The question of maintaining free access to Notre-Dame-de-Paris is still under debate. Minister Rachida Dati maintained her proposal to place a ticket at €5 per tourist, during the Conference of Bishops of France, this Monday, November 18.
Should tourists pay for entry to Notre-Dame de Paris to finance religious heritage? Rachida Dati reiterated her proposal, this Monday, November 18, in front of the president of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) who reiterated the Church’s attachment to gratuity.
“This proposal has caused debate, I know. But I find it coherent, and I would like us to be able to study it seriously together,” said the Minister of Culture during the closing of the States General of Religious Heritage (EGPR ).
The minister launched the idea at the end of October, estimating that a 5 euro ticket per tourist would bring in “75 million euros per year”, donated to religious heritage. The diocese of Paris immediately reiterated its attachment to the principle of free access to churches.
“Protect” freedom of religion
“I had no intention of commodifying religious heritage,” assured Rachida Dati, according to whom such a proposal “protects freedom of worship” and “could help save a large part of our heritage”. Speaking before the minister, the president of the CEF Eric de Moulins-Beaufort stressed that “places of worship are assigned to worship exclusively and entirely and their access is free”.
Churches and cathedrals “have always been places open to all”, and “charging entry to ensure their maintenance” would be a way of “betraying their original vocation”, he insisted, hoping that they “are preserved from the growing commodification” observed in places of culture.
Both spoke on the occasion of the submission of a report, initiated in September 2023 by the CEF to identify French religious heritage, the second most important in the world after Italy with more than 100,000 buildings (of which 60,000 are private property).
“Nearly 4,000 religious buildings protected”
The aim of this investigation was in particular to reflect on the uses allowing us to highlight this extremely rich heritage, but overwhelming for the finances of small municipalities. “These Estates General confirmed what we already knew: nearly 4,000 protected religious buildings are in poor condition, even in danger,” said Rachida Dati.
Recalling that 13 million euros had been collected thanks to the collection launched in September 2023 by Emmanuel Macron to help municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants preserve their religious buildings, Rachida Dati assured that she wanted to “go even further” and “review the model” of this collection to allow “others than the Heritage Foundation” to participate.
The minister also highlighted a government amendment to release “an additional 300 million euros” of which “a significant part” will be dedicated to “rural heritage”, and therefore largely to religious heritage.
An investigation into the state of health of religious buildings
According to the survey published Monday, 40,068 religious buildings belong to municipalities, and 2,145 are the property of dioceses. Of the 149 cathedrals in France, only four belong to dioceses, compared to 87 to the State and 52 to municipalities. The State is in fact the owner of religious buildings built until 1905, and those built after belong to the Church.
By launching its investigation, the Church also wanted to identify uses “compatible with worship”, particularly solidarity or cultural, within religious buildings. These are mentioned by all of the 69 dioceses that responded: reception of the most deprived (in 26 dioceses), solidarity changing rooms (10), but also concerts (64 dioceses) or organ classes (55) or even climatic asylum ( 24).
According to this survey, 411 diocesan religious buildings have been deconsecrated since 1905 (in 87 dioceses), and 72 buildings demolished since the year 2000 (out of 69 dioceses that responded). Ultimately, the survey also highlights the incomplete knowledge that the Church still has of its movable heritage, since of the 69 dioceses concerned, only 10% have completed their inventory. It is underway in 74% of dioceses and 16% have not yet started it.
As for “intangible heritage”, the survey identified 30 pilgrimage routes, 112 patronal festivals and 743 local pardons. A guide to patronage of religious heritage, intended for all owners, was also presented on this occasion.
