VOA新闻杂志2023--欧洲教堂迎来创纪录的游客

Churches in Europe See Record Numbers of Visitors

Famous Christian¹ religious places in southern Europe are seeing record numbers of visitors. But not everyone is happy about the large crowds. Church leaders are finding it difficult to balance the needs of tourists and the people who come to pray.

Dealing² with more visitors

This spring, the Vatican opened a separate "pathway" starting outside St. Peter's Basilica for those who want to take part in religious services. St. Peter's spokesperson Roberta Leone said officials made the change because of long lines for the 55,000 daily visitors.

The Vatican's move is an example of what many churches are doing. They have tourists and religious people go separate ways. Religious services are sometimes held in different places. And sometimes tourists are not permitted at worship times.

With an estimated 330 million people visiting religious places yearly around the world, religious tourism is one of the largest parts of the tourism market.

Worshippers often come because celebrated³ churches generally have more services than regular churches. They need to be able to enter at no cost. Tourists often pay fees that are important for churches to maintain their buildings.

Daniel Olsen of Brigham Young University in Utah studies religious tourism. Olsen said of the situation, "It's just really hard because you also want people to experience your faith."

Different opinions

Some religious people are unhappy with the large numbers of visitors.

After the ceremony of Mass in the burial area of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain, Joan Albaiges said, "The temple needs to be a place for services and not a theme park."

He praised the policy change in recent years to celebrate one Sunday Mass at the main altar.

But there is such demand for the 800 free tickets that several hundred people waiting often do not get in, said Josep Maria Turull. Turull is the rector at Sagrada Familia who also oversees⁴ tourism for the local church organization.

Religious leaders say the histories of the sacred buildings should be presented to visitors. These visitors increasingly do not know about faith traditions in churches.

José Fernández Lago is rector of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Filled with beautiful art, Santiago's cathedral draws hundreds of thousands of tourists and religious visitors known as pilgrims⁵.

To remain a special place for religious pilgrims, Lago said, the cathedral does not charge money for entry. The cathedral also does not limit visitor numbers or require people to wear formal clothing.

But visits are not permitted during the four daily Masses celebrated at the main altar. And priests⁶ as well as security guards always have to ask visitors to lower their voices so that worshipers can pray in peace.

"Some people go to the cathedral, and they don't realize they're in a church," Lago observed. He added, "It's a situation that's developing in nations that were majority Christian, and now faith is cooling off."

Words in This Story

tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure

Mass – n. a Christian ceremony in the Roman Catholic⁷ Church

temple –n. a building for worship

theme park –n. a place with rides and fun things to do that are all connected by a cultural or artistic⁸ idea

altar – n. a platform or table used as a center of worship in Christian ceremonies

rector – n. a priest or minister who is in charge of a church or parish

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

4 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

5 pilgrims   

香客，朝圣者( pilgrim的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Muslim pilgrims on their way to Mecca 前往麦加的穆斯林朝圣者
• Many pilgrims knelt piously at the shrine. 许多朝圣者心虔意诚地在神殿跪拜。

6 priests   

n.（基督教和罗马天主教的）神父( priest的名词复数 )；牧师；（非基督教会的）教士；祭司

参考例句：

• the ordination of women priests 女司祭的授职礼
• The clergy remain divided on the issue of women priests. 在女性教士的问题上，牧师们意见不一。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 catholic   

adj.天主教的；n.天主教徒

参考例句：

• The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。
• She was a devoutly Catholic.她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。

8 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。