Does people actually worship at these giant cathedal?
February 5, 2026
Some of the most magnificent Cathedral are so massive and grand. But does people actually go there regularly to worship? How are they sustained?
11 comments
No one goes to church. Like in general. Just from the Swedish church members only like 2% ever go to curch. Which is miniscule.
The various European religions (Catholics, Anglicans etc.) are amongst the biggest landowners in the world, very wealthy organisations.
Then they all get tax breaks as they are charities. There are plenty of wealthy benefactors and donations from parishioners and tourists etc. And I’m sure in many cases the local governments also help fund important places – Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame etc,
And yes, people do go to these places for worship
I don’t know how well-attended they are, but you’ll generally find that all cathedrals have a schedule of regular services. Here’s an example:
They are pretty much museums now. They are paid for by tourists going on one of the many tours they have throughout the day. And a lot of them do close to the public during certain hours during the day for prayer.
In the UK, without the tourists, they all are almost totally empty.
It’s visitors paying £27 per head to St Paul’s in London, that keeps it functioning.
I do. St Peter’s Cathedral on the Falls Road in Belfast is where I go to Mass, to light candles, and to just sit in contemplation or prayer. I highly, highly recommend you visit one day if you have the chance (it is sometimes colloquially known as Twin Spires because… well, yeah) and it is absolutely GORGEOUS. Everyone I have taken there has been absolutely stunned by it. It’s also free to go in at any time because it’s considered an open place of community worship, not a cash cow, and there is always at least a deacon there and a priest on call.
People are more likely to attend Sunday masses in small, local temples. The big ones function as tourist attractions on weekdays, but on church holidays they do organize celebrations and you can rent them for weddings or funerals as well. I.e. if a popular celebrity or public intellectual passes away and thousands of people are attending the liturgy those large cathedrals and basilicas are quiet practical. The church also uses them when they want to gather all the priests in one place.
People pay thite or offering to run the biggest Ponzi scheme in history to keep these institutions alive.
There is plenty of money to pay the few people that are needed to run it, and most of them are volunteers
Some countries (Switzerland for example) have mandatory registration with a (main) religious group
In 2026, several European countries continue to use a mandatory church tax system similar to Switzerland’s, where contributions are collected by the state from registered members of religious groups.
Countries with Mandatory Church Tax
In these countries, if you are a registered member of a state-recognized religious organization, the tax is automatically deducted from your income.
Germany: Charges a Kirchensteuer (church tax) of 8% to 9% of your total income tax.
Austria: Requires a contribution of roughly 1.1% of annual gross income from members of the Catholic and Protestant churches.
Denmark: Members of the National Church pay a Kirkeskat that averages around 0.7% to 0.87% of taxable income.
Finland: Members of the Evangelical Lutheran and Finnish Orthodox churches pay an income-based tax ranging from 1% to 2.25%.
Sweden: Collects a church fee (kyrkoavgift) that typically ranges between 0.8% and 2% of taxable income.
Iceland: Taxpayers belonging to a registered religious or secular humanist group pay a “congregation tax” (sóknargjald); those not in a group still pay the equivalent amount as part of their general income tax.
Hybrid or Opt-In Systems
Some countries allow you to choose where a portion of your existing taxes goes, rather than charging an additional fee.
Italy: Features the otto per mille (eight per thousand) system where 0.8% of your total income tax is directed to a religious group or the state based on your preference.
Spain: Taxpayers can check a box to allocate 0.7% of their income tax to the Catholic Church.
Portugal: Allows taxpayers to allocate 0.5% of their income tax to a religious group or charity.
Key Characteristics
Automatic Enrollment: In many of these countries, you are often added to church tax rolls at baptism.
The “Opt-Out”: To stop paying, individuals must typically go through a formal legal process of “leaving” the church (Kirchenaustritt) via state authorities.
Usage: These funds are used for the maintenance of historic buildings, social welfare projects, and paying the salaries of religious staff.
These are all basically museums now! Atleast in Spain not a lot of people still regularly attend church or participate in religious events. In Portugal I think it is more common. But the sagrada familia still has mass on Sundays
In Portugal yes. These cathedrals often serve a local parish, and so the religious residents of the neighborhoods near the cathedrals go to mass there regularly. There are also some special religious masses that only happen at cathedrals (like Chrism Mass on Maundy Thursday).
Yep. There was a mass taking place as I walked around Notre Dame when I was visiting at the end of December. Decent crowd in attendance. Actually added a bit to the feeling of the whole place with the music and some chanted prayers. It was in French and English. The sermon was actually pretty good and about how many who are given much don’t use it to help others and, in essence, repay god for the bounty. They should. Also how we need to rebuild connections and systems of support outside the current zeitgeist of worshipping money and the rich.
