Germany: Catholic Churches in Financial Crisis

The economic slowdown in Germany is affecting the Catholic Church there. Unless a lot of new funding comes in, a lot of services will have to be cut back - and employees let go, which only exacerbates things.

World Wide Religious News reports:

All of Germany's Catholic dioceses are feeling the pinch. Not only are more people dropping out of the church, but increased unemployment has also meant that parishes are collecting less of the nation-wide church tax, which is their main source of funding.

The church has little choice but to undergo what it calls a "consolidation process." The number of parishes in each diocese will be reduced, and the number of full-time ministerial and administrative jobs decreased by around 20 percent, meaning those remaining in the church's employment will have to cover larger geographical areas.

Another savings option that hasn't been ruled out yet is the sale of church buildings. Should Germany follow in the footsteps of countries such as Britain, it's likely that some churches could undergo a radical conversion. All across Britain, derelict churches are being bought up by corporate chains and turned into superpubs with space for hundreds of drinkers.

In Germany people have taxes to the state which are then distributed to the churches based upon people's religious affiliation. That's why reduced taxes from economic problems is just as much of a problem as reduced attendance in the churches themselves. I'd be interested to learn whether the Protestant churches are experiencing the same thing.

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