The German Catholic Church Thumbs its Nose at Rome


The hand wringing continues in Catholic circles about Germany. The German government collects a fee or tax that is turned over to the German Church. Germany's Catholic Church is the wealthiest in the world. It sends a franchise fee to the Vatican. When a citizen declares his/her church the tax is collected and sent there. This entitles the German Catholic Church, from its point of view, to hold liberal views on issues like gay rights. "What ?" screams a publicity seeking Catholic pundit in the U. S. Its money gives the German Church no such rights whatsoever. 

An old saying, "There's no free lunch" applies here. For any government, especially a democracy, to collect money there needs to be support for the money's purpose. If the German Catholic Church has policies or views far outside the mainstream of German society the cash flow will fall accordingly. This would harm the German church and by default Rome. The best policy is for the Pope to say, "We're talking about this problem" and do nothing about it.

In spite of the German Catholic wealth, the future is not bright. The past two years Catholics and Protestants have each lost half a million members. The loss doubled from 2019 to 2020. Each loss stops the cash flow from that member. Catholics still have a lot of members, some 45 million. This is expected to cut in half in coming decades. It once held a majority of voters in several provinces. Now only one has a majority at 53%. 

So, is it rational for the Pope to reason, "The Catholic Church is rapidly falling in membership. I'll put the hammer down and make it fall faster"?

Former Pope Benedict said he thought it best the Church be smaller and follow its dogma more rigidly. What I see happening is a smaller Church that follows its dogma less rigidly. Rome really has no choice in the matter. The future of the denomination is what we are seeing in the German church. If atheists can laugh off threats of purgatory so can members of the faith.

A book I finished recently explained why it is likely losses to Christianity will increase expedientially. As older members die off their children do not replace them. Neither do their children's children. 

Perhaps the Vatican has done that math. It knows rocking the boat only sinks it sooner. 

 


Comments

  1. GrandmaMarch 10, 2021 at 5:34 PM

    Interesting.many things to think about...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon LindgrenMarch 10, 2021 at 7:08 PM

    Thanks for being a reader, Grandma.

    ReplyDelete
  3. little helperMarch 10, 2021 at 7:42 PM

    The Confessing church (subscribing to the Book of Concord) in Germany we have affiliation and pulpit fellowship with is self supported by members, and nothing from the government, in line with the separation of church and state.

    ReplyDelete

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