Catholic Church in Germany loses half a million parishioners in 2025
The Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Photo: berlin24
Germany has faced a new decline in the number of believers: in 2025, the Catholic Church in the country lost 549,636 members, reports pch24.pl.
According to the German Bishops' Conference, 307,117 people officially left the Catholic Church in just one year. Many do this to avoid paying the church tax collected by the state, as well as due to loss of trust in church structures.
Taking into account the total number of departures, deaths, and baptisms, the Catholic Church in Germany decreased by 549,636 members in 2025. Currently, there are 19,219,601 Catholics living there. This represents approximately 23% of the total population.
The head of the conference, Bishop Heiner Wilmer, expressed regret over the new wave of departures from the Church, emphasizing that each such decision is a source of pain for the faithful. He noted that the Roman Catholic Church is in need of spiritual renewal and the restoration of trust. Observers note that the scale of the exodus does not depend on whether the bishop is more conservative or liberal.
As the UOJ reported, in Germany, Muslim students forced their classmates to observe Ramadan.
Read also
SBU names UOC priest’s wife a suspect in Cherkasy region
The SBU accused Matushka Kateryna Prykotenko of “spreading enemy propaganda” through correspondence with parishioners.
UGCC cleric calls Russian Orthodox literature dangerous for clergy
While examining the causes of divisions within the UGCC, Yustyn Boiko concluded that Russian Orthodox literature had influenced Greek Catholic clergy.
UOC will play major role in achieving peace, says Vadym Novynskyi
UOC Protodeacon Vadym Novynskyi believes the Church will help bring about reconciliation within Ukrainian society after the war ends.
Catholic media outraged by forcible conscription of Uniate cleric
The Vatican’s Apostolic Nunciature has demanded the return of a forcibly mobilized Greek Catholic cleric.
Rivne court fines man for criticizing parish's "transfer" to OCU
A resident of the Rivne region was convicted over Facebook posts criticizing the “transfer” of a religious community in the village of Butove to the OCU.
Novynskyi: I quoted the Gospel to Zelensky on first day of war
The former Ukrainian MP said he advised Davyd Arakhamia to begin negotiations with Russia in the first days of the full-scale war and later spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky.