Priest tries to defend occult-inspired exhibit at Paris church, gets hit with more backlash

PARIS (LifeSiteNews) — The pastor of Saint-Laurent Church has defended the hosting of a “Nuit Blanche” (“White Night”) sound installation inside the church, rejecting accusations that the event constituted a profanation.

On June 11, Fr. Paul Dollié, pastor of Saint-Laurent Church in Paris, publicly defended his decision to host the sound installation “Sous la peau du ciel“ (“Under the Skin of the Sky”) during the city’s controversial “Nuit Blanche” cultural festival on June 6–7, 2026, stating that the work “respected” the church and contained nothing contrary to the Catholic faith. His statement was issued to the French publication Tribune Chrétienne following significant criticism from Catholics who objected to the use of a consecrated church for the event.

As can be understood from Fr. Dollié’s statement, Saint-Laurent church hosts perpetual Eucharistic adoration, leading many to presume that such adoration continued while the installation was in place. However, Tribune Chrétienne subsequently reported that the priest later sent a message clarifying that the Blessed Sacrament was not exposed during the exhibition itself but during the installation phase.

Therefore, perpetual Eucharistic adoration was interrupted to make this occult-inspired performance possible.

“I saw that this work was respectful of the place, that there were no elements contrary to the faith,” Dollié wrote. He also stated that “there were no blasphemous remarks” among the recorded messages broadcast during the evening.

“I agreed, because the artistic installation, in the way it was set up, did not prevent the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which is continuous in our church. For your information, I do not allow any concerts during the church’s opening hours, as those hours are dedicated to prayer,” the statement remarks.

According to Fr. Dollié, the proposal originated on February 3, 2026, through the association “Art, Culture et Foi,” which serves as an intermediary between “Nuit Blanche” organizers and the Archdiocese of Paris. Dollié said he was informed that the selected project possessed a spiritual or meditative character and could help make “the invisible” perceptible through contemporary art.

“I saw in this proposal an opportunity for our parish to welcome a different audience, a way to offer people who rarely visit churches the chance to begin a journey toward questioning the meaning of their lives and the Truth of the Gospel. … During the ‘Nuit Blanche’ I had encounters along these lines,” the priest continued.

“Faced with this project, without seeking to meet me, defenders of the purity of the Place — who have no connection with my parishioners — blocked access to the church at the beginning of the evening, using the Name of God in vain,” the pastor continued, presumably referring to the Catholics who were assaulted by the police because they were praying in protest outside the building.

READ: Archdiocese of Paris allows occult-inspired exhibits in church, police beat outraged Catholics

Finally, according to the priest, “I did not receive a single cent for opening my church; the intention was not financial but pastoral.”

The installation, created by artist Marie-Luce Nadal, was presented inside Saint-Laurent Church as one of the featured attractions of the annual “Nuit Blanche“ festival. Visitors were invited to record personal wishes by telephone, and these recordings were later combined with ambient sounds and digital audio effects to create an evolving sound environment. During the event, loudspeakers were placed throughout the church building, including near chapels, altars, the baptistery and confessionals.

The church was partially darkened while overlapping recorded voices played continuously throughout the building. Among the messages heard were statements unrelated to Christian spirituality such as, “I would like to drive at 100 kilometers per hour” and “I want a smart watch with all the instruction manuals.”

The publication of Dollié’s statement generated additional backlash. On June 12, Tribune Chrétienne reported receiving messages from several priests, religious and lay Catholics expressing opposition to the event. Among these a bishop also expressed concerns. Most requested anonymity, according to the French outlet.

One priest who agreed to be identified was Fr. Christophe Buirette of the Diocese of Blois. Formerly a Fidei Donum missionary in Senegal and a pastor in Dakar, Buirette publicly criticized the decision to host the installation. “This fellow priest, pastor of Saint-Laurent, is a disgrace,” Buirette said in comments published by Tribune Chrétienne.

The priest also questioned why authorization had been granted for the event, raising several possible explanations while presenting them as questions rather than established facts. He further remarked that, in his view, clergy and Church authorities in Africa would have responded differently to such circumstances.

According to the same report, other priests expressed concern about what they described as the absence of an official response from the Archdiocese of Paris. One anonymous priest told the publication that Catholic faithful who were troubled by the event deserved a response from Church authorities.

Several historic Catholic churches in Paris were used as venues for artistic installations during the festival. Another installation, “Jungle haletante“ by artist Stéphane Blanquet, was presented at the chapel of Tenon Hospital and featured masks and objects inspired by voodoo imagery.

To date, the Archdiocese of Paris has not publicly issued detailed criteria explaining how the projects were approved.