A conference on the dismissal of places of worship and integrated management of ecclesiastical cultural goods took place in Rome in December 2018, organized under Cardinal Ravasi’s direction by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and the Pontifical Gregorian University. MEP Silvia Costa, rapporteur for Creative Europe, addressed the gathering with remarks on the role of religious heritage in European cultural identity.
Religious Heritage as European Cultural Foundation
Costa emphasized that the European Year of Cultural Heritage was essential for valuing Christian heritage, which centers on the person and their creativity. She noted that religious and cultural patrimony cannot be separated. The most visited sites in Europe include Notre-Dame and Sacré-Cœur in Paris and St. Peter’s in Rome. Religious heritage represents the broadest category of European cultural patrimony: churches and cathedrals define European landscapes, while pilgrimages and cultural routes connect thousands of cities, villages, and regions. Italy possesses particularly rich distributed heritage across its territory.
Managing Church Closures Responsibly
The conference addressed two urgent matters: the dismissal of churches and their new uses, and the management and valorization of ecclesiastical cultural heritage as an aspect of diocesan pastoral activity. Delegates from European, North American, and Oceanic episcopal conferences participated, as these regions share similar social conditions and comparable challenges in cultural heritage management. Costa argued that dismissal should never be the first and only solution, nor should it be carried out in a manner that scandalize the faithful. When necessary, closures should be included in ordinary pastoral planning, preceded by adequate information, and as widely shared as possible.
Cultural Heritage and Living Communities
Costa cited Pope Francis, who stated that ecclesiastical cultural goods are witnesses to the faith of communities that produced them over centuries, and are instruments of evangelization alongside ordinary preaching and catechesis. The Faro Convention, Costa concluded, speaks to the value a heritage asset holds for society and how to protect and enhance it. Religious heritage offers multiple responses to contemporary questions but also new challenges in the face of sacred site closures. The relationship between cultural patrimony and community must be restored and strengthened.
Frequently asked questions
What was the main topic of the December 2018 Rome conference?
The conference addressed the dismissal of places of worship and integrated management of ecclesiastical cultural goods, discussing both the closure of churches and their reuse, alongside the valorization of ecclesiastical heritage as part of diocesan pastoral activities.
What did Pope Francis say about ecclesiastical cultural goods?
According to Pope Francis, ecclesiastical cultural goods are witnesses to the faith of communities that produced them and function as instruments of evangelization alongside preaching and catechesis.
Under whose direction was the conference organized?
The conference was organized under the direction of Cardinal Ravasi by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and the Pontifical Gregorian University.