It’s sad to see, but there it is.

This video of a church in France being demolished has been making the round on social media in the last few days:

This is the Chapel of St.Martin in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France. Built in the 1880s, the French government took control of the building in 1907, including all maintenance. Mass was still celebrated there though, until the 1970s, when it stopped being used.

And now the church is being demolished. What will be built in its place? Apparently, a parking lot.

So what happened? Well one part of the problem might be that even though more than 80% of the French population identifies as Catholic, only 5% of the population in France actually attends Mass on a regular basis.

The Second Vatican Council in Gaudium et Spes declared that the Church has the “duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel.” (GS 4)

What conclusion might the Church draw from something like this?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

[See also: 8 Beautiful Churches that Have Been Converted to Secular Uses]

[See also: Churches Should Be Beautiful Because Ugly Churches Are Bad for Our Souls]

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