2020 Statistical data of male orders

3,496 religious in the DOK with profession

48% are younger than 65 years

52% are older than 65 years

in 390 monastic settlements

from 50 different orders / congregations

with 96 independent provinces, abbeys, independent priories

2,561 religious ordained priests

22 members of the order with deacon ordination (permanent deacons)

65 religious members studying theology (clerical students / scholastics)

680 other members of the order (not ordained)

Another 642 German religious are active abroad. In addition, there were a total of 30 novices on December 31, 2020. In 2020, 11 religious were ordained priests in Germany.

Among the individual religious communities, the Benedictines come first: In 30 branches of 26 legally independent abbeys and priories, 551 members (previous year: 576) live as fathers, monks and brothers according to the rule of St. Benedict.

The second largest group is the Franciscan Family with 482 members in 69 branches of the Franciscans (263), Minorites (110) and Capuchins (102) as well as a commissariat of the Franciscans of the Regulated Third Order (7).

The largest religious communities in the Federal Republic of Germany after the Benedictines and Franciscans are the Jesuits (270), the Steyler missionaries (219), the Salesians of Don Bosco (203) and the Pallottines (184).

The total number of professed members of the Order decreased from 3,568 to 3,496 in 2020 compared to the previous year. The number of novices in 2020 is 30 (previous year: 26).

Status: December 31, 2020