Bishop blocks music festival from using Catholic church as parish priest denounces ‘profanation’

(LifeSiteNews) — A French bishop has blocked the use of a Catholic church for an electronic music concert after organizers planned the event without seeking permission from the parish or the diocese for the fourth year running.

On July 23, Bishop Alexandre de Bucy of Agen, France, formally refused to allow a music festival to stage concerts inside the Church of Saint-Robert in the village of Saint-Robert, near Agen in southwestern France. The parish priest had publicly objected to the plans, describing them as a “profanation.” The dispute concerns concerts scheduled for August 7-9 as part of the “Festival Guyenne,” organized by the association L’Affinité des sols.

“This is a profanation,” parish priest Father Gilles N’Goran said, according to French magazine Valeurs Actuelles. The priest stated that he had not been consulted at any time regarding the proposed use of the church, while the Diocese of Agen did not receive any request from the organizers.

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The Diocese of Agen subsequently confirmed its opposition to the event and issued an official statement, explaining that the bishop did not authorize the opening of Saint-Robert’s church for the festival performances.

“The planned program is not compatible with the sacred character of the place and shows no connection to the church’s sacred and spiritual dimension,” de Bucy’s statement reads.

Furthermore, “during the last three editions of the festival, concerts were held in the church without any official authorization request being submitted beforehand to the parish or the diocese, which, on our side, has resulted in a loss of trust,” de Bucy explained.

Under France’s 1905 Law on the Separation of Church and State, several churches built before the 1905 legislation belong to the local municipalities. However, this state ownership does not mean that municipalities can use the church buildings freely; they remain legally “assigned to worship” and are placed at the disposal of the Catholic Church for its purposes. This status also requires that their religious character be respected.

According to Canon law, a church is defined as a sacred building designated for divine worship. Furthermore, Canon 1210 states that only acts serving or promoting worship, piety, or religion are permitted in a sacred place, and anything incompatible with the holiness of the site is “forbidden.”

In France, acts of desecration and the improper use of consecrated buildings have become commonplace, often met with the inaction or approval of bishops and priests. On June 6 and 7, several historic Paris churches were used during the “Nuit Blanche” festival to host exhibitions featuring voodoo-inspired objects and unsettling soundscapes, all approved by the Archdiocese of Paris. Visitors described the atmosphere as disturbing while Catholic protesters praying peacefully outside the Church of Saint-Laurent were forcefully dispersed by police.