11 comments
No one goes to church. Like in general. Just from the Swedish church members only like 2% ever go to curch. Which is miniscule.
The various European religions (Catholics, Anglicans etc.) are amongst the biggest landowners in the world, very wealthy organisations.
Then they all get tax breaks as they are charities. There are plenty of wealthy benefactors and donations from parishioners and tourists etc. And I’m sure in many cases the local governments also help fund important places – Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame etc,
And yes, people do go to these places for worship
I don’t know how well-attended they are, but you’ll generally find that all cathedrals have a schedule of regular services. Here’s an example:
[https://lincolncathedral.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-02-08-weekly-schedule.pdf](https://lincolncathedral.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-02-08-weekly-schedule.pdf)
They are pretty much museums now. They are paid for by tourists going on one of the many tours they have throughout the day. And a lot of them do close to the public during certain hours during the day for prayer.
In the UK, without the tourists, they all are almost totally empty.
It’s visitors paying £27 per head to St Paul’s in London, that keeps it functioning.
I do. St Peter’s Cathedral on the Falls Road in Belfast is where I go to Mass, to light candles, and to just sit in contemplation or prayer. I highly, highly recommend you visit one day if you have the chance (it is sometimes colloquially known as Twin Spires because… well, yeah) and it is absolutely GORGEOUS. Everyone I have taken there has been absolutely stunned by it. It’s also free to go in at any time because it’s considered an open place of community worship, not a cash cow, and there is always at least a deacon there and a priest on call.
People are more likely to attend Sunday masses in small, local temples. The big ones function as tourist attractions on weekdays, but on church holidays they do organize celebrations and you can rent them for weddings or funerals as well. I.e. if a popular celebrity or public intellectual passes away and thousands of people are attending the liturgy those large cathedrals and basilicas are quiet practical. The church also uses them when they want to gather all the priests in one place.
People pay thite or offering to run the biggest Ponzi scheme in history to keep these institutions alive.
There is plenty of money to pay the few people that are needed to run it, and most of them are volunteers
Some countries (Switzerland for example) have mandatory registration with a (main) religious group
In 2026, several European countries continue to use a mandatory church tax system similar to Switzerland’s, where contributions are collected by the state from registered members of religious groups.
Countries with Mandatory Church Tax
In these countries, if you are a registered member of a state-recognized religious organization, the tax is automatically deducted from your income.
Germany: Charges a Kirchensteuer (church tax) of 8% to 9% of your total income tax.
Austria: Requires a contribution of roughly 1.1% of annual gross income from members of the Catholic and Protestant churches.
Denmark: Members of the National Church pay a Kirkeskat that averages around 0.7% to 0.87% of taxable income.
Finland: Members of the Evangelical Lutheran and Finnish Orthodox churches pay an income-based tax ranging from 1% to 2.25%.
Sweden: Collects a church fee (kyrkoavgift) that typically ranges between 0.8% and 2% of taxable income.
Iceland: Taxpayers belonging to a registered religious or secular humanist group pay a “congregation tax” (sóknargjald); those not in a group still pay the equivalent amount as part of their general income tax.
Hybrid or Opt-In Systems
Some countries allow you to choose where a portion of your existing taxes goes, rather than charging an additional fee.
Italy: Features the otto per mille (eight per thousand) system where 0.8% of your total income tax is directed to a religious group or the state based on your preference.
Spain: Taxpayers can check a box to allocate 0.7% of their income tax to the Catholic Church.
Portugal: Allows taxpayers to allocate 0.5% of their income tax to a religious group or charity.
Key Characteristics
Automatic Enrollment: In many of these countries, you are often added to church tax rolls at baptism.
The “Opt-Out”: To stop paying, individuals must typically go through a formal legal process of “leaving” the church (Kirchenaustritt) via state authorities.
Usage: These funds are used for the maintenance of historic buildings, social welfare projects, and paying the salaries of religious staff.
These are all basically museums now! Atleast in Spain not a lot of people still regularly attend church or participate in religious events. In Portugal I think it is more common. But the sagrada familia still has mass on Sundays
In Portugal yes. These cathedrals often serve a local parish, and so the religious residents of the neighborhoods near the cathedrals go to mass there regularly. There are also some special religious masses that only happen at cathedrals (like Chrism Mass on Maundy Thursday).
Yep. There was a mass taking place as I walked around Notre Dame when I was visiting at the end of December. Decent crowd in attendance. Actually added a bit to the feeling of the whole place with the music and some chanted prayers. It was in French and English. The sermon was actually pretty good and about how many who are given much don’t use it to help others and, in essence, repay god for the bounty. They should. Also how we need to rebuild connections and systems of support outside the current zeitgeist of worshipping money and the rich.