Archdiocese of Cologne: all-time high for church resignations
IIn the Cologne District Court district, the number of people leaving the church in the first quarter of 2022 reached an all-time high year-on-year. In the same period of 2016, there were still 1523 exits, so this number has more than increased from the first quarter of the pre-Corona year 2019 with 2585 exits to 5780 now.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, 4033 exits were declared, in the two previous quarters 5823 and 6170 respectively.
Although the individual denominations are not statistically recorded separately, according to research by the FAZ, it is certain that the majority of those leaving are from the Catholic Church.
The Archdiocese of Cologne is now being shaken by several crises at the same time. Widespread horror at the way Cologne Archbishop Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki deals with abusers and those affected is now combined with displeasure at the high costs of dealing with abuse and unresolved financing issues surrounding the Cologne University of Catholic Theology (KHKT), which he seized.
The planned large-scale amalgamation of parishes continues to meet with fierce resistance.