Demands to leave the church rose in Belgium. In 2021, the “demand for deregistration from the church” in the country increased 4 times compared to the previous year. According to the report for 2021 published by the Catholic Church, 5,200 people in Belgium have been deregistered from the church they were registered as baptized. In Belgium, 1,261 people were deregistered from the church in 2020.
In Belgium, where 42 thousand people were baptized in 2019 before the epidemic, churches were closed in 2020 due to bans and baptisms were stopped. With the easing of epidemic measures, a total of 36 thousand 834 baptisms were performed in 2021. Baptism rates, which were expected to increase after the epidemic, remained below expectations, while the number of weddings held in the church decreased significantly compared to previous years.
REDUCED ATTENTION TO THE CHURCH IN BELGIUM
In Belgium, which is known for its Christian identity but the churches are increasingly empty, the scandals experienced in recent years have caused the Catholic Church to bleed. Due to the decrease in the number of worshipers in Belgium, 35 churches had to close their doors last year, while some of them serve as libraries or concert halls. (UAV)