The tragedy of the fire at Notre Dame de Paris is only the most visible part of a much more important phenomenon that has been hitting France hard for many years: the accelerated deterioration of its colossal heritage of religious buildings. President Emmanuel Macron has just announced an ambitious four-year plan to try to improve the situation.
A few emblematic, world-famous buildings attract the attention of the media and tourists, such as Mont Saint-Michel and the Sacré-Coeur church in Paris, but France has a multitude of churches throughout the country that are suffering terribly from a lack of maintenance. Since the 1905 law on the separation of Church and State, the overwhelming majority of churches have been the responsibility of local authorities, and few towns, particularly in rural areas, can afford the recurring costs of maintaining their roofs and frameworks, let alone preserving the decorative features they may contain.
Journalist and TV host Stéphane Bern, a friend of President Emmanuel Macron to whom the latter has entrusted a heritage preservation mission, is particularly attentive to the issue of the deterioration of religious buildings. A lover of heritage and himself involved in the restoration of an 18th-century royal college purchased with his own money, he regularly sounds the alarm in the press about the pitiful state of France’s churches, and the tragedy of the state’s abandonment of their preservation. In his view, these churches, often found in the countryside, are an essential part of French identity and history, and as such deserve to be safeguarded—regardless of questions of practice or faith. They also help to shape the traditional landscapes for which France is famous: keeping them in good repair is therefore also a guarantee of influence and attractiveness for a country that ranks among the world’s top tourist destinations.
At the launch of the European Heritage Days, traditionally held in mid-September, Emmanuel Macron seems to have taken on board the message that Stéphane Bern has been hammering home for months. Accompanied by the TV host, Emmanuel Macron made his announcement on Friday, September 15th, from the small Burgundy village of Semur-en-Auxois—known for its exceptional heritage with a 13th-century collegiate church and often used in French cinema for its typical, unspoilt character of a perfect French village.
Macron announced a major donation campaign to preserve religious buildings over 4 years, with the aim of raising €200 million for the most dilapidated churches. France has between 40,000 and 60,000 churches and chapels, or more than one per commune, of which, according to some estimates, 5,000 are in serious disrepair. The sum of €200 million is to be acquired through a major national fund-raising campaign, with tax-exempt donations of up to €1,000, as was the case for Notre Dame de Paris.
There is an urgent need for action. Not only do many small communities not have the resources to maintain their churches, but the latter are also threatened with abandonment due to the collapse of religious practice. A gigantic movement of disaffection and even destruction is therefore threatening France’s churches, as was pointed out a few months ago in a Senate report on the issue, which put forward the figure of 2,500 to 5,000 churches threatened with destruction by 2030. At the time, the senators recommended that consideration be given to “opening up churches for other uses”—an elegant phrase that simply means the mass desacralisation of sanctuaries destined to end up as libraries, hotels or trendy brasseries.
The Senate report puts its finger on a painful point. The problem is not just financial, it is also cultural and political. Maintaining a village church, regardless of its artistic or heritage value, which may vary, is a matter of choice for local councillors, as illustrated by the example of the small town of Comblot which, despite having limited resources, has chosen for years to maintain its church with commendable determination. On the Catholic blog Le Salon Beige, the deputy mayor of a rural commune shares his experience: “It’s not true to say that town halls no longer have any money,” he insists. “It’s not a question of money, it’s a question of long-term commitment.” In his village, the elected representatives have decided to spend tens of thousands of euros restoring the two churches in their area. He agrees with Stéphane Bern. He explains:
Our local councillors are aware that people no longer practise their religion, they know that these churches are hardly used any more, they know that the Church is going through an unprecedented crisis, they distrust the parish priest, 80% of them no longer practise their religion and they no longer call themselves Catholics.
And yet, they are preparing to borrow from the banks, putting the commune’s finances at risk for decades to come, in order to save these old stones. This bell tower is all that’s left of their heritage. This bell tower is their pride and joy. Because this bell tower is where they were born, because this bell tower is where they will die, because this bell tower is part of their identity.
The political problem can be seen at town level, but also at company level. Very few companies use sponsorship schemes to help small churches, as this would damage their image. For a large group, it is much more gratifying in the media to support an association that helps young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods than to donate to the restoration of the roof of a rural church.
This is not a new phenomenon. Olivier de Rohan, chairman of the Sauvegarde de l’art français foundation, deplored it as long ago as 2019 in an interview with AFP: “The big companies don’t put a penny into small churches that are in peril; it would be a ban on their image.” There is a real symbolic battle to be fought here, which few politicians dare to tackle.
In addition to launching the national fund-raising campaign, Emmanuel Macron also announced that he wanted to speed up the classification of a certain number of churches as historic monuments, which would enable them to be financed by the State. At present, the French government is only directly involved in a limited number of major national buildings, leaving the rest to be funded by local authorities. The listing of new buildings would enable it to extend its scope of action, thereby relieving the burden on local authorities.
Can the personal commitment of the President of the Republic to religious heritage, working hand in hand with Stéphane Bern, a very popular figure who has already met with great success with the launch of his ‘Heritage Lotto,’ change the situation? Let’s hope so.
