Is being ruined.
One religious building is disappearing in France every two weeks.
That is the conclusion of Edouard de Lamaze, president of the Observatoire du patrimoine religieux (Observatory of Religious Heritage) in Paris.
[...]
Lamaze told CNA in an interview that in addition to one religious building disappearing every two weeks -- by demolition, transformation, destruction by fire, or collapse -- two-thirds of fires in religious buildings are due to arson.
[...]
“Although Catholic monuments are still ahead, one mosque is erected every 15 days in France, while one Christian building is destroyed at the same pace,” Lamaze said. “It creates a tipping point on the territory that should be taken into account.”
[...]
According to the most recent figures from France’s central criminal intelligence unit, 877 attacks on Catholic places of worship were recorded across the country in 2018 alone.
“These figures have increased fivefold in only 10 years,” Lamaze said, noting that 129 churches were vandalized in 2008.
Why France is losing one religious building every two weeks
More than 10 churches a year are closing in Wales, figures have shown.
Data from the Church in Wales showed 115 Anglican churches have closed over a 10-year period, about 8% of the total, with 1,319 still in use.
110 Anglican churches closed in Wales in 10 years
C of E bishop warns of church closures due to Covid financial losses
Please stand up for your heritage, Europe! What is wrong with you?
If someone were burning all the synagogues and mosques it'd be an outcry, but churches? That's fine. The state and the people will do nothing.
I'm not a Christian and this upsets me. Get your act together, Europe.
I think the post mixes up a few things:
- For attacks on churches, arson, and other acts of vandalism and violence, governments should definitely step up and combat those in the same way they should attacks on synagogues, mosques, or any other establishments. Arson and vandalism are unacceptable, but not because these are churches per se; it's because committing these acts encroaches on the safety, property, and freedom of another person or resident of the country in question.
- For the closure of churches due to lack of usage, I don't see the issue. Irreligiosity is on the rise in multiple parts of the world, and it's logical that churches and other places of worship are getting less use. Unless they're historical buildings or date back to, say, 100 years ago, I don't see the issue with closing them to save up the space they're taking now that they're barely getting any use.
- France has overseen immense efforts to restore Notre-Dam following the fire that damaged it, so it seems to me that even one of the most staunchly secular European countries still cares about its heritage, Christian or not. The fact that France considered it a tragedy when the cathedral caught fire makes it clear that the French government doesn't just consider their Christian heritage dispensable or insignificant.
- Finally, Christianity is only one part of European heritage. Among other major parts of it are Roman and Greek mythology, Greek philosophy, Norse mythology, and various cultural influences and traditions that had nothing to do with Christianity and were actually sometimes at odds with it.
I believe in protecting all parts of one's ancient sites, but that doesn't entail giving special treatment to churches over, say, Pagan temples or ancient Greek monuments. The idea that Christianity is somehow special or entitled to continue to influence present-day European culture seems to me more often than not rooted in religious supremacism and lack of acknowledgement for the bigger picture that history gives us.