At the Paris headquarters of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), avenue de Breteuil (7th arrondissement), around fifty people gathered Monday, November 18 in the evening for the restitution of the report of the general states of religious heritage. The Apostolic Nuncio Celestino Migliore, the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati and the President of the Conference of Bishops of France Éric de Moulins-Beaufort were notably present.
Their respective speeches were the occasion for an exchange about the recent controversial proposal formulated by Rachida Dati to charge an entrance fee to tourists visiting Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.
In a barely veiled allusion to this measure, Mgr Éric de Moulins-Beaufort wanted to reaffirm the unique character of religious buildings, “places open to all, and first of all to the poor, to people wounded by life”. “Keeping them closed to avoid damage, limiting or complicating access for security reasons, charging for entry to ensure maintenance, these would all be ways of betraying their original purpose”he continued.
Before questioning the minister more directly: “Allow me to express the hope, however, that our churches and cathedrals will be preserved from the increasing commodification that we are seeing in places of culture. »
A measure under study
“The message got through”Rachida Dati told him, before speaking. “I didn't feel like I wanted to trade on religious heritage » with this proposal, she then explained. The tenant of Rue de Valois nevertheless maintained her proposal, insisting in particular on its symbolic significance. « forte »before the representatives of the Church of France and the actors of these states general of religious heritage: “This proposal has caused debate, I know. But I find it coherent, and I wish we could study it seriously today. »
Welcoming the work of the actors gathered on avenue de Breteuil, the minister deplored “the emergency” in which the religious heritage is located in France, before recalling that the additional envelope of 300 million euros announced at the beginning of November would largely benefit Catholic churches and chapels. “At a time when we are all mobilized for our religious heritageshe concluded, I would like to reopen Notre-Dame (December 7 and 8, Editor’s note) a celebration which highlights the richness of our religious heritage throughout France. A time of communion, from which all churches and chapels in the country could benefit. »
Heritage, a path to faith
During the evening, Mgr Alain Planet, bishop emeritus of Carcassonne and Narbonne and responsible for these states general, also welcomed the fifteen months of work, hearings and investigations carried out in the dioceses to inventory the Catholic heritage in France. The bishop also insisted on the importance of this work continuing.
“We were amazed to see that among these adults who returned to a spiritual path, a large number began with heritage”he recalled. According to a CEF study carried out among 83 catechumenate teams, 34% of those questioned indicated that heritage had given them “desire to know” faith.
Bernadette Melois, responsible for the liturgy and sacraments within the CEF, then gave the Minister of Culture a guide for mayors, “often hampered in their momentum by the scale of the task incumbent on them to maintain religious buildings”. This guide includes tips for requesting aid as well as a directory of patrons who can contribute to the restoration of religious heritage.
“The results of this inventory are not limited to a list. They draw, as has never been done before, a living, moving, varied landscape, which encompasses fairly banal places and objects as well as extraordinary places and objects.supported Mgr Éric de Moulins-Beaufort. So many places which, for the Archbishop of Reims, tell the story, “not so much that of the Catholic Church in France as that of the Christian faith, of the personal investment that it is and which cannot easily be described in the sole “religious feeling” or in “religious history ” ».
