Ecumenical "Open Church" with no real congregation closes after withdrawal of Catholic funding

Annina Policante: "I don't believe that the future of churches lies in competition with each other."

The Open Church of St. Gallen is being closed after 27 years – for financial reasons. Annina Policante is critical of the Catholic parish of St. Gallen, which withdrew from funding to support denominational projects.

After 27 years, the Open Church of St. Gallen is ceasing operations. Why?

Annina Policante*: For financial reasons, the Wirkraumkirche association must close the Open Church at the end of 2025. The building with the distinctive face on its facade will be demolished. The demolition of the building had been known for some time, and our sponsoring association had been looking for new premises.

What ideas were being considered?

Policante: For example, a renovation of the St. Mangen Church, which, however, was not realistic for financial reasons. With the withdrawal of the Catholic parish of St. Gallen from the sponsoring association, it became clear that the city's Protestant parishes and two sponsoring parishes in the surrounding area could not cover the additional costs alone.

Would the Open Church have been able to continue to exist if the Catholic parish of St. Gallen had not withdrawn from the sponsoring association?

(This happened at the end of 2022)

Policante: I assume that more intensive efforts would have been made to find a new location, as ecumenism was a very important part of the Wirkraumkirche association.

"It hurts to see how 'easily' what has been achieved is abandoned."

Can you understand the Catholic Church's decision to no longer financially support the Open Church?

Policante: No, I don't understand how one can abandon an ecumenical project that has grown and functioned over many years in order to finance denominational projects. I don't believe that the future of Christian churches lies in competition with one another. Rather, we should look at what can be done together. I don't mean the church's grassroots, where a great deal of wonderful and natural ecumenism takes place.

How did you personally react to this decision? You yourself have been active in the Open Church for almost 27 years.

Policante: I'm sad. It wasn't an easy task to establish an Open Church in St. Gallen. It hurts to see how "easily" what has been achieved is abandoned.

What has the Open Church done for the city of St. Gallen?

Policante: It has provided space—in the sense of walls, but also in the sense of opportunities—for experiments, for a wide variety of events, from private birthdays, weddings, and funerals to theater, concerts, dances, exhibitions, and the weekly food distribution "Tischlein deck dich" (Set the Table). It didn't ask about nationality, skin color, denominational or religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or age. And the people who came here were aware that it was the churches that made this possible through their financial support.

Which projects were particularly popular?

Policante: I can't really answer that question. The Open Church didn't have a real congregation. People came to events that they had a connection to or a particular interest in.

*Annina Policante is the coordinator of the Open Church of St. Gallen, who will be discontinued at the end of the year.

Source