Violence in the Diocese of Osnabrück and Münster: Spiritual communities are not a safe space

The fact that the Diocese of Osnabrück is one of the perpetrators of the abuse scandal, the discovery of which has shocked the Catholic Church since 2010, is nothing new. But the now published pilot study “Power through Charisma. Spiritual Abuse in Spiritual Communities” by the University of Münster shows another facet of the attacks in the dioceses of Osnabrück and Münster. It's about the often little-noticed spiritual and spiritual abuse in clerical communities.

In the almost four-year research project, a team led by theologian and sociologist Judith Könemann and historian Bernhard Frings from the Catholic Theological Faculty at the University of Münster examined the phenomenon of spiritual abuse using two communities - the “Christian Community” in the diocese of Osnabrück and the “Totus tuus New Evangelization” in the diocese of Münster.

The Diocese of Osnabrück was already certified as having “misconduct at all levels of church activity” in the final report of the University of Osnabrück in 2024 “Affected – Accused – Church Leadership: Sexualized violence against minors and adults in need of protection and help in the Diocese of Osnabrück since 1945”. Now it is commissioning the new study on spiritual abuse together with the diocese of Münster, the order of the Thuin Franciscan Sisters, in whose environment the Christ community emerged in the 1970s, and the German Bishops' Conference.

This study is based on 117 interviews with those affected and church representatives and on files from the dioceses and the order. And it goes beyond the two dioceses - is a pioneer on this topic throughout Germany.

Spiritual abuse is defined here as “the inadmissible overreach and interference in the spiritual life, in the spirituality of a counterpart, which is always controlled by power-based interests”. It does not involve physical assault, but “nevertheless represents a violation not only of personal integrity, but also of people’s physical and mental health,” write the authors of the study.

At its core, the abuse consists in “gaining power over the conscience and the innermost being of a counterpart through the use and within the horizon of a spiritual doctrine and spirituality” and in “not only demanding the complete self-sacrifice, self-surrender and submission of the other, but also enforcing it with appropriate means.”

The study examines what happened in the “Christian Community” in the diocese of Osnabrück and the “Totus tuus New Evangelization” community in the diocese of Münster, how spiritual abuse basically arises, what consequences it has, and what exit routes there are. It also shows specifically how the two dioceses dealt with him.

“Spiritual communities continue to fascinate many people,” said the head of the study, Judith Könemann, last Friday at the presentation of the study results in Münster Castle. Those affected and also high-ranking church representatives sat in the audience. The charisma of the leadership figures, who were role models for the members in many ways, had a decisive appeal. “Spiritual abuse must be made more punishable and recognized as a criminal offense,” demanded Könemann.

In the study, Könemann, Frings and representatives of the project advisory board reported on weak sanctions and a lack of episcopal authority, on rigid standardization practices and missed life opportunities, on trivialization and indoctrination, on embarrassment and toxicity. If charisma begins to be an end in itself instead of benefiting others, it becomes dangerous. Spiritual communities are not healthy places, not safe spaces.

Those affected spoke up at the press conference. Saying things like, "This is devastating. And what happens? Nothing!" The church representatives present remained silent.

The “Totus tuus New Evangelization” community in the diocese of Münster has now been dissolved. It is said that the “Christ Community” still has smaller prayer circles - a “largely fruitless” dialogue process with it in the Diocese of Osnabrück lasted 20 years, according to the study.

The diocese of Osnabrück is likely to come under further pressure as a result of these new revelations. While there were just under 532,000 Catholics in 2021, in 2025 there were only around 486,000. In 2022 alone, the year of the interim report on “Affected – Accused – Church Leadership”, almost 10,500 people left the Catholic Church, far more than in previous years. The number of departures remained high in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The four commissioners of the study want to comment on October 5th. In a joint preliminary statement that the Diocese of Osnabrück published shortly before the study was presented, they wrote that they would like to thank those affected for sharing their experiences and experiences. "We see their suffering and their pain. Their wounds often last a lifetime. We must do everything we can to prevent such suffering and spiritual abuse in the future."

Those responsible for “Totus tuus New Evangelization” and the “Christ Community” have rejected all allegations, said Könemann. There was no exchange.