Churches under pressure: Archbishop demands creative preservation and use!

Churches under pressure: Archbishop demands creative preservation and use!

Wien, Österreich - Vienna, 04.02.2025 - In the middle of growing discussions about the decay and the conversion of church rooms, the emeritated Archbishop Ludwig Schick urged to deal with these traditional buildings at the annual meeting of the Liturgical Society of Klosterneuburg. He emphasized that the churches are essential for the celebration of services and the preservation of Christian culture. Schick found that many churches in Germany and Austria often suffer from occupancy, which requires a serious discussion about their exploitation. "We have to appreciate the churches for worship, salvation and cultural identity," he said. He pointed out that it was important to maintain and appreciate the function of the churches as the places of prayer, silence and reflection so that they are not forgotten, like kathpress.at reported.

multifunctional use and liturgical renewal

Exemplary cited how churches have been innovatively reused in different regions, for example by converting to cultural centers or creating rooms for community projects. While some churches have to be preserved as monuments, he sees few hurdles for conversion in newer buildings. He also advocated renewing the liturgy, which was to represent the heart of the church. "We have to understand and develop liturgy as a connection between God and the community," emphasized the archbishop. The liturgy must be viewed as a work of art, consisting of words, music and rites that together form a harmonious whole to strengthen the faith community and to give back in today's, often hectic world, as chic, as well as on ekd.de mentioned.

These clarifying thoughts come at a time when the question of the future design of church spaces becomes more urgent. The majority of the churches could be revitalized by innovative concepts, while at the same time the value of the faith community and spiritual strengthening is emphasized.