Religion - A good 350,000 Catholics in the diocese of Hamburg - fewer resignations
In Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg, fewer people left the Catholic Church in the past year compared to the previous year. In the Archdiocese of Hamburg, 12,108 Catholics left their church in 2023. In 2022, there were 14,130 departures reported, according to a spokesperson for the Archdiocese on Thursday. The Archdiocese had 351,683 members at the end of the previous year. At the end of 2022, there were 364,496 members. Ten years ago, there were nearly 400,000.
"The number of departures for the year 2023 is below the previous year's level. However, they remain high," said Sabine Gautier from the Pastoral Services Department of the Archdiocese. Particularly noteworthy is that the number of baptisms and marriages has decreased. In 2022, 1,555 people were baptized, but only 1,255 in 2023.
57 former members rejoined the Catholic Church in the past year (2022: 45), and 101 new members were welcomed (2022: 99). The number of regular churchgoers increased from 17,416 to 20,520, it was stated. The increase demonstrates a persistent need for spirituality in our society, according to Gautier.
In Hamburg, the number of Catholics decreased from 163,756 to 157,311, in Schleswig-Holstein from 162,870 to 157,475, and in Mecklenburg from 37,870 to 36,897. The Catholics in Vorpommern belong to the Archdiocese of Berlin.
The number of departures from the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Northern Germany remained high in 2023. The Church in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern had 1,708,631 members at the end of the previous year. That was 64,322 fewer than at the end of 2022, according to a church spokesperson in early May.
Membership statistics of the Archdiocese
- Although fewer individuals exited the Catholic Church in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg in 2023 compared to the previous year, the departure numbers still remain substantial.
- Despite seeing a decrease in baptisms and marriages, the Catholic Church in Hamburg, as part of the Archdiocese, reported an increase in regular churchgoers from 17,416 to 20,520.
- Within the Diocese of Hamburg, the Catholic population in the region of Schleswig-Holstein saw a decrease from 162,870 to 157,475 members, while Mecklenburg saw a smaller decrease from 37,870 to 36,897.
- The Archdiocese of Hamburg, with 351,683 members at the end of 2022, reported 12,108 departures in 2023, which was slightly less than the 14,130 reported the previous year.
- Gathering statistics on Catholic Church membership, it's evident that, even with a decrease in membership, there's a persisting interest in religious practice in regions like Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg, as indicated by the rising number of regular churchgoers.
