The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht has said he expects the fall in church attendance in the Netherlands to continue over the next decade. By 2020 only 10 percent of the Dutch population will belong to the Roman Catholic denomination, Archbishop Eijk told daily .

One of the consequences of the ongoing secularisation is that some 400 catholic and 600 protestant churches will have to close in the next ten years, the archbishop said. He is not in favour of giving the buildings a new lease of life as mosques.

The Dutch bishops hold the view that surplus churches had best be torn down, unless "another dignified use" can be found, Archbishop Eijk said, suggesting use as a health centre or a cultural venue.