Bishop Ipolt sees the church in a clear minority position

“The church can only exist today in the context of a secular culture if it internally and honestly accepts that it is in a minority position,” said Ipolt on Saturday at the Görlitz diocese’s New Year’s reception.

One should no longer see oneself as a “cultural pillar” of society. “Then we will ultimately remain frustrated and barren and not be more inviting and lively.” The self-image of a “creative minority” is more appropriate for the church, said Ipolt, quoting Magdeburg Bishop Gerhard Feige.

Three offerings from the church

According to Ipolt, the church could make three offers in a secular society: be a “companion” even for people who do not belong to it, be “present and willing to make sacrifices” where people are hurt physically, socially, psychologically and spiritually, and finally The Catholic bishop emphasized that it would be a place where one could get to know the “option” of faith.

The reception for representatives from churches, politics and society included, among others, Auxiliary Bishop Piotr Wawrzynek from Legnica (Liegnitz) in Poland and the new President of the State Parliament of the Free State of Saxony, Alexander Dierks.

With around 29,000 Catholics, the diocese of Görlitz is the smallest diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany.

Diocese of Görlitz

The diocese of Görlitz is the smallest German diocese in terms of the number of members. Around 30,000 Catholics live in an area of around 9,700 square kilometers in the east of Brandenburg and Saxony, which is less than four percent of the population.

On average, around ten percent of the diocese members attended the Sunday service in the 16 parishes in 2021, despite Corona-related requirements. In this respect, the Diocese of Görlitz has long been at the top of the 27 German dioceses. The nationwide average in 2021 was a good four percent.