More than 400,000 Catholics left Church in Germany in 2023

Bishop Bätzing says new figures show Church is in a “comprehensive crisis.”

New figures indicating that more than 400,000 Catholics disaffiliated in Germany in 2023 show that the Church is in a “comprehensive crisis,” Bishop Georg Bätzing said Thursday.

Irme Stetter-Karp, president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), and German bishops’ conference chairman Bishop Georg Bätzing, © ZdK/Philipp Hecker

In a statement …