INDEX: 1. The issue of redundant places of worship in Europe - 2. Canonical perspectives - 2.1. The regulations according to the Code of Canon Law - 2.2. General criteria for change in churches’ deployment. The Guidelines of the Episcopal Conference of Italy (CEI) about the cultural goods of the Church in Italy (1992) - 2.3. The documents of other episcopates (Germany and Switzerland) – 3. The phenomenon of churches’ desertion in some countries - 3.1. France - 3.2. Québec (Canada) - 3.3. United States of America - 4. The situation in Italy - 4.1. Ownership of the churches - 4.2. Financial aspects - 4.3. Legal protection of the destination bond - 4.4. Churches as cultural heritage - 4.5. Fiscal considerations - 4.6. The recent CEI Directive (2005) - 5. Concluding remarks.