Washington National Cathedral — Sacrilegious Prom Dance in Nave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. As a French person, that seems very shocking to me. No church in France has such events in their nave.

Thank you. I’m so glad to know that I’m not the only one shocked.

Same here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it a consecrated space in the nave? The link is directly from the Cathedral, so it’s not another outside organization.

I once went to a private event at the top floor in the place where they have their Cathedral teas. That would seem to be an appropriate place for this event.

I agree.

[Anonymous]

Well, if the Nave is not consecrated space, they should just rent it out for wedding receptions and big galas like the National Building Museum does. They could easily get $10-15,000 in rental fees per Saturday night.

It could be like one of those former churches in the UK that are now bars and night clubs.

[Anonymous]

They do rent it out for large events

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They do rent it out for large events

Ex: https://www.fairchancedc.org/event/2019-butterfly-bash/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They do rent it out for large events

Ex: https://www.fairchancedc.org/event/2019-butterfly-bash/

Well, okay, then! Why are they still broke? Obviously they could rent this space out more. If it isn’t a religious space, they have no limitations.

[Anonymous]

Wow. They clearly have been using this holy space for many secular events — here is the invite to the Greater Washington Board of Trade Gala last March:

https://www.bot.org/event/100th-mid-winter-dinner/


I thought they only rented out the upper floor for dinners/private events. It’s really sad.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you, OP

[Anonymous]

When did they start renting out Nave to Corporations for big private events?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did they start renting out Nave to Corporations for big private events?

https://juicyecumenism.com/2014/08/22/washington-national-cathedral-your-next-corporate-event-venue/

[Anonymous]

The Cathedral is spiritually dead. It is basically a hollow, beautiful vessel. Thus the $10 admission fee and gift shops open every day of the week.

[Anonymous]

In medieval times, open naves of Cathedrals were community spaces where you might find merchant stalls, farm animals, humanity taking shelter from the elements. The Cathedral here actually attempts to recreate that sense of “open community” by clearing the nave of chairs for a week each February and holding events—thus the movies, yoga, light show etc. Houses of worship of all sizes need to reinvent themselves to survive in the modern age. I have no issue with the Cathedral’s secular programs and rentals. It’s still plenty dignified when it’s set up for worship.

[Anonymous]

I can think of no other religion that would rent out its main worship center — would a Catholic Church, Islamic Mosque or Jewish Synagogue have a Prom or corporate lobbyist dinner in its sacred center?


If the NRA wanted to rent out the Nave, they would allow that, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can think of no other religion that would rent out its main worship center — would a Catholic Church, Islamic Mosque or Jewish Synagogue have a Prom or corporate lobbyist dinner in its sacred center?


If the NRA wanted to rent out the Nave, they would allow that, right?

Do they allow any group to rent it out if they pay the fee?

[Anonymous]

Matthew 21:13

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’