Under the title "Exit?", the Open Church of St. Clare in Nuremberg offers a regular programme of talks for people who want to turn their back on the church, have already done so or are in doubt. 

For people who have doubts about their church, it is often difficult to find people who will listen to their criticism or simply listen to them. It is not about countering their arguments, but about a completely open conversation that shows the doubters that they are taken seriously with their criticism and their questions. 

"We had the idea for this offer for a long time," says Jesuit Father Ansgar Wiedenhaus SJ, head of the Catholic city chaplaincy at the Open Church of St. Clare in Nuremberg. The most recent publications on the abuse scandals were at best the final impetus to now put this into practice. St. Clare's Church, with its emphatically open offer of various kinds, often has to deal with people who have problems with the "official church", but also with their traditional faith, who are doubting or even despairing - not infrequently as a result of life upheavals. She sees this as one of her main tasks. "These are not worse Christians or people who have no spiritual needs at all," says Father Wiedenhaus. However, they often lack a place where they can be welcomed with their concerns. In times when church loyalty is declining and the church itself is doing a lot to strengthen this, such open spaces and offers are perhaps the only chance to offer people a spiritual home. 

The new "Exit?" service is primarily about accompanying people when they leave and showing them ways in which they can nevertheless continue to live their faith and remain in touch with some familiar things. "Many people don't just leave, they are in great pain," says Father Ansgar Wiedenhaus, "it is a decision that is difficult for them and that they have had to come to for a long time. The aim is not to change their minds. "Of course, there may be some who want help in making a decision and therefore want to weigh up arguments and counter-arguments," says Wiedenhaus. However, this offer to talk should be a completely open offer. Ultimately, each person must decide for themselves what is right for them.