Romanian Court Orders Demolition of Office Building To Protect Cathedral

The National Catholic Register reports that an appeals court in Romania has ordered the city of Bucharest to pay for the demolition of a 19-story skyscraper that threatens the physical security of an historic Catholic cathedral located just 26 feet away.  The Cathedral Plaza office tower, located in an active earthquake zone, threatens the unreinforced walls of Bucharest's Cathedral of St. Joseph. The office tower was built without proper permits or authorizations and contains a number of building code violations.  The court ordered  that the office tower site be restored to its prior condition as a small park.