Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

The German bishops’ conference defended a decree that said Catholics who stop paying a church membership tax cannot receive sacraments. “There must be consequences for people who distance themselves from the church by a public act,” said Archbishop Robert Zöllitsch of Freiburg, the conference president. “Clearly, someone withdrawing from the church can no longer take advantage of the system like someone who remains a member,” he said on Sept. 24. According to the decree, Catholics who legally separate from the church can no longer receive the sacraments of penance, holy Communion, confirmation or anointing of the sick, except when facing death, or exercise any church function, including belonging to parish councils or acting as godparents. Marriages would be allowed only with a bishop’s consent, and unrepentant Catholics would be denied church funerals.

Introduced in the 19th century, the membership tax, about 8 percent of personal income, brings the German church about $6 billion annually, making it one of the world’s wealthiest.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Pope Francis shared that he is experiencing “healing,” specifically “in my soul and my body,” as he reaches the eighth day of the minimum two-month period of rest and convalescence prescribed by his doctors.
Gerard O’ConnellMarch 30, 2025
With 38 years of experience in overseeing the process of canonization and beatification of saints, Monsignor Robert Sarno offers a deep dive into the world of Catholic relics, including their history, hierarchy and controversy.
JesuiticalMarch 28, 2025
Pope Francis continues to be in stable condition and has registered improvements in both breathing and speech, the Vatican said on March 28.
Gerard O’ConnellMarch 28, 2025
A large crowd gathers as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a rally at Zocalo Square in Mexico City March 9, 2025. (OSV News photo/Quetzalli Nicte-Ha, Reuters)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s deft handling of the mercurial U.S. president has sent her approval rating soaring, reaching 85 percent in the latest survey from the newspaper El Financiero.
David AgrenMarch 28, 2025