Recently, a TV station aired a fashion photo shoot in a church. Guided by God’s Word and the teaching of the Catholic Church, my conscience tells me that I must speak the truth.

The church building can never be used as a studio or venue for fashion shoots. God’s Word tells us so.

To those selling oxen, sheep and pigeons as well as to the money changers, Jesus squarely admonished them: “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade” (John 2:16).

Cathecism says that the church edifice is “the house of God in which His family dwells; the household of God in the Spirit; the dwelling place of God among men; and, especially, the holy temple. This temple, symbolised in places of worship built out of stone, is praised by the Fathers and, not without reason, is compared in the liturgy to the Holy City, the New Jerusalem” (§ 756).

If the church edifice is the house of God, God’s holy temple, where God’s spirit dwells among His people and is purposely built for worship, how can we offend God’s most holy presence in it by turning this holy place into a fashion studio?

Is not Jesus telling us today: “Take these shows away, you shall not make my Father’s house a house of fashion”?

I appeal to the Church authorities not to grant permissions for such photo shoots to take place in our churches.