Don't turn churches into nightclubs - Vatican

[Iuvenalis]

Too late for St. Vibiana's in Los Angeles 


From: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/dont-turn-churches-into-nightclubs-vatican/story-e6frf7k6-1225804420053

Don't turn churches into nightclubs - Vatican
From correspondents in Vatican City From: AFP November 27, 2009 4:30AM

THE Vatican overnight warned Italy's bishops against letting deserted churches be transformed into nightclubs if the decision was taken to sell the places of worship.

Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's new culture commissar, urged "the greatest caution" after announcing that Roman Catholic churches with few worshippers could be sold off.

He gave the example of a church in Hungary which was "transformed into a nightclub and where striptease took place on the altar".

The archbishop, who is president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said dwindling numbers of worshippers at some churches meant it now made sense to sell, or even destroy, the buildings.

"Faced with falling number of worshippers, a phenomenon which we are also unfortunately witnessing in the centre of Rome, churches without any artistic value and which need significant work can be sold or destroyed," he said.

Italian bishops' groups would be responsible for deciding whether the sites should be sold, said Ravasi, adding each case would be separately assessed.

[AntoniusMaximus]

it's sad that this has to happen.  I think they should either do what they did with that church in Indiana that they took apart and shipped to Atlanta and destroyed these space saucer churches.  if that fails, I say just destroy the church, leave a small catholic shrine to remind people that a church stood there.  Because that's better than letting the protties, mohammedans and smut peddlers get access to them and make them perverted.  And I am sure they all have good statuaries and altars too, so I say send them to the states to replace the wooden tables so endemic here and we can have a real altar for once.

[Padre_Ricardo]

I agree with you, Antonius.

Another thing that should NOT be done: pews, statues, bells, and other such things should not be sold - or even given - to people who want to keep them in their homes as part of the decor or as conversation pieces.  I think that's appalling.  These items are intended for sacred use.

[devotedknuckles]

Sadly this has hapepned more then 100 times in quebec. Due to my trade (antiquarian book trader) I have had coontacts literally pull up to my shop  not in quebec) with a truck full of pews, stain glass, alter lamps, holy water fonts. Hawking these items not just to me but any one who would pay. Its not my trade and truth be told antiques are easy to fake but it pissed me off. And I couldn't afford to buy them. The same has happened with Missals. But I have managed to save. Many and actually am in the process of returning a missale romanam 1756 looted from a private chapel in sicily during the second waorld war. (fortunately the solder who looted it scribbled the town and his name on the title page.) Desecrating the Missal bit allowing me to find its rightfull home. Took years.
Anyhoo it breaks my heart when I see these theives show up from quebec with the inside of churches In the pick up.
Few words!!

[Magdalene]

I have been to Montreal with church steeples all over the city and incredibly beautiful churches but so empty now.  And perhaps the most beautiful of all is now a museum piece that belongs to the city and admission is charged.  Our Lady of LaSalette surely wept for these French Canadians. 

Here is an example of what to avoid:

St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Los Angeles

Before:



The developer who purchased the site paid little over six million to make the building structurally sound.



Cardinal Mahoney claimed that St. Vibiana's was non repairable and warranted the building of the monstrous LA Cathedral at a cost of 189 million dollars. And built this







I hear one must pay to park but there is a good coffee bar in the place. I hope to never see it or step foot in it myself.

[Bellringer]

My Lord...Those pictures make me so very upset. I pray that such degenerations of God's house are rarities...To think that the building that once served to give glory to God, and the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of Mass, has been turned into a place where teens may do impure things to the beat of impure music. Those consecrated stones cry out for vengeance, I've no doubt.

Also, having done the maths...6 million to make something beautiful structurally sound versus 189 million to build a fresh monstrosity...I fail to see the benefit here of doing the latter. 

 

[i.p.i.]

my parish was able to buy a beautiful marble high altar that had been in a church in the midwest that closed.  it's a shame more parishes don't look into buying altars and other items from old churches when they are remodeling. 

i was disgusted to read that altar stones have wound up in bars after being sold on e-bay.  first class relics also turn up on e-bay pretty often from what i've read.  if you report it to e-bay they are supposed to make the seller take it down.  i wonder if they sell korans on e-bay. . . just a thought.