CLEVELAND (RNS) A battle is brewing between church and state over the Cleveland Catholic Diocese’s plans to tear down some churches and remove stained-glass windows from others closed as part of its downsizing.

Some angry Cleveland City Council members have visions of grand edifices being demolished or beautiful, priceless stained-glass windows replaced with plywood.

So the council members have turned to the law books, using historic-landmark designations to preserve closed churches. “I’m not about to lose these churches to the wrecking ball,” said Councilman Mike Polensek, who recently retrieved a brick from the demolished church that his great-grandparents worshipped in.

The diocese, faced with priest shortages, changing demographics and empty tills, is preparing to close nearly 50 churches, mostly in urban neighborhoods. The announcement is expected to come this month.

But the diocese does not expect to tear down a lot of buildings, said spokesman Robert Tayek. Instead, it wants to sell as many buildings as it can.

Citing church laws, Tayek has said that sacred artifacts, including stained-glass windows, will be removed from the churches that are closed and offered to the remaining Catholic churches. Windows that can’t be used elsewhere will be stored and preserved, he said.

That could spark a showdown between church law and city law.

Councilwoman Dona Brady, who recently introduced legislation designating SS. Philip and James as a landmark, said, “I would fight anybody who wanted to take those windows out.”

Twenty-eight city Catholic churches already are designated as Cleveland historical landmarks; legislation is pending to landmark three more.

The designation means a building cannot be demolished or architecturally altered — that includes removing windows — without permission from the city’s Landmarks Commission, said commission member Tom Coffey, a lawyer.

“The commission will do its best to see that those buildings are preserved,” Coffey said. “Windows are particularly sensitive to the commission. Windows are an incredibly important part of the look and the functionality of a building. No way windows can come out without permission from the commission.”

Tayek said the diocese was fully aware of restrictions under the landmark law, but added, “Wouldn’t it be tragic if a beautiful, valuable and historic stained-glass window might be damaged simply because that window could not be properly preserved and cared for?”