One of the richest, if not the wealthiest archdiocese in Germany, Munich-Freising, published the annual balance sheet for 2022. Despite the difficult times, business related to the Catholic faith seems to be going really well.
Inhalt / Content
Final report is in the black
The Archdiocese of Munich-Freising has published its annual report for 2022. The past year seems to have gone very well financially for the area of Archbishop Reinhard Marx, although the mass exodus of church members must certainly have hit this diocese hard. Despite the hordes of emigrants, church tax revenues have actually increased in 2022.
The final report 2022 in the form of a brochure was entitled “Give confidence – with the message of Jesus Christ and your support”.
A few rounded numbers
As of December 31, 2022, the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising had the following assets (rounded):
Fixed assets:
25,080,000 euros Intangible assets
1,523,000,000 euros in fixed assets
2,949,000,000 euros of financial assets
Current Assets:
4,659,000 euros in inventories
EUR 187,206,000 Other assets and receivables
743,083,000 euros in cash and bank balances
Total assets:
3,884,000,000 euros
Income Statement 2022:
911,715,000 income
-798,046,000 expenses
Earnings before taxes:
134,008,000 euros
Net income:
128,565,000 euros
The church tax collected in 2023 amounted to around 658,191,000 euros. In 2021, the total church tax collected was 647,476,000 euros. Despite the reduced number of members, the Archdiocese received around 10.7 million euros more church tax than in the previous year. As of January 1, 2019, around 1.67 million Catholics were registered in the Archdiocese of Munich Freising, which is around 44 percent of the total population.
In order to bring the annual balance to zero, the diocese invested around 4,674,000 euros in the equalization reserve and around 199,408,000 euros in earmarked reserves.
Business is going well
Apparently, the Archdiocese of Munich Freising is not doing badly financially. It is a diocese that was the wealthiest diocese in Germany in 2016. Around 131,720,000 euros of the income comes from unspecified grants. The “Other income” item includes around EUR 81,665,000. The income from getting involved in the stock markets and lending from financial investments amounted to around EUR 21,657,000. Business related to the Catholic faith is obviously running like clockwork.
Caritas is more transparent
The only amazing thing is that the “Other” and unspecified “Grants” items account for a considerable chunk, although one would have expected the opposite. The Archdiocese has refrained from a breakdown of the “Other”. At this point, for example, the Catholic institution Caritas is more open. The organization, which in 2021 was only 4.5 percent sponsored by church funds, received 39 percent of its income from the federal government and the EU, 38.5 percent from inheritance and 3.2 percent from grants from foundations and associations. Caritas put the “other operating income” for 2021 at 2.7 percent. After all, “other” and “grants” make up around 23 percent of the archdiocese’s income. Where and what exactly? You don’t know.
Abuse Compensation Funds
According to Vatikan News, the budget for 2023 has already been estimated. The Archdiocese expects income of 833 million euros by the end of 2023. On the other hand, there are higher budgeted expenses in the range of 894 million euros. As every year, the largest part will be made up of personnel expenses, in 2023 an expected sum of 340 million.
Despite the brilliant figures, the archdiocese speaks of “declining resources”. The focus here is on the forthcoming or announced investigations into the numerous cases of abuse within the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising. What was not said so directly is still obvious. It is about compensation payments, which this church, however, describes as “directions” to those affected.
An effort must now be made to show people how worthwhile it is to be in the church, according to a spokesman for the archdiocese. It is about compensation payments, which this church, however, describes as “directions” to those affected.
An effort must now be made to show people how worthwhile it is to be in the church, according to a spokesman for the archdiocese.
True to the motto: “Give confidence – with the message of Jesus Christ and your support”.
