Catholic Church in the Netherlands
Apostolic Nuncio | Aldo Cavalli | |
---|---|---|
Region | Netherlands | |
Language | Dutch, Latin | |
Headquarters | St Catherine's Cathedral, Utrecht | |
Separations | Mennonites (1540) Dutch Reformed Church (1571) Old Catholic Church (1724) | |
Members | 4,332,020 | |
Official website | Episcopal Conference of the Netherlands |
The Catholic Church in the Netherlands (
of the Dutch people, based on in-depth interviewing, down from 40% in the 1960s.Although the number of Catholics in the Netherlands has decreased in recent decades, the Catholic Church remains today the largest religious group in the Netherlands. Once known as a
Church attendance by Catholics has decreased in recent decades to 98,600 or 2.7% of Dutch Catholics in a regular weekend of May 2022.[9]
In December 2011 a report was published by
History
Medieval period
From the 4th to the 6th century AD The Great Migration took place, in which the small Celtic-Germanic-Roman tribes in the Low Countries were gradually supplanted by three major Germanic tribes: the Franks, the Frisians and Saxons.
The most powerful of these were the Franks (who, at the time, resided between the Rhine and the
The coastal
Since the rise of Calvinism
Since the War of Independence the Catholics were systematically and officially discriminated against by the Protestant government until the second half of the 20th century, which had a major influence on the economical and cultural development of the southern part of the Netherlands. Dutch Catholics were "reduced to the rank of second-class citizens" and were barred from all civil service positions; Catholics were not only barred from administrative posts such as that of a mayor, but they were also banned from minor ones such as lantern lighter and turf carrier.[11] The church itself also faced harassment, and between 1703 and 1727 the papal nuncio was not allowed to enter the territory of the Netherlands. Increasingly marginalised, Dutch Catholics became one of the poorest groups in the Dutch society. According to Jan Roegiers, in many Catholic areas "not a single Catholic, aside from the pastor and his assistant, belonged to the intellectual and merchant class". The economic plight of Catholics was largely the result of discrimination by the Protestant majority.[11]
From the
Restoration of Catholic hierarchy
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Catholics formed a separate social
Recent Era
At the
After 1970, the emphasis on Catholic concepts and traditions such as
In the 1980s and 1990s the church became polarized. The conservatives' main organization was Contact Roman Catholics. The liberals' main organization was the Eighth of May Movement (Dutch: "Acht Mei-beweging"), founded because of disputes about the papal visit in 1985; the Movement had a difficult relationship with the bishops, and disbanded in 2003.
Currently, Catholicism is still the single largest religion of the Netherlands with around four million registered members, 22.9% of the Dutch population in 2015.
92% of Dutch Catholics support same-sex marriage and 3% oppose it. 95% of Dutch Catholics believe society should accept homosexuality, while 4% believe society should not accept homosexuality.[17]
Child abuse scandal
In December 2011 a report was published by
Dioceses
There are seven dioceses in the Netherlands:
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Utrecht, St Catherine's Cathedral, Archbishop Wim Eijk (since 2007)
- Diocese of Breda, St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Bishop Johannes Liesen (since 2011)
- Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden, St. Joseph Cathedral, Bishop Ron van den Hout (since 2017)
- Jan Hendriks(since 2020)
- Diocese of Roermond, St. Christopher's Cathedral, Bishop Hendrikus Smeets (since 2018)
- Diocese of Rotterdam, St. Lawrence and St. Elizabeth Cathedral, Bishop Hans van den Hende (since 2011)
- Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch), St. John's Cathedral, Bishop Gerard de Korte (since 2016)
There is also the Military Ordinariate of the Netherlands for the Dutch military and the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Vladimir the Great of Paris is for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic population of the Netherlands.
