This is how churches become hotels, nightclubs, and gyms

Churches are emptying all over Europe, as the number of Christians, especially practicing Christians, continues to decrease on the continent. Many church buildings are demolished or the former place of worship is given a new function. There will be hotels, nightclubs, gyms or libraries in the place of the former sacred spaces.

"This is painful. I won't hide it. On the other hand, you can't go back to the past," said the Bishop of Antwerp, Belgium, Johan Bonny, to the Associated Press news agency.

In Europe, some churches have been converted into clothing stores, night clubs and hotels. In Mechelen, Belgium, the Church of the Sacred Heart has been closed for two years as the building is being converted into a cafe and concert venue, which investors believe will be "a new cultural hot spot in the heart of Mechelen".

In Europe, most churches were converted in Belgium. According to a 2018 study by Pew Research, although 83 percent of Belgians say they were raised as Christians, only 55 percent still follow the religion, and only 10 percent say they attend church regularly.

The trend is not only visible in Belgium, churches in Italy and Germany are also being converted for similar purposes, but this trend is most pronounced in the Dutch-speaking northern region of Flanders, where cities once had an average of six churches. But now, according to local leaders, maintaining some of the buildings has become burdensome for local governments, leading to a movement to convert the buildings into new commercial space.

"My city has a brewery, a hotel, a cultural center and a library in one church," Bart Somers, the mayor of Mechelen, who is leading the initiative to transform some 350 Flemish churches, told The Associated Press.

One such project in Mechelen was the Martin's Patershof hotel. has a "very good" rating of 8.4 points on Booking.com .

We often hear that people come here to relax and enjoy the silence of the former sacred square, hotel director Emilie De Preter told The Associated Press.

Mayor Bart Sommers noted that he has no doubts from an ethical point of view, he does not think it is a problem that people sleep or "have sex" in the former church. He himself is more concerned that if the churches were not converted, used, and demolished, the cities would lose their architectural value.

Meanwhile, the church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Brussels has been converted into the climbing club Maniak Padoue, where much of the old remains of the church can still be seen.

"The stained glass brings a real glistening and warm light to the site when the sun passes through it, so we really feel the presence of the remains of the church," club co-founder Kyril Wittouck told the Associated Press. "The altar is still in place, these memories surround us and it reminds us of where we really are".

Also in Brussels, a former Anglican church was converted into a nightclub.

However, not everyone is thrilled with the way the old churches are being treated. "They are places of reflection," said Bonny, the bishop of Antwerp, who, however, believes that this moment is temporary, pointing to the long arc of history and arguing that a possible rebirth of faith in Europe can still happen.

"Every 300 years, we almost had to start over," Bonny said. "I'm sure something new will happen. But that takes time.”

Source: v4na.com