Declared “Redundant”

A while ago it was announced that a church in [the Anglican bishop of London's] diocese, St. Mark's in Mayfair, was being declared "redundant," and that a secular use–probably a restaurant–was contemplated. The local well-heeled and highly articulate residents were appalled at this sacrilege, and they appealed to the bishop to stop it. His reply was suave and devastating: had they been in the habit of attending the church in question, the issue would never have arisen.