Former dioceses of the Netherlands included:
Demographics
year | population | Catholics (based on registration by the church itself) | Percentage (based on registration by the church itself) |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | 12,957,621 | 5,320,000 | 40.5 |
1980 | 14,091,014 | 5,620,000 | 39.5 |
1990 | 14,892,574 | 5,560,000 | 37.0 |
2000 | 15,863,950 | 5,060,413 | 31.6 |
2010 | 16,574,989 | 4,166,000 | 25.0 |
2020 | 17,407,585[20] | 3,701,000[21][22] | 21.2 |
2022 | 17,590,672[23] | 4,332,020[24] | 24.6 |
These figures are the latest available as of 2020 from ecclesiastical statistics:[25]
Number of registered people per diocese and church attendance | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Diocese | Registered as Catholic in the population (2020-2021) | Sunday Catholic church attendance in the general population (at least once a month) (2010) | ||
(registered by church as member) | (percentage) | (people attending church) | (percentage) | |
Groningen-Leeuwarden | 101,330 (2021) | 5.6% | 6,900 | 0.4% |
Utrecht | 762,100 (2020) | 18.5% | 31,700 | 0.8% |
Haarlem-Amsterdam |
455,320 (2021) | 14.6% | 24,300 | 0.8% |
Rotterdam | 476,000 (2020) | 12.5% | 25,800 | 0.7% |
Breda | 418,000 (2020) | 36.4% | 12,300 | 1.1% |
's-Hertogenbosch | 1,045,470 (2020) | 48.5% | 38,900 | 1.9% |
Roermond | 1,086,540 (2021) | 96.0% | 32,800 | 2.9% |
Netherlands in total | 4,344,730 (2020-2021) | 35.23% | 172,700 | 1.0% |
According to the church administration, in 2010 two dioceses – 's-Hertogenbosch and Roermond – still had a majority of Catholics in the population. It is notable that SILA (Stichting Interkerkelijke Ledenadministratie) published for these two dioceses a lower number of Catholics in 2005. Based on the SILA-numbers, in the diocese of Hertogenbosch in 2010 the population has no longer a Catholic majority. KASKI (Katholiek Sociaal-Kerkelijk Insituut / Catholic Social-Ecclesiastical Institute[26]) found 23.3% of the population to be nominal Catholic in 2014,[27] based on registration by the Catholic church.[28] These numbers are higher than the numbers of Catholic adherence found by Radboud University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (11.7% Catholic in 2015).[29] These surveys show a disconnect between membership and actual adherence. Especially the Catholic Church often claims that a quarter of the Dutch population is Catholic, pointing to the official statistics, but when questioned, fewer than half that number associate themselves with the Catholic faith. A lot of people still registered as members of a church are actually not religious (anymore), but for various reasons have not officially renounced their membership – a phenomenon known as 'belonging without believing'.[30]
Year | Infant baptisms | Communions | Confirmations | Conversions | Weddings | Funerals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 37,065 | 40,435 | 29,385 | 805 | 7,700 | 38,130 |
2005 | 33,000 | 37,905 | 27,175 | 735 | 6,600 | 34,285 |
2010 | 23,840 | 32,410 | 21,220 | 760 | 3,865 | 28,630 |
2015 | 14,030 | 19,870 | 12,660 | 540 | 1,910 | 21,880 |
2020 | 5,170 | 6,040 | 3,810 | 275 | 395 | 16,720 |
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According to the Church's figures, Catholics became a minority in the Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch in 2014. The number of parishes in the Netherlands has dropped between 2003 and 2014 from 1525 to 760.[32]
Year | Number of Churches | Number of Parishes |
---|---|---|
2003 | 1782 | 1525 |
2005 | 1740 | 1442 |
2010 | 1629 | 1139 |
2015 | 1513 | 726 |
2020 | 1333 | 647 |
Many remaining churches have found purposes outside the religious domain, like stores, apartment buildings and museums.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Churches
As well as the cathedrals, notable Catholic churches in the Netherlands also include:
- Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Amsterdam
- Begijnhof Chapel, Amsterdam
- Church of Our Lady, Amsterdam
- Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Amsterdam
- De Krijtberg, Amsterdam
- Mozes en Aäronkerk, Amsterdam
- James the Greater Church, Bocholtz
- St Francis Xavier Church, Enkhuizen
- St Willibrordus, Hulst
- St Joseph's Church, Leiden
- Heilige Lodewijkkerk, Leiden
- Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht
- Basilica of Saint Servatius, Maastricht
- St Peter Canisius Church, Nijmegen
- Basilica of St Plechelm, Oldenzaal
- Oudenbosch Basilica
- Church of St John the Baptist, Pijnacker
- St Lambert's Church, Rosmalen
- Saint Remigius Church, Simpelveld
- Basilica of St Amelberga, Susteren
- Gerardus Majellakerk, Tilburg
- Heuvelse kerk, Tilburg
- Saint Bernard Church, Ubachsberg
- Saint Paul's Church, Vaals
- Our Lady of the Enclosed Garden, Warfhuizen
Monasteries also include:
- Egmond Abbey
- St. Benedictusberg Abbey
- St. Willibrord's Abbey
- Carmelite Monastery, Echt
- Berne Abbey
- Achel Abbey
- Koningshoeven Abbey
- Lilbosch Abbey
Notable Dutch Catholics
Notable Dutch Catholics throughout history include Pope Adrian VI, Ruud Lubbers, Henry of Gorkum, Hadewijch, Cornelius Loos, Jakob Middendorp, Hieronymus Bosch, Piet de Jong, Jan Harmenszoon Krul, Dries van Agt, Jan Steen, Casimir Ubaghs, Maxime Verhagen, Erasmus, and Joan Albert Ban.
