More than 1,000 people left the Church in 2022. That is around 300 more than in 2021.
DISTRICT BRAUNAU. In 2021, 773 people left the Catholic Church – and the trend is rising. In 2022 there were already 1,073. Thus there are still a total of 68,362 Catholics in the Braunau district. Father Severin Piksa sees money as a possible reason for the many departures: “People pay more attention to money and have to save more than they used to.” The connection to the church is no longer as strong. According to Piksa, those who no longer go to church see no reason to pay the church tax. According to Father Severin, another reason could also be the partially bad image of the church. “Because one often only sees the dark side, some don’t want to have anything to do with it,” explains Father Severin.
offer to talk
Those who leave the church first receive a letter from the bishop. There is also an offer for an interview. It covers what the reasons for leaving are and how to fix them.