Diocese of munster faces record number of people leaving the church

adminonNovember 22, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

The diocese of Munster faces a record number of church departures in 2018, according to research by the diocesan newspaper "Kirche + Leben". Random checks of local courts and registry offices showed an increase in resignations of more than 50 percent, the newspaper reported.

In 2017, 1.87 million people (44 percent) in the Munster diocese were still Catholic. More than 8.000 people had left. In 2018, it could be over 12.000 his.

In Steinfurt, according to "Kirche + Leben," 496 Catholics (2017: 315) left the church last year. At the registry office in Cloppenburg, 138 people left the church, although in Cloppenburg there is no separation by denomination. Only the percentage of Catholics in the population suggests that three-quarters were Catholic (2017: 92).

At the district court in Bocholt, 440 people (2017: 300) left the Catholic Church; in Munster, the figure was 1.428 (2017: 1.035). In the district court of Kleve 483 Christians expressed their resignation, comparative figures are not available

Possible reason: abuse study

In total, according to calculations by "Kirche + Leben," this could mean that more than 12.000 Catholics have left the Catholic Church in the diocese of Munster. The high number of resignations could be related to the study on abuse in the Catholic Church published last September.

The study found evidence in church records from 1946 to 2014 of nationwide 3.677 victims of sexual assault and to around 1.670 accused priests, deacons and religious found.

Churches and human rights groups have strongly criticized a draft bill by the federal government on asylum and residence rights. The paper, on which the Bundestag's Interior Committee will hear experts Monday, violates European Union directives and contains unacceptable tightening of existing law, said Julia Duchrow of Amnesty International.

"Not considered according to EU requirements" Green Party politician Josef Winkler also pointed to planned deteriorations for refugees and warned against abandoning the 2004 immigration compromise. The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the German Bishops' Conference ied a comprehensive statement on the draft and also criticized, among other things, that refugee protection was not taken into account in accordance with EU requirements.The planned law is intended to transpose eleven EU directives into German law. "At crucial points, however, the government refuses to budge," says Duchrow. For example, "according to EU directives, people from civil war zones should have a right of residence and protection against deportation. But the current draft does not provide for that".In addition, the possibilities of detaining refugees should be expanded. Not only police officers, but also employees of the immigration authorities should be authorized to do so in the future. "This will make people insecure, they will be constantly afraid of being detained the next time they go to the authorities," Duchrow said. Amnesty also fears that it could lower the threshold for imprisonment. Who lives in poor circumstances… The churches, as well as the Green Party, are particularly critical of the fact that, according to the draft, spouses will only be allowed to join their German partners from abroad in the future if they already have a basic knowledge of German. This regulation discriminates against socially weaker people in particular, said Green Party politician Winkler. Especially in poor areas it is often difficult or impossible to attend German courses. And "those who live in poor circumstances can hardly afford the trip to the nearest Goethe Institute. Some may even lack the money for a simple language course," Winkler emphasized.The churches see "the fundamental rights of both spouses" from Article 6 of the Basic Law ("Marriage and family are under the special protection of the state order") as being violated by the demand for proof of language proficiency prior to entry. The government parties want this proof, in order to work so against forced marriages and to help the women to more security in Germany."If a woman has at least basic language skills, she has at least a rudimentary option to get help in an emergency. What good is it if we set up hotlines but the women can't communicate?", said CDU politician Michaela Noll. On the other hand, the Greens and the churches are proposing to provide even more intensive support for immigrant spouses after their arrival in Germany. Winkler emphasized: "It is not the case that the courses offered are not accepted, on the contrary! The demand is greater than the supply.

"Crucial omission In the fight against forced marriages, he accuses the government of a decisive omission: "If foreign women living in Germany with a permanent right of residence are forcibly married during a vacation, they lose the right to return after six months. The government leaves the victims alone. This proves how little seriously she takes victim protection here," Winkler said. This is also true when dealing with victims of human trafficking. These people do not receive sufficient therapeutic treatment in Germany, although the EU directives explicitly provide for it."Greens and churches also agree on the demand that the so-called EU Qualification Directive must be fully implemented in German law. It must be ensured, for example, that people who are persecuted because of their sexual identity or public religious activity are recognized as refugees.

Proven outside help: After new abuse allegations against former bishop Heinrich Maria Janssen, the diocese of Hildesheim again wants to seek advice from the Munich Institute for Practical Research and Project Consulting.

"The idea is that the Munich Institute for Practical Research and Project Consulting (IPP) will help us, among other things, to put together an external group of experts who will take over the reappraisal," said diocese spokesman Volker Bauerfeld on Tuesday when asked by the Catholic News Agency (KNA).

The institute should also advise on the formulation of the research assignment. An exploratory meeting is planned for mid-January. "The IPP has good previous experience in clearing up sexualized violence in church institutions and also already knows the structures here in the diocese," Bauerfeld reasoned.

Accusations against Bishop Janssen

In mid-November, the diocese made public the accusations of a man now in his mid-70s. The former resident of a church children's home reported that Bishop Heinrich Maria Janssen (1907-1988) asked him to strip naked in front of him in the late 1950s. Subsequently, he had sent him away with the words that he could not use him.

The man described further acts of abuse by teachers and clergy in the former Hildesheim children's homes Bernwardshof and Johannishof. According to his information, he was brought to the bishop and picked up again by the priest who was in charge of Bernwardshof. The two institutions will now be completely reviewed, Bauerfeld announced.

The IPP had already been commissioned by the diocese two years ago with an expert opinion on several cases of abuse within the diocese.

Serious omissions in processing

Previously, a former altar boy had contacted the diocese of Hildesheim and reported that Janssen had sexually abused him between 1958 and 1963. The IPP expert opinion could neither prove nor refute the accusations. However, the authors accused the diocese of serious failures in the processing of sexual abuse.

Hildesheim's new bishop Heiner Wilmer had recently repeatedly spoken out for a "relentless clarification of cases of sexual abuse". He showed himself willing to allow outsiders to inspect church files as well. End of October handed over documents to the responsible public prosecutor's office. At that time, six investigative proceedings were initiated.

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