German Catholic Church Issues Ultimatum: No Money, No Sacraments

By Alessandro Speciale
Vatican Insider
September 25, 2012

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/world-news/detail/articolo/germania-alemania-germany-cattolici-catholics-catolicos-18395/

An ecumenical meeting in Germany

The German Episcopal Conference's decision has sparked a debate within the country's Catholic world, leading to widespread controversy

It may seem over the top but this is the whole point of the decree issued last week by the German Bishops' Conference, with the approval of the Holy See.

The decree requires that faithful who declare to a registry office that they are no longer members of the Catholic Church, will no longer be able to actively participate in Church life and there receive the sacraments.

Essentially, Germans who ask to no longer be registered as Catholics – and therefore no longer pay the country's church tax (8-9% of their annual income tax bill) – will no longer be able to receive the sacraments of confession, communion or confirmation and when they die, they will not be allowed a Catholic funeral. They will also not be able to work as volunteers in Catholic associations, sing in Catholic choirs or even work in Catholic institutions such as schools or hospitals.

The bishops' decision comes in response to the exodus of faithful from the Church, which rose significantly after the explosion of the paedophilia scandal. In 2010, 181 thousand Germans officially renounced their Catholic status. This figure is growing at quite a rapid rate compared to the average 120 thousand de-registrations that had been recorded since 1990, when many had started leaving the Church because of the rise in federal tax, intended as a means of financing reunification with Eastern Germany.

The case of those who continue to participate in Church life despite officially being cancelled from its records was raised by German canonist Hartmut Zapp who in 2007 announced he no longer wanted to pay the church tax.

The decree triggered a heated debate in Germany as it completely excludes millions of baptised individuals from Catholic Church life. "This decree at this moment of time is really the wrong signal by the German bishops who know that the Catholic Church is in a deep crisis," Christian Weisner from the grassroots Catholic campaign group "We are Church" said.

But according to the Jesuit Hans Langendoerfer, Secretary General of the German Bishops' Conference, the "spiritual" dimension of faith and Church membership cannot be separated from the "civil" dimension.

"The declaration is clear – he explained to German radio station Domradio –. Whoever asks for their Catholic status to be removed from the civil registry will no longer be a member of the Church community. One cannot escape the civil dimension of the Church and call themselves Catholic at the same time."

Langendoerfer pointed out that bishops had already made their position known previously but it has not been presented officially. What "differs from the past," he explained, is that now the parish priest will have to deal directly with faithful who intend to leave the Church."

Whoever asks to have their status as Catholics removed from the civil registry, will receive a letter from their parish priest and will be offered the chance of an interview: "During this interview, the reasons behind the individual's decision will be addressed. The consequences of their decision to leave will also be explained. Of course, – the secretary of German bishops stressed – priests will try to change these people's minds, so as to give them another opportunity to take part in Church life, fulfilling their duties as Catholics."