See also
- Religion in the Netherlands
- Catholic Church in the Dutch Caribbean
- Protestantism in the Netherlands
References
- ^ Heneghan, Tom (2013-12-03). "Dutch bishops give Pope Francis a bleak picture of Catholic Church in decline". Reuters Blogs. Archived from the original on 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ Schmeets, Hans (2016). De religieuze kaart van Nederland, 2010–2015 (PDF). Centraal Bureau voor der Statistiek. p. 5.
- ^ CBS. "Helft Nederlanders is kerkelijk of religieus". www.cbs.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2017-10-17.
- ^ "Kerncijfers 2012".
- ^ "Cijfers Rooms-Katholieke Kerk". Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Cijfers Rooms-Katholieke Kerk".
- ISBN 9789025957407
- ^ "Hoe God (bijna) verdween uit Nederland". NOS. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ Kregting, Joris (August 2022). "Kerncijfers Rooms-Katholieke Kerk 2021". Kaski (in Dutch). p. 19. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Dutch Roman Catholic Church 'castrated at least 10 boys'". Telegraph. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0773503617.
- ^ Sunier, Thijl Houses of worship and politics of space in Amsterdam in Ethnic Amsterdam: Immigrants and Urban Change in the Twentieth Century, Solidarity and identity edited by Nell, Liza, Rath, Jan, 2009, Amsterdam university press, page 170
- ^ Heneghan, Tom. "Dutch bishops give Pope Francis a bleak picture of Catholic Church in decline". Archived from the original on 2013-12-07.
- ^ "Kerkelijke gezindte en kerkbezoek; vanaf 1849; 18 jaar of ouder". 15 October 2010.
- ^ Kerncijfers 2006 uit de kerkelijke statistiek van het Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap in Nederland, Rapport nr. 561 oktober 2007, Jolanda Massaar- Remmerswaal dr. Ton Bernts, KASKI, onderzoek en advies over religie en samenleving
- ^ "Kardinaal Eijk blokkeert bezoek paus Franciscus". Trouw (in Dutch). February 2014. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ How Catholics around the world see same-sex marriage, homosexuality Pew Research Center
- ^ "Voormalig onderzoek RK - Archief website" (PDF). www.onderzoekrk.nl. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ "Voormalig onderzoek RK - Archief website" (PDF). www.onderzoekrk.nl. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ "Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek StatLine - Population; key figures".
- ^ "SILA (Stichting Interkerkelijke Ledenadministratie)".
- ^ "Katholieken".
- ^ "Netherlands: total population 1950-2023". Statista. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Current Dioceses in Netherlands [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Dioceses in Netherlands [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Kaski: Onderzoekscentrum religie en samenleving". KASKI. Radboud Universiteit.
- ^ "Overzicht onderzoeksvormen". KASKI. Radboud Universiteit.
- ^ "Cijfers overige kerkgenootschappen". KASKI. Radboud Universiteit.
- ISBN 9789025905248.
- ^ "Netherlands: 50% officially not religious". European Skeptics. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ "Sacramenten en kerkelijke rituelen".
- ^ a b "Kerkgebouwen en parochies".
- ISBN 9789025905248.
- ^ KASKI-Report ), retrieved 26 Sep 2017
- ISBN 9789025905248