Financial Director Astrid Kreil-Sauer said that the success had been slightly due to the resulting deficits.
In addition, there is now an awareness in the diocese that there are fewer funds.
According to the financial director, the costs will continue to rise more than revenues in the future.
Without counter-control, these scissors go further and further apart.
The consolidation process should therefore be continued and further developed.
Nevertheless, the diocese wants to continue as many of its previous tasks as possible.
Budget of 203 million euros
For the current year, the diocese is planning to provide information based on income and expenditure of a little more than 203 million euros.
Compared to the financial statements of 2023, this is a decrease of around EUR 10 million, or by around five percent.
Most of the revenues continue to expect the diocese from the church tax with almost 172 million euros.
The largest expenditure item is the allocations to the church congregations, from which the pastoral staff are also paid. 32 million euros are planned for social services, and also for education, art and media.
Energy cuts in past year
In view of declining church tax revenues, the diocese had prescribed an austerity itself in 2022.
Accordingly, a total of 50 million euros is to be saved by 2030.
Last year, this austerity system was tightened up once again.
Among other things, it was decided that schools and educational institutions should receive almost half of the previous grants by 2040.
The diocese of Osnabrück has around 500,000 Catholic Christians.
It extends from the North Sea coast via Ostfriesland, the Emsland and the Osnabrück Land as well as via Twistringen to Bremen.
The diocese is headed by Bishop Dominicus Meier.