On Tuesday 18 March, Fr. Ad van der Helm and Fr. Sjaak had a 75-minute private audience with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin.
They talked about an alternative plan to prevent the rapid closure and sale of churches in The Netherlands. Through multifunctional uses by which shared values are upheld, these monuments could be open to a larger public while receiving monetary support from the practical use that the churches could be used for, in addition to the religious use that they exist for.
The Cardinal asked them to prepare a paper with realistic suggestions for discussion and a change of strategy regarding the future of these beautiful churches.
