Paying to enter my Father’s house

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This is one of my pet peeves.

I have not had this experience in any other part of the world except in Europe. Why, oh why do you charge me to enter my Father’s house?!?!

I am talking about important churches and cathedrals. Granting, I understand that a lot of them have a section that would be considered a museum (Europe is so old after all, any church around here could be considered a museum), and that is why they charge people for the tour, but, most of them won’t even allow you to pray in their church without paying!

Can’t they open a permanent free section for prayer?

The church is open for paying visitors more than 8 hours a day, but for the praying faithful, most offer a couple of hours a week when mass is celebrated. I think this is just wrong.

If they want to be a museum, then they should stop advertising as being a church.

I believe this should be regulated. Why are you calling yourself a church when the museum part is more important? I believe all churches should allow people to come in for FREE, when the purpose of the visit is prayer.

Fair warning to you all who want to come visit Europe, you are made to PAY to visit most catholic churches/cathedrals, unless there is a mass, which isn’t nearly often enough. Not cool in my book.

Am I just being unreasonable? Or should we be allowed to pray for free in our Father’s house?
 
Actually, many churches that charge admission during normal times let you in free at mass times.
 
First of all, many important cathedral and churches in “Europe” overall do allow you in for free to a prayer section. I have been to many in Europe where you could go in at least to the back of the church, or to the worship space, to pray, but going to the museum or tour area required the fee. Also, if it is a Mass time then you are let in to pray of course.

Second, if you truly want to pray for free, that cathedral or historic “museum” church is hardly the only one in those European towns. You can likely find a regular Catholic church, chapel etc that is free to go in and pray. Often very old and beautiful one too. Indeed, some cities like Lisbon or Vienna have a “free” Catholic church on about every other block. You do not have to be in the “tourist attraction” huge old historic church or cathedral to say your prayers.

I fully understand why they charge the fee, given the amount of upkeep those huge old historic cathedrals must require. If they waived it for praying, then everybody would claim to be praying just to avoid paying the fee.
 
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No, I did not mean I wanted to visit (mostly cause I already have seen it 😊) I am talking about just going in to pray. Not many have a little section cordoned off for prayer only, I was actually told several times, if I wanted to pray, I had to pay for the museum entrance anyway. Or wait for the 2 hours they had scheduled mass on Sunday. No free prayer allowed. Or….the most shocking answer was…you can pray outside, the Lord will hear you the same. Jeez……
 
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I cannot give you an honest reply on the how many churches/cathedrals I have visited…lost count about 15 years ago. LOL. But France, Portugal, Italy, Spain….to say a few countries.
 
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I recently went to York and I was to be charged to enter the Cathedral unless it was for prayer. Honesty is required!
 
YES! This is exactly what I want! Yes!

I had this experience in NY too and I loved it! Went in to pray (they even had the exposition of the blessed sacrament, I loved it)…was so impressed I was allowed to pray (yes, so sad), I went back out and paid for the museum visit. Perfect experience!
 
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that would be the day i “pay” to enter ANY catholic church…

OP, find another one…
 
Well, I didn’t have any problems finding lovely churches and cathedrals to pray in for free in those countries and about 10 others in Europe. They weren’t always the main “tourist church” but I discovered a lot of hidden gems of churches that weren’t crawling with tourists and were quite wonderful.
 
This very true, locally to me there are a lot of small village churches, often called St Mary’s. One I found was no longer used for sacrements but was maintained by a national charity, it’s always empty and quiet and at the east end it has a beautiful stain glass window the central figure of which is Our Lady, under her feet it states, “the handmaid of the Lord”.

It far away there’s also a very small church built on roman remains and has a record of the names of its priests dating from 1000! It has one bell in a small tower, which I find endearing.

Great fun finding these gems as you say.
 
Lee1 said:
I recently went to York and I was to be charged to enter the Cathedral unless it was for prayer.
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@Lee1 , I was in York Minster (Anglican) several times last year . The entrance ticket they give is valid for a year . A friend had been prior to my visit so she gave me her ticket . 😉

I went to Evensong a few times , and as you say you are not charged .

I don’t know of any Catholic cathedrals or churches which I have visited and been charged .
 
I think the charging is more common in Continental Europe.
When I went to Westminster Cathedral in London, going into the Cathedral was free.
There was a fee to go upstairs to the Museum part and another fee to go up the tower for a view.
 
You may be right. I agree with the way Westminster Cathedral does things. I understand that the upkeep of a museum costs money, I really do. But it would be nice if a little chapel was left open for prayer…we are catholics after all and are called to pray. Kinda felt “discriminated” in my own church. LOL. Oh well….
 
Put it this way - why should I expect others (usually locals, likely as poor or poorer than I if I have the luxury of travel) to bear all of the masive financial burden of keeping these churches going and repairing the ravages wreaked largely by tourists like me?

I would hope you cheerfully donate to the upkeep of your home church, why not cheerfully give for the privilege of seeing Notre Dame or St Peter’s or wherever? The entry is usually not a huge expense.
 
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I don’t think I have ever paid to enter a regular Catholic church anywhere (mostly Europe). I have only ever been charged for entry to big historic cathedrals and basilicas. Why would you go to those to pray? They’re just full of tourists taking pictures and talking loudly.
 
I was surprised to be charged in Canada.
The Martyrs’ Shrine in Ontario charges $5 per person in addition to any fees charged at the museum. The Mass was sparsely attended.
 
I don’t know how it is with you guys there, but our taxes actually help pay for the upkeep of the historical buildings. Yes, we actually have a little box in our income tax return where we can tick the “give to the catholic church” option. (The government also subsidises some of the repairs of some historical churches, not all, but a few.)

And the truth is, I have never seen a tourist wreck anything around here, so far tourists have been well behaved I think, except for maybe the camera in your face. 😉

Also, I do not know if you read the whole thread, but what I am suggesting is that a little place in each church be segregated for prayer, if you want to keep calling yourself a catholic church that is, if not, the word museum only would also work for a building that does not allow for prayer.

PS. This is Europe mate, the locals usually can afford to travel too. 😊
 
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