Presented at an international conference held in Rome in December 2018, Pope Francis delivered a message on the repurposing of churches no longer used for their original function. The gathering, titled “Does God No Longer Live Here?”, addressed the growing phenomenon of decommissioned churches across Europe being converted into nightclubs, luxury residences, breweries, techno music venues, and other secular uses.
The Pope’s Vision for Sacred Spaces
Pope Francis acknowledged that “the common sense of the faithful perceives for environments and objects destined for worship the permanence of a sort of imprint that does not disappear even after they have lost such a destination.” He argued that the original eloquence of these buildings could be preserved through proper curatorial display, which treats them not merely as historical documents but gives them “a new life, so that they can continue to carry out an ecclesial mission.” The Pope also stressed that church property, while requiring protection and conservation, does not hold absolute value and must serve the greater good of humanity, particularly those in need.
European Models and Conversions
The conference highlighted examples of successful conversion from Germany. The Dialogarum Krezung St. Helena cultural centre in Bonn operates within a decommissioned but not yet desecrated church building, hosting people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds in a space that retains liturgical furnishings and sacred objects such as stone altars and holy water fonts. In Hamburg, the Kapernaum Kirche, a Lutheran church sold to the Islamic community in 2012, underwent modest external architectural changes while the two communities engaged in dialogue during the transformation process. Germany alone has closed more than five hundred Catholic churches since 2000, with one-third demolished and two-thirds sold or converted to other purposes.
New Guidelines and Future Direction
Nuno da Silva Gonçalves, rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, which hosted the conference with representatives from 23 episcopal conferences, reframed the question: “Despite everything, God still dwells in churches that are no longer used for worship, but in another way that is no longer the presence manifested through liturgy and the celebration of sacraments.” The challenge, he noted, is to make this “other way—certainly more discrete and silent—in which God makes himself present” recognizable in their apparent absence. The conference announced the forthcoming publication of guidelines for all episcopal conferences regarding the conversion and preservation of decommissioned churches.
Frequently asked questions
What was the main topic of the December 2018 Rome conference?
The international conference examined how decommissioned churches could be repurposed to serve new functions while maintaining their spiritual and cultural significance, a question addressed directly by Pope Francis in his message.
What examples of church conversion did the conference present?
The conference highlighted the Dialogarum Krezung St. Helena in Bonn, a cultural centre within a decommissioned church, and Hamburg’s Kapernaum Kirche, sold to the Islamic community in 2012, where both communities engaged in dialogue during the transformation.
What did Pope Francis say about the purpose of church property?
The Pope stated that while church buildings require protection and conservation, they do not hold absolute value and must serve the greater good of humanity and especially the service of the poor when necessary.
