Dutch bishops give sober report to Rome on Church decline
November 08, 2022
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CWN Editor's Note: Bishop Jan Hendriks of Amsterdam has acknowledged that the Dutch bishops gave a “not-so-rosy” picture of the Church in their country, in their ad limina report to the Vatican.
The bishop—who had earlier revealed that his diocese might be forced to close up to 60% of its parishes—explained that the hierarchy is reacting to a decline in the numbers of priests and active Catholics, and a decline in contributions.
The Dutch bishops are in Rome this week for the ad limina visits, during which they will meet with Pope Francis and confer with officials of the Roman Curia. He said that the report presented to Rome offered no dramatic new plans, but gave a realistic understanding of the situation the Church faces.
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