Christians paying church taxes in Germany would be halved.

Today, it is reported that only 6.2% of Catholics regularly attend Mass: this translates to approximately 1.27 million practicing Catholics in a country of over 80 million.

As previously reported, another rally by supporters of creating a caliphate in Germany took place in Hamburg.

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