Polish priest calls proposal to build chapels in malls a 'gimmick'

Published: 2004-06-02

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- A Polish church official said a proposal to build Catholic chapels inside malls was a "marketing gimmick" that did not have the support of the church. "This is just a marketing gimmick; it has nothing to do with any concern for shoppers," said Father Jozef Kloch, spokesman for Poland's bishops' conference. "In any Polish town, you can find a church within a few hundred meters, or a few minutes by road," he said. U.S. architect Eric Kuhne told Poland's daily Zycie Warszawy that chapels would enable malls to be "connected to the culture and traditions of the city." Kuhne said chapels would bring malls "closer to the faithful" at a time when more and more Polish families were choosing to spend Sundays shopping. But Father Kloch said Sunday Mass remained an obligation for Catholics "whether they choose to go shopping or not."

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