France’s powerful culture minister on Monday discussed with the country’s Roman Catholic organization whether visitors should pay to enter Notre Dame Cathedral when it reopens next month.
Before the devastating fire of 2019 destroyed the historic site, Notre Dame was among the most visited buildings in Europe, with 14 to 15 million visitors expected annually once the cathedral reopens on December 7 and 8.
But when visitors to St Paul’s in London have to fork out 25 pounds ($32) and non-praying visitors to Milan’s Duomo need to pay at least 10 euros ($11), those wishing to marvel at France’s most famous religious building could have done so earlier. without opening their wallets.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati has proposed a five-euro ticket, which she estimates could bring in 75 million euros a year to fund the preservation of religious heritage sites. The archbishop called the proposal a “betrayal” of the mission of the church.
“Approximately 4,000 protected religious houses are in poor condition, or at risk,” Dati warned the Bishops’ Conference of France (CEF) on Monday.
Although he admitted that his proposal had “created a debate”, Dati said that charging an interloper would “save a large part of our heritage” and urged Church leaders to work with the government on the issue.
“I am not willing to sell our religious heritage,” Dati told the bishops.
However, the Catholic clergy has given the proposal little approval, with the archbishop vowing to protect freedom of access.
Since churches and chapels are “always places open to everyone”, making visitors pay to preserve them would be “a betrayal of their original vocation”, CEF president Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort said at the meeting.
France has a rich source of over 100,000 religious heritage sites. But saving money can be hard on the finances of small municipalities.
The French state owns all religious buildings built up to 1905 — the date of the law establishing the separation of Church and state — while those built after that belong to the Church.
Of France’s 149 dioceses, only four are regional, compared to 87 federal and 52 municipal, according to a CEF study published Monday.
Notre Dame will reopen next month following five years of work involving hundreds of artisans worth around 700 million euros.
On Monday the bishop of the southwestern region of Landes blessed with holy water the new chairs and pews of the cathedral before they were taken to the capital.
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