Priest consecration in Germany: Historical low and crisis of faith!

Priest consecration in Germany: Historical low and crisis of faith!

Görlitz, Deutschland - The situation of priestly professions in Germany is worrying. Bishop Wolfgang Ipolt emphasizes that the number of consecrated priests has reached a historical low. In 2024, only 29 men were consecrated to priests, a development that he interpreted as a reflection of the dwindling faith in Germany. "Priestly professions have to be encouraged instead of simply expecting them," says Ipolt, who emphasizes that fewer and fewer lively faith cells exist from which such calls can emergence. In 2019, Pope Francis already spoke of an “erosion” of faith in the country. There are also demographic factors such as falling births and an aging of the population. These challenges contribute to the dramatic situation.

Titian Janzen, the chairman of the German Seminar Prosecat conference and himself a candidate for the priest, sees the crisis of faith as a main cause of the lack of priests and beliefs. According to Janzen, the decline in believers prevents the emergence of young priest. However, celibacy, which is a hurdle for many young men, is accepted and can be lived out of conviction.

a questionable statistics

The numbers are alarming: the number of consecrations have been decreasing continuously since 1962. In 1962, 557 new priests were consecrated, a value that has been crashed annually since 2008. In recent years, the number of new entrances to diocesan priest seminars has been in the double -digit range for several years - in 2022 there were even fewer than 50 admissions in Germany. This development makes it clear that a lot has been in the ARGE in recent decades.

With a view to the priest study, which was published by the German Bishops' Conference in 2024, it can be seen that large families have a positive impact on the probability of priestly professions. "To confront the priests professionally with the question of faith remains a challenge," says Prof. Dr. Matthias Sellmann, director of the ZAP: Bochum. The survey of 847 candidates of priests between 2010 and 2021 showed that human maturity and the ability to act in complex social structure are central aspects for a successful calling.

a call to prayer

Bishop Ipolt speaks for a positive attitude towards a calling and emphasizes how important prayer is for young people in relation to their calling. He promises success if they regularly read the gospel and maintain practice of faith. There are currently two other candidates for priests in his own diocese. A lively parish, such as those in Wittichenau, shows how social factors and an active liturgical practice can contribute to the emergence of calls. Several priestly professions have developed there against the trend.

Ultimately, however, it is a constant process of support and support that the church has to initiate. "There is something" to encourage young people to find their way into priestly service. The prayer for appeals is indispensable. Bishop Ipolt has followed this path for 46 years and has not regretted it to this day.

For further information on the developments in the priestly profession in Germany, we refer to the reports of Catholicnewsagency.com and dbk.de .