The 7th edition of the annual report of the Catholic Church in Belgium, covering the calendar year 2023, has just been released. It mainly emerges that the contribution of volunteers in parishes represents 3.5 million hours of volunteering per year. A figure which corresponds to 2,103 full-time equivalents. No less than that! We also learn that our country still has 7,790 religious men and women, the vast majority of whom are women, that young people's quest for meaning continues but also that 2023 will have seen 14,251 requests for debaptizations compared to 1,270 in 2022.
The latest edition of the annual report of the Catholic Church of Belgium was published on December 18. It addresses in particular the commitment of volunteers in parishes, the future and young people, sexual abuse, the place of women in the Church and even the reduction of the sacraments. “A report which presents many signs of hope” confided Luc Terlinden, President of the Conference of Bishops of Belgium.
3,574,925 volunteer hours
What would the Belgian Church be without the presence of its volunteers?! According to this new report covering the calendar year 2023, our Catholic Church can count on many volunteers for its local operations in the parishes. To better assess the number of volunteer hours carried out in parishes, the Conference of Bishops of Belgium commissioned a study. This study revealed that in 2023, a total of 3,574,925 volunteer hours were carried out in parishes.
The place of women in the Church is growing.
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