Senior Roman Catholic clerics in France have asked illegal immigrants to stop occupying churches and cathedrals in their effort to win residency papers.
Eight bishops - including the Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger - said in a joint statement that such occupations had now outgrown their purpose and were beginning to threaten the religious character of the buildings.
The bishops added that the Church had shown great generosity for the migrants' cause in the past, and was ready to continue its mediation.
There has been an upsurge in church invasions in France this year, as thousands of illegal migrants seek to persuade the authorities to grant them leave to remain in the country. The most prominent occupation has been that of St-Denis Basilica in the northern suburbs of Paris, where the Kings of France are buried.
The government has pledged to re-examine migrants' claims on an individual basis, but has refused to issue residence permits indiscriminately.