Updated 5pm with Curia reaction
The Paola parish appears to be making plans to shake up its current operations, with a new planning application looking to construct an eatery on top of the church roof.
The application - PA/02260/24 - filed by parish priest Marc Andre Camilleri proposes the conversion of the two belfry towers of the Christ the King Basilica into an interpretation centre over seven levels, and a gift shop on the ground floor.
The plans include the inclusion of an observation deck at the roof level and the construction of a ‘Class 4D’ cafeteria.
This permit type allows for the preparation and sale of hot and cold food and drinks, as well as cooking, and is the permit type ascribed to restaurants.
In the application, Camilleri also checked the box in which applicants acknowledge that they are not the owners of the site but are authorised to carry out the proposed development “in agreement with the owner”.
Pictures of the interior of one of the belfry filed on the application: Photo via Planning Authority
Belfry exterior. Photo via Planning Authority
Belfry exterior. Photo via Planning Authority
While cathedrals such as the Duomo in Milan or Santiago de Compostela in Spain have been offering tours of their spectacular rooftops for some time, the concept of converting the roof of an actively in-use church into a restaurant appears to be largely unheard of.
The closest example the Paola parish could have drawn inspiration from is a Jesuit church in Amman, Jordan, which converted part of an old kitchen in its basement into a pizzeria to train refugees in the culinary arts.
In recent years, a trend of decommissioned church buildings being converted into recreational commercial facilities like bars, restaurants and clubs has also emerged in various cities from Belgium to Singapore.
'It's a cafeteria, not a restaurant'
In a Curia statement on Sunday afternoon, the Paola parish said it had no intention of opening a restaurant on the roof of the church.
"The intention is to use a room in one of the existing belfries to house a small cafeteria for parishioners and visitors.
Tables and chairs will be placed outside but no additional structures will be added. There will be no adverse impact on the aesthetic value of the church. It should be noted that similar initiatives have been undertaken at other churches abroad including St Peter’s Basilica in Rome."
The project, it added, will be carried out subject to Planning Authority approval and is progressing according to Church regulations.
It will help the parish be economically sustainable, allowing the Basilica to continue serving as a pastoral hub for residents, people of the south of Malta and visitors.
The project also includes proposals for the ground floor and rooms for pastoral use, which will offer space for the various groups of children, young people, adults and the elderly that make up the parish community, the parish added.
The Basilica of Christ the King was designed by architect Ġużè Damato, who drew up plans for the church in 1922, with the first stone laid a year later.
The method of the church’s construction is somewhat notable as it was one of the earliest examples of reinforced concrete to be used in Maltese construction.
The structure is built in the shape of a Latin cross, with a nave measuring 83 metres long by 42 metres wide and a dome that tops 60 metres in height.
According to the MTA, the basilica is also home to the largest pipe organ in Malta, with almost 3,500 pipes of seven sections that have been divided into three galleries around the church.
The application has yet to receive a formal recommendation from the PA’s planning directorate.
The deadline for representations closes on May 17.