In the diocese of Mainz, they should know only too well that the devil is in the details.

Seen in this way, the desired goal is far from being achieved.

After all, it is now clear where the journey is going.

And on the "pastoral path" that has now been taken together without any audible protests, there will certainly be many a nasty surprise and many hurdles that will be difficult to overcome for all those involved.

Let's see what happens when the first churches between Offenbach, Darmstadt and Mainz are actually closed and sold, when a previously Catholic day-care center is handed over to another provider or simply community rooms are no longer available, or at least not to the usual extent stand.

It's no longer about what we have, but about what we need: This is how Susanne Barner, the executive chairwoman of the diocesan assembly in the diocese of Mainz, justified the changes planned by 2030 on Wednesday, those of a long-shrinking Catholic church again should be given more scope and thus a future again.

The mixture of downsizing and a new beginning is not convincing in all respects, but there is apparently no alternative.

Because the facts and figures speak for themselves: falling church tax revenues with rising expenses, too much property and too few offspring to be able to guarantee nationwide pastoral care in the long term.

overcome church tower thinking

The clear line of the diocese, which wants to overcome the widespread church tower thinking with the help of 46 new parishes to be founded, is beneficial in all of this.

According to the message from Mainz, celebrating the service together with believers from the neighboring parish can be very enriching.

In any case, better than sharing otherwise empty pews with just a dozen like-minded people.

And the desired teamwork of full-time and volunteers might even be perceived as a blessing in the best case by many a pastor who has worn himself out as a lone fighter on behalf of the Lord - because he had to rush straight from the baptism to the next funeral.

The bishop of Mainz, Peter Kohlgraf, who is driving the major project with the necessary sobriety, also wants the fundamental upheaval to be seen as an opportunity.

You can't simply continue with the traditional structures, you have to "adapt them to the situation of our time".

For his church, this means taking a different path and approaching people.