"On its final day, St. Anna's is almost full again. A choir is singing and the small organ is supporting them. But this is the last mass in the small Catholic church in Gildehaus, a district of Bad Bentheim near the German-Dutch border. In future, the building will no longer be a place of worship. Towards the end of the service, the demise of this church becomes achingly real. Worshippers from the congregation open the altar and remove the relics."
"The number of church members in Germany is falling rapidly. In 2024 alone, the two major churches lost over a million Christians due to people leaving the church or dying. Currently, more than 45% of Germans still belong to either to the Protestant Church in Germanyor the Catholic Church. Thirty years ago, that figure stood at almost 69%. This is why churches are now being deconsecrated or desacralized. Since 2000, hundreds of Catholic and Protestant churches were decommissioned."
St. Anna's in Gildehaus held its final mass as worshippers removed relics from the altar and prepared the church for deconsecration. The removal of relics and the emotional response of pastor Hubertus Goldbeck illustrate the personal impact of church closures. Church membership in Germany is declining sharply; in 2024 the two major churches lost over one million members through departures and deaths. Nationwide adherence has fallen from nearly 69% thirty years ago to just over 45% today. Since 2000 hundreds of churches have been decommissioned: 611 Catholic closures were reported between 2000 and 2024, and the Protestant Church estimates 300–350 closures.
Read at www.dw.com
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