The parish priest of Saint-Laurent Church in Paris has publicly defended his decision to allow a sound installation as part of the city’s Nuit Blanche festival on June 6-7, 2026, despite widespread accusations of profanation and the interruption of perpetual Eucharistic adoration. The move has intensified criticism from Catholics who see it as another example of sacred spaces being instrumentalised for secular and ideologically charged events.
Fr Paul Dollié, parish priest of Saint-Laurent, issued a statement to Tribune Chrétienne on June 11 in which he insisted the installation Sous la peau du ciel (“Under the Skin of the Sky”) by artist Marie-Luce Nadal “respected the place” and contained “no elements contrary to the faith”. He added: “I saw that this work was respectful of the place, that there were no blasphemous remarks among the recorded messages.”
