Here is what is happening to Christianity in Europe and its churches and catherals. As PEW research Center showed, “in Belgium,… 83% say they were raised Christian, only 55% still consider themselves so. Only 10% of Belgians still attended church regularly.” I think much of the decline in Europe can be explained by two reasons, the endless reports of sexual molestation of children, and the archaic practice of holding that women are second class humans who cannot become priests.
Guests eat breakfast in front of an altar that has been repurposed at the Martin’s Patershof hotel in the center of Mechelen, Belgium, Monday, June 19, 2023. Across Europe, the continent that nurtured Christianity for most of two millennia, many churches, convents, beguinages and chapels stand empty as faith and church attendance have dwindled over the past half century. Many are now been repurposed to preserve their historical and architectural relevance, while others have opened up to non-religious activities to expand their use. Credit: AP Photo / Virginia Mayo
MECHELEN, BELGIUM — The confessionals where generations of Belgians admitted their sins stood stacked in a corner of what was once Sacred Heart Church, proof the stalls — as well as the Roman Catholic house of worship — had outlived their purpose.
The building is to close down for two years while a cafe and concert stage are added, with plans to turn the church into “a new cultural hot spot in the heart of Mechelen,” almost within earshot of where Belgium’s archbishop lives. Around the corner, a […]
