Munich, Germany, Jul 18, 2016 / 08:55 am
Archbishop Georg Ganswein has criticized the German Church Tax process, calling its handling of people opting out of the controversial system "a serious problem."
In a wide-ranging interview published Monday in Schwäbische Zeitung, the Prefect of the Papal Household and secretary to both Pope Francis and Pope emeritus Benedict also spoke candidly about the papal propensity for "flippant" remarks and the media's handling of them.
Figures released Friday show that Catholicism in Germany continues to be in decline, with almost 190,000 Catholics leaving the Church in 2015.
With a view to the situation in his native country, Ganswein, who is the son of a blacksmith from the Black Forest region, criticized how the Church Tax System in the country handles Church membership.