Restoring Churches: Macron’s New Priority?
Photo: Hélène de Lauzun
The tragedy of the fire at Notre Dame de Paris is only the most visible part of a much more important phenomenon that has been hitting France hard for many years: the accelerated deterioration of its colossal heritage of religious buildings. President Emmanuel Macron has just announced an ambitious four-year plan to try to improve the situation.
A few emblematic, world-famous buildings attract the attention of the media and tourists, such as Mont Saint-Michel and the Sacré-Coeur church in Paris, but France has a multitude of churches throughout the country that are suffering terribly from a lack of maintenance. Since the 1905 law on the separation of Church and State, the overwhelming majority of churches have been the responsibility of local authorities, and few towns, particularly in rural areas, can afford the recurring costs of maintaining their roofs and frameworks, let alone preserving the decorative features they may contain.
Journalist and TV host Stéphane Bern, a friend of President Emmanuel Macron to whom the latter has entrusted a heritage preservation mission, is particularly attentive to the issue of the deterioration of religious buildings. A lover of heritage and himself involved in the restoration of an 18th-century royal college purchased with his own money, he regularly sounds the alarm in the press about the pitiful state of France’s churches, and the tragedy of the state’s abandonment of their preservation. In his view, these churches, often found in the countryside, are an essential part of French identity and history, and as such deserve to be safeguarded—regardless of questions of practice or faith. They also help to shape the traditional landscapes for which France is famous: keeping them in good repair is therefore also a guarantee of influence and attractiveness for a country that ranks among the world’s top tourist destinations.
At the launch of the European Heritage Days, traditionally held in mid-September, Emmanuel Macron seems to have taken on board the message that Stéphane Bern has been hammering home for months. Accompanied by the TV host, Emmanuel Macron made his announcement on Friday, September 15th, from the small Burgundy village of Semur-en-Auxois—known for its exceptional heritage with a 13th-century collegiate church and often used in French cinema for its typical, unspoilt character of a perfect French village.
Macron announced a major donation campaign to preserve religious buildings over 4 years, with the aim of raising €200 million for the most dilapidated churches. France has between 40,000 and 60,000 churches and chapels, or more than one per commune, of which, according to some estimates, 5,000 are in serious disrepair. The sum of €200 million is to be acquired through a major national fund-raising campaign, with tax-exempt donations of up to €1,000, as was the case for Notre Dame de Paris.
There is an urgent need for action. Not only do many small communities not have the resources to maintain their churches, but the latter are also threatened with abandonment due to the collapse of religious practice. A gigantic movement of disaffection and even destruction is therefore threatening France’s churches, as was pointed out a few months ago in a Senate report on the issue, which put forward the figure of 2,500 to 5,000 churches threatened with destruction by 2030. At the time, the senators recommended that consideration be given to “opening up churches for other uses”—an elegant phrase that simply means the mass desacralisation of sanctuaries destined to end up as libraries, hotels or trendy brasseries.
The Senate report puts its finger on a painful point. The problem is not just financial, it is also cultural and political. Maintaining a village church, regardless of its artistic or heritage value, which may vary, is a matter of choice for local councillors, as illustrated by the example of the small town of Comblot which, despite having limited resources, has chosen for years to maintain its church with commendable determination. On the Catholic blog Le Salon Beige, the deputy mayor of a rural commune shares his experience: “It’s not true to say that town halls no longer have any money,” he insists. “It’s not a question of money, it’s a question of long-term commitment.” In his village, the elected representatives have decided to spend tens of thousands of euros restoring the two churches in their area. He agrees with Stéphane Bern. He explains:
And yet, they are preparing to borrow from the banks, putting the commune’s finances at risk for decades to come, in order to save these old stones. This bell tower is all that’s left of their heritage. This bell tower is their pride and joy. Because this bell tower is where they were born, because this bell tower is where they will die, because this bell tower is part of their identity.
The political problem can be seen at town level, but also at company level. Very few companies use sponsorship schemes to help small churches, as this would damage their image. For a large group, it is much more gratifying in the media to support an association that helps young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods than to donate to the restoration of the roof of a rural church.
This is not a new phenomenon. Olivier de Rohan, chairman of the Sauvegarde de l’art français foundation, deplored it as long ago as 2019 in an interview with AFP: “The big companies don’t put a penny into small churches that are in peril; it would be a ban on their image.” There is a real symbolic battle to be fought here, which few politicians dare to tackle.
In addition to launching the national fund-raising campaign, Emmanuel Macron also announced that he wanted to speed up the classification of a certain number of churches as historic monuments, which would enable them to be financed by the State. At present, the French government is only directly involved in a limited number of major national buildings, leaving the rest to be funded by local authorities. The listing of new buildings would enable it to extend its scope of action, thereby relieving the burden on local authorities.
Can the personal commitment of the President of the Republic to religious heritage, working hand in hand with Stéphane Bern, a very popular figure who has already met with great success with the launch of his ‘Heritage Lotto,’ change the situation? Let’s hope so.
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