With the 101st German Catholic Congress in full swing in Münster, a major event that attracts tens of thousands of people every two years, here are some facts you might not know about Catholicism in the country.
As Germany prepares for another traditional Christmas, the Catholic bishop of Berlin has called on his flock to invite refugees to join their celebrations this year.
Germany's Catholic Church on Monday launched a new study into sexual abuse by clergy after a first attempt involving criminologists ended in acrimony last year.
The Vatican on Friday said the Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joachim Meisner, who has made controversial comments about Muslims, was stepping down from his duties as archbishop after reaching retirement age.
The number of Germans leaving the Catholic church as much as tripled in October. Trust among followers has plummeted after a major financial scandal, experts said on Thursday.
A German bishop who is under fire for spending €31 million on his new headquarters, including €15,000 on a bath tub, was summoned to Rome on Sunday – and flew with budget airline Ryanair.
A German bishop is spending €31 million on a luxury complex, including €380,000 on furniture for his new home. The project costs ten times more than the original estimate, it was revealed on Monday.
Three areas in Bavaria will see their public holidays trimmed by a day next year - because there are not enough Catholics to justify them. Instead of having a day off, everyone in the affected districts will have to head into work.
Klingenberg would like to be best known for its wine production and countryside holidays - but its dark history of exorcism was resurrected by a huge fire last week, sending talk of the devil once again flying around the small German town.
A leading German Catholic cardinal says the government should encourage women to stay at home and breed - rather than bring immigrants into the country to solve its demographic problems.
A dramatic slump in the number of regular churchgoers is forcing the German Catholic Church to go to desperate lengths to save money. Now dioceses are resorting to flogging barely-used churches on eBay.
An outspoken German TV presenter said he was "speechless" with fury after he claimed Facebook censored his status updates criticising the social values of the Catholic church and Pope Francis himself.
Germany's political leaders and Catholic faithful voiced confidence in the Church's new pontiff on Thursday, although some German bishops admitted they were surprised by the conclave's decision to pick Pope Francis.
In The Local's latest <b>Weekly News Roundup,</b> Ben Knight looks at the government's purportedly whitewashed poverty report, a fake bishop in the Vatican, some bullied soldiers, and how David Hasselhoff will save the Berlin Wall.
A German cardinal on Thursday said the upcoming papal conclave to pick the next head of the Catholic Church would be as pleasant as a visit to the dentist.
Catholics all over Germany are marking Benedict XVI's last day as pope with an outpouring of national pride, including some vowing that “Bavaria is still the pope.” Meanwhile, the country's clergy has rallied behind the outgoing pontiff.
Germany's leading Catholic said on Monday he expected Church guidelines for the morning-after pill to be relaxed so Catholic institutions nationwide can give the pill to rape victims.
The surprise decision by Pope Benedict XVI to step down as head of the Catholic Church has been greeted by tears and sadness in the pontiff's Bavarian hometown. AFP's Ralf Isermann reports from Marktl am Inn.
The shock resignation by Pope Benedict XVI drew critical appraisals of his papacy from Germany's press. The Local's media roundup looks at the legacy of the first German pontiff in nearly 500 years.
Germany's first pope in nearly 500 years, Benedict XVI, announced on Monday he would step down as head of the Catholic Church at the end of February due to his advanced age.
