Membership decline - Archbishop Burger of Freiburg: Church is not a supermarket
In the debate about the decline in membership of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Stephan Burger of Freiburg has called for patience and perseverance. "The church is not a supermarket where people no longer go because they can no longer get certain goods," Burger told the German Press Agency. Rather, it is about rebuilding and strengthening relationships and trust.
"Making the church visible and accessible in unusual places is also an attempt to engage more in conversation with people who are far removed from the church," said the 61-year-old clergyman. He mentioned the churches in the large Europa-Park theme park in Rust (Ortenau district) and in the Black Forest National Park.
With around 1.65 million Catholics, the archdiocese is one of the largest of the 27 dioceses in Germany. According to earlier figures, around 41,800 people left the church there last year. Since then, more people have turned their backs on the church: Last year, in the city of Freiburg alone, there were over 3,000 Protestant and Catholic Christians combined, according to a dpa survey before Christmas.
The abuse scandal and its consequences shook many believers last year. In April, an independent commission published a report that settled accounts with Burger's predecessor in office, Robert Zollitsch. The accusations of cover-up against him weighed particularly heavily - Zollitsch headed the German Bishops' Conference from February 2008 to March 2014 and was the face and voice of the Catholic Church at the time.
According to Burger, it is crucial to carry out "solid pastoral work" in communities and thus be a reliable partner. "In this way, we hope to rebuild trust, which has become very fragile as a result of financial scandals and the abuse crisis; here we are focusing on complete investigation, prevention and transparency." Before Christmas, a cardinal was sentenced to prison by a court of the Papal States for the first time in the history of the Catholic Church in the major Vatican financial trial concerning questionable deals worth millions.
The archdiocese is also considering doing more for the so-called church biography, said Burger. After baptism, communion and confirmation, there is often nothing until marriage and the baptism of children. "This is where we see a gap in support, so that people simply lose contact with the church in certain phases of their lives," Burger summarized.
Archdiocese to Burger Church in the Black Forest National Park
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- Archbishop Stephan Burger, from the Catholic Church in Freiburg, emphasized the need for patience and perseverance in dealing with the membership decline.
- Burger compared the church to a supermarket, stating that it's not about the availability of certain goods, but about rebuilding relationships and trust.
- The archdiocese of Freiburg, part of the German Catholic Church, is one of the largest in the country, home to around 1.65 million Catholics.
- Despite its size, the archdiocese witnessed a significant decrease in membership, with approximately 41,800 individuals leaving the church in the previous year.
- Freiburg, a city in the archdiocese, reported a combined loss of over 3,000 Protestant and Catholic Christians prior to Christmas, as per a dpa survey.
- The abuse scandal and its aftermath affected many believers, heading bail for Robert Zollitsch, Burger's predecessor, as part of the investigation into cover-ups.
- Zollitsch served as the head of the German Bishops' Conference from 2008 to 2014 and became a face and voice of the Catholic Church during his tenure.
- The archdiocese is considering enhancing its efforts in church biography, aiming to bridge gaps and maintain contact with individuals in various phases of their lives.
- Robert Zollitsch, now facing accusations, is from Baden-Württemberg, a region known for its famous Black Forest and towns like Rust and Freiburg.
Source: www.stern.de
