Reform of the Catholic Church: A new way for the Eifel communities!

Reform of the Catholic Church: A new way for the Eifel communities!

Hellenthal, Deutschland - In the diocese of Aachen, a comprehensive structural reform within the Catholic Church is currently being implemented. This measure is in the context of falling membership figures and financial challenges that question the conventional structures. The church leaders have recognized that the previously flowering folk church no longer exists with well -attended services and many active believers. The number of priests, volunteers and church tax payers is declining, which makes the long -term financing of the communities unsafe. The synodal process "Today with you" should help to carry out this restructuring, reports the Cologne Stadt-Anzeiger .

A central component of the reform is the conversion of the previous communities into pastoral rooms (PR). In the region around Hellenthal and Schleiden, this is concretely implemented by mergers and resolutions by existing parishes. The first steps have already taken place in the 16 municipalities of the GDG Schleiden-Hellenthal, where church councilors and parish councilors were elected. In the future, the municipalities should form a common parish and act under the term "places of church" (OVK), instead of the traditional parish churches. Each OVK has the option of setting up local committees for its own administrative and pastoral concerns.

challenges and financing

The newly formed structures raise many questions, especially with regard to the future of church buildings, kindergartens and youth facilities. Diocese money now flow centrally to the management of the pastoral rooms, which could also influence the financial situation of the individual communities. A first general assembly of the churches of the church could come together this year to discuss further steps and to evaluate the response to the reform proposals.

The choice of parish councilors is not planned for this year; Instead, the church council is elected in PR. Another fact that is up for discussion is that 16 church board members may have to be elected in mergers, which could be challenging organizationally. It is sought that Oberhausen is also recognized as a place by the church, which could increase the number of delegates in the general assembly.

reforms in other dioceses

parallel developments can also be observed in the Archdiocese of Freiburg. There you are planning a new geographical division of the parishes, which is to be implemented in 36 large parishes between Lake Constance and Odenwald from 2026. The new structures are to be realized through the Union model, with each Union retaining a parish as the right. According to katholisch.de remains the decision about the exact legal size.

A study by the Research Center Generational Contracts of the Albert Ludwig University Freiburg, which was published in cooperation with the EKD, predicts dramatic changes in the number of churches by 2060. Until then, the number of church members and church tax revenue is expected. These developments show that not only the demographic change, but also the baptism and exit behavior will have an impact on the future of the church, as in the report of ekd

In order to meet these challenges, it is shown that it is crucial to check existing structures and to adapt the offer to the needs of the parishioners. This includes in particular to win young adults for the church through appealing programs and thus to secure the future viability of the Church.