Germany’s most populous diocese forecasts 2024 deficit

Cologne archdiocese cited ‘declining membership numbers’ and a ‘weakening economy’

Germany’s Cologne archdiocese announced Monday that it expects a budget deficit of almost 21 million euros in 2024.

Cologne Cathedral in Germany. © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Jan. 29 announcement underlines the growing economic headwinds facing the Church in Germany, long regarded as one of the wealthiest parts of the Catholic w…