(ZENIT News / Cologne, 04.03.2025).- The Catholic Church in Germany has reached an unprecedented milestone—one it would rather not celebrate. In 2024, only 29 new priests were ordained across the country’s 27 dioceses, the lowest number ever recorded. This figure, released in late March by the German Bishops’ Conference, is the latest indicator of a religious landscape undergoing profound change.
But the shortage of new priests is only part of the story. The Church is also grappling with a dramatic decline in membership. More than 321,000 German Catholics formally left the Church in the past year, bringing the total number of registered Catholics in the country below 20 million for the first time. These departures, combined with dwindling vocations, paint a stark picture.
The drop in priestly ordinations is not a sudden collapse but the continuation of a trend that has been unfolding for decades. In 1962, 557 men were ordained as diocesan priests in Germany. By 2004, that number had fallen to 122. Ten years later, in 2014, it had dropped further to 75. More recently, the numbers have been even lower—33 in 2022, 35 in 2023, and now 29 in 2024.
This decline is not evenly distributed across the country. In 11 of Germany’s dioceses, including Limburg and Münster, no new priests were ordained this year. Limburg, led by Bishop Georg Bätzing, a key advocate of Germany’s controversial “Synodal Path” reform process, also had no new priests in 2023. Münster, now Germany’s most populous diocese, has gone two consecutive years without a single ordination.
Some dioceses have fared slightly better. Trier had the highest number of new priests this year, with four, while Augsburg, Cologne, Paderborn, and Regensburg each ordained three. But these figures remain alarmingly low for a church that once produced hundreds of new clergy annually.
The shortage of priests is not just a statistical issue—it is reshaping how the Church functions. Many parishes have been forced to consolidate or close, and laypeople are increasingly stepping in to lead services. The crisis of vocations was one of the key reasons behind Germany’s Synodal Path, a reform initiative that sought to rethink Church structures, including discussions on priestly celibacy, women’s roles in ministry, and the governance of the Church.
The Synodal Path, which concluded in 2023, produced numerous proposals, some of which have been met with resistance from the Vatican. Tensions between the German bishops and Rome have been growing, as the push for reforms in Germany diverges from the more conservative stance of the global Catholic hierarchy.
Bishop Bätzing, reflecting on the latest numbers, acknowledged the gravity of the situation: “We cannot ignore these figures. They challenge us to ask again: Who are we here for as a Church?”
The Catholic Church is not the only religious institution in Germany experiencing decline. For the first time since 2018, more Protestants than Catholics formally left their churches in 2024. The Evangelical Church in Germany, a federation of Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches, lost approximately 345,000 members in the past year.
At the end of 2024, Germany’s religious landscape had shifted significantly. The country had 19.8 million Catholics and nearly 18 million Protestants, out of a total population of around 84 million. Meanwhile, secularization continues to rise, with an increasing number of Germans identifying as religiously unaffiliated.
Beyond membership losses, the German Bishops’ Conference reported declines in key sacramental milestones. Baptisms fell to 116,222 in 2024, down from 131,245 the previous year. Church weddings also declined, with only 22,504 taking place in 2024, compared to 27,565 in 2023.
There were slight fluctuations in First Communions and Confirmations, but overall, participation in Church life continues to dwindle. Regular Mass attendance now stands at just 6.6% of German Catholics—roughly 1.3 million people nationwide.
Despite these discouraging trends, there were small signs of growth in one area: adult conversions. In 2024, 1,839 people joined the Catholic Church in Germany, up from 1,559 in 2023. Notably, the vast majority—1,637 individuals—came from Protestant backgrounds.
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