Germany: SSPX Not a Significant Factor in Church Departures in 2009

Editor: In response to the author of the piece at kath.net, it can only be said that they should strive for accuracy in honest in this as they do in other things: The Traditionalists never left the Catholic Church, and it's Bishop Williamson who hasn't denied the Holocaust in Germany where it's a crime to speak one's mind. In any event, these figures for the Church are promising and show that the German people can, as many of them always have, think for themselves.

This should also put a bit of a stopper on those Austrian Statistics indicating 100,000 departures. You look at this, after lifting of excommunications, the German Church was still growing.

Germany: Church Departures Only Climbed Slightly in 2009

The numbers in departures are climbing only lightly despite the conflict concerning the SSPX: According to the Bishops' Conference, 123,681 Catholics left their Church; in the previous year (2008) there were 121.155.

Berlin (kath.net/KAP) The German Bishops' Conference have published the numbers of those leaving the Church for the year (2009). The numbers have climbed only lightly, despite the conflict with the SSPX: According to the Bishops' Conference 123,681 Catholics left their Church in the previous year; in that year (2008) there were 121,155. The number of Catholics are estimated at 24,9 Million, which is 30,5 % of the population.

The appearance of the debate about the readmission of the Traditionalists in the Catholic Church and the scandal surrounding Holocaust denier [Bishop] Richard Williamson has demonstrated hardly any measurable effect on the number of Catholics in Germany.

A small decline is shown in the number of baptisms: In 2008 there were still 185,600 people baptized, while there were around 179,000 in 2009. At the same time there were in 27 German Diocese 4,009 entrants in the Catholic Church and around 8,649 returning to the Church. In 2008 there were 4,388 entrances and 9546 returning to the Church.

According to the available "basic data of the Church's life" the number of regular Mass attendees sank from 13,4 to 13,0 percent. The number of secular priests was given at 13,158 while those in religious orders stands at 2,209. The orders in Germany were numbered at 4,609 Monks and 21,982 Religious Sisters and Nuns. Additionally, there are 1,906 men and women belonging to secular institutes.


Original, here...