Do you think that Saudi Arabia would ever consider opening up its mosques as flophouses for the tens of thousands of Filipino immigrants who live and work in the Middle Eastern country? Not on your life. Isn’t great how different we Christians are?
In Belgium, the Brussels Journal reports that the country’s bishops are opening up Catholic churches as flop houses for Muslim illegal immigrants. We’re not talking about using empty rectories or schools or parish halls, but the churches themselves.
The illegal immigrants have been told that they are safe in the churches because the authorities will refrain from entering the buildings out of respect for the Catholic Church. It is strange that the Church should insinuate that there is some type of persecution considering that the Belgian authorities never organise searches for illegal immigrants, and hardly ever expel even criminals. The number of people camping in churches so far varies from 100 to 700. More than 160 immigrants in the churches have also gone on hunger strike. The church authorities say they are offering “church asylum” to the “sans-papiers.”
Earlier this week a 31 year old illegal immigrant from Morocco, squatting in a church in Glain in the diocese of Liège, sewed his lips closed to protest the fact that (a) he has no money to travel to Morocco to attend his father’s funeral and (b) that if he does go to Morocco he will not be allowed to enter Belgium again.
It puts the illegal immigration problem in the US in a much different perspective. At least the illegals in the US aren’t demanding they be given money to fly home and then be allowed to re-enter illegally again.
I fully support the idea of the Church providing basic human assistance to aliens and the alienated, even to help them to become legal. What I oppose is the encouraging of others to break the law and the use of sacred spaces, i.e. Catholic churches, for profane uses. I have seen other reports that say that the churches are being used for the five-times-daily Muslim prayers. Is allowing a church to be used for worship by the followers of a false religion a sin? I’m thinking it’s a clear violation of the First Commandment.
Technorati Tags: Belgium, bishops, Catholic, Europe, immigration, Islam
Using the church itself—I mean, the sanctuary or nave—for Islamic worship, is outrageous.
I can’t recall exactly what canon law says, but generally, non-Catholic Christian worship would sooner be allowed, and even then, that’s by permission, and in cases of necessity (a tornado knocks down the Baptists’ church). Where is the necessity here?
Do churches in Europe routinely have other buildings on the property not used for divine worship—such as we have: schools, (sadly, unused) convents, etc.? Assuming the legitimacy of giving the Muslim “illegals” a place to sleep, would it be so awful to say, “you can pray over here, in this classroom or dining room.”
Bigger question; does the Church own these churches? Or, does the state? Just a mess, all the way round…
Well I guess this is one way to fill up Europe’s rapidly emptying churches. If the Christians aren’t interested, turn ‘em over to the Muslims.
The only thing I don’t get is why the Catholic Church is doing this. It’s not like there are no mosques or Islamic community centers in Belgium these days. Surely a Muslim in trouble heads for his local Imam and not the local Catholic PP.
It’s almost like the Church is going out of its way to undermine its own places of worship.
What do they do with them on Sunday? Oh, I forgot, this is Europe; nobody goes to church in Europe any more. You can be sure the sermon won’t be on the Muslim extermination of Christians going on in the Sudan.
This is absolutely wrong and a sign of the morbidity of the Belgian Church.
For those who haven’t seen Europe outside the tour group or travel brochure, Catholicism in Europe is dying. The Churches are museums.
The number of Catholics who attend Sunday masses is in the single digits in many places…. The great hope of the Church is Africa and Asia.
Marshmallow, the idea is to take over the Catholic Churches. Of course, they could go to the mosque but they already own that.
Check Spanish history. It’s too bad most don’t know any.
So Bender,
What about that Washington Post article leads you to believe that much of anything is being destroyed? It reads to me like sensible people are doing sensible things, like taking care of their families, and working for a living.
Where is the destrcution?
I do not think we are facing the crisis the Europe faces with crossed priorities on social spending and economic development, leading to sacrelige within a church.
JBP