i am also a lapsed catholic. that term is so complex and difficult to deal with because it can mean so many different things. i think that a lot of these issues evoke strong feelings in different people because their reasons for becoming a lapsed catholic are so varied. it creates lenses that people use when they look at either the catholic church or a particular incident.

some have lost their faith because of a loss of faith. aetheism and agnositicism seem to create a certain kind of lapsed catholic. victims of institutional abuse have varied reactions including rage and lashing out at the institution are the path some take while others slip into despair. i think this matters in this discussion because reflection on why you want something seems to be important. so when you are considering doing something such as violating a sacred place (sacred to someone, but maybe not everyone) the question that i try to answer for myself if i were considering this is why am i doing this? what does doing this give me? what inside of me makes me want to do this? something i didn't ask myself when i alternated between diving into catholicism whole heartedly and rebelling against the schools and churches i went to.

to me, the essence of what you are thinking about doing is all about the sacred and the profane. the profane is the everyday life. the things that we use everyday are of this world. the sacred are the things that are set aside for special use like the altar in a church or a cemetery. i don't think that there is a divinity which consecrates things. i leave that question as something that i just don't know. which is why i usually identify myself as an agnositc and a lapsed catholic. i look at the sacred as something that was set aside for special use by a group of people.

so to consider your question, i would ask more questions. who are the people that made this place sacred? what is my relationship to these people? do i care about them? do i want to offend them?

the legal issue is simpler, engaging in public play exposes that person to legal risk if caught. kink is frowned upon in the public eye to such an extent even a questionable areas will get a legal response. i don't think that situation you referenced in lousiana is comparable or relevant due to other issues playing into both the churches response, publlc reaction and legal response. but, i would still expect a legal response if law enforcement caught someone in public play.