Reading some of the threads in my comment boxes, I am made to think of the fable of theologians discussing the sex of the Angels in Constantinople as the Muslims sacked the city and cut the throats of its inhabitants. I will say nothing, but will simply show the effects of the “new spring” here in Europe.
Discuss by all means, but just a little empathy for those for whom there is nothing left.
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The Blue Flower 
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.
Ichabod! How sad 🙂
Would I be right in thinking they are all in your own neighbourhood? It would be interesting and helpful to have details of the churches. If they must close, do the power-that-be not realise that new homes could be found for the statues, stained-glass, pirie-dieux and other furnishings??
Seeing these reminded me of Dom David Knowles and Bare Ruined Choirs
On a brigter note, when I feel down I am reminded of the fate of the churches that St.Paul founded: Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica — but the Church survives.
Kind regards,
John U.K.
No, Normandy is doing very well, with as many as one Mass a month in the country churches. The real problems are further south, in the Auxerre – Sens area, Burgundy, the Massif Central and the Centre. Also, the situation is Belgium is catastrophic, with too many priests and bishops who like sex with children.
Perhaps after Benedict XVI, it might be wise to move the Holy See from Rome to the USA. I’m sure someone could find the money to dismantle the buildings, ship them over and reassemble them in the Nevada Desert.
What’s going to replace Christianity in Europe? Some say Islam. It seems more likely to be boring old materialist atheism! Panem et circenses…
One of the things I find most troubling about some of these photos, is that no authority has even bothered to remove the altar stones and their relics.
Dale, Yes, some sad pictures of such beautiful places of worship. One would think people would remove those things. I wonder if it has to do with a question of ownership?
Remember reading an interesting article in The Economist (London) last year talking about the French government and RC churches. Thinking there was some concordat or other a long time ago (19th century?) that had the government responsible for their upkeep and maintenance. Local governments hard pressed are now skimping and in many cases wanting to sell off the property to they don’t have to pay for repairs.
On Fr Smuts’s blog (https://frstephensmuts.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/the-lost-churches-of-russia/) he posted some beautiful, ancient, wooden Russian churches also fallen into ruin in the rural north. It was not mentioned, but I believe that these old churches probably had originally belonged to the Old Believers, who were bitterly persecuted long before the Soviets came to power; their tendency, the only one really, was to run away; either to China, North America, Turkey, Romania, or South America.
One more comment on this: I think that the title is incorrect, dear Father, you seem to be insinuating that this is simply an American issue. The first time, as a seminarian, I came across real fanatics of the JOIN THE ONE TRUE CHURCH OR I WILL KILL YOU was not from Americans but a group of Englishmen who had joined the Russian Church (Moscow Patriarchate) then converted to the Russian Church Outside of Russia, and demanded, and were granted, a rebaptism! This illness, so wonderfully made fun of by Voltaire, is not limited to any national or ethnic group. Of course in the states now there are quite a few former Evangelicals of the Byzantine rite, and they are some of the most WE ARE THE TRUE CHURCH crowd I have ever met.
I can well believe you. The French don’t call us English La Perfide Albion for nothing! 🙂
I remember being told by a very old and wise French parish priest, “Why invent the Martians, we have the English!”
One of the pictures…theres a baby coffin in front. What is the name of this church? im qurious of the history, what happened there? Is the coffin empty or did someone abandon the church in the middle of a funeral?