The Bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy, has said "church buildings are primarily places of worship, not museums".
He said their internal organisation could not be subject to the same strict planning laws as other listed buildings because of the danger of interfering with worship.
The church could not accept any attempt by the State to limit its right to organise its places of worship in accordance with its understanding of liturgy, Bishop Murphy said in a strongly worded statement yesterday.
Under the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act 1999, each local development plan must include a list of structures to be protected. The list includes hundreds of churches. In Co Kerry more than 50 churches are listed. In most cases internal rearrangements must have planning permission and be approved by the council's planners.
Bishop Murphy said: "It is totally unacceptable that somebody without the necessary background in liturgy would prevent the adaptation of any liturgical space for contemporary worship." Where a conflict arose between conservation and liturgy, "the needs of the liturgy should be the deciding factor," the bishop said.