Notre Dame Cathedral Renovation Plans Are Cultural Vandalism

When the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris caught fire in 2019, the whole world was aghast. Atheists and Christians alike were horrified to see an iconic symbol of Western civilization engulfed in flames. Writers in these pages described the destruction as a symbolic “eclipse of the ancient marriage of European Christian belief and scientific brilliance,” as well as “a distressing message” for our times — “what prior generations so carefully and faithfully built, we are losing.”

Last week, the Telegraph reported that the interior of the cathedral may be renovated to resemble a “politically correct Disneyland.” According to these new plans, the revamped Notre Dame will feature a geography-themed “discovery trail,” the final stage of which will have a “strong environmental emphasis.” Provisionally, art murals will replace confessionals and religious sculptures, and there will be “emotional spaces” with special sound and lighting effects. The justification for these updates, according to Father Gilles Drouin, is to make the trickier parts of Catholicism more accessible to non-religious tourists. This makes no sense. Throughout the centuries, millions have flocked to Notre Dame precisely because of its religiosity. Even those who see it as belonging to an earlier era — with no real connection to the transcendent — are able to recognize its cultural worth. Those who prefer Disneyland are free to go to Disneyland.

About the Author

Madeleine Kearns

Madeleine Kearns is a former staff writer at National Review.

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When the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris caught fire in 2019, the whole world was aghast. Atheists and Christians alike were horrified to see an iconic symbol of Western civilization engulfed in flames. Writers in these pages described the destruction as a symbolic “eclipse of the ancient marriage of European Christian belief and scientific brilliance,” as well as “a distressing message” for our times — “what prior generations so carefully and faithfully built, we are losing.”

Last week, the Telegraph reported that the interior of the cathedral may be renovated to resemble a “politically correct Disneyland.” According to these new plans, the revamped Notre Dame will feature a geography-themed “discovery trail,” the final stage of which will have a “strong environmental emphasis.” Provisionally, art murals will replace confessionals and religious sculptures, and there will be “emotional spaces” with special sound and lighting effects. The justification for these updates, according to Father Gilles Drouin, is to make the trickier parts of Catholicism more accessible to non-religious tourists. This makes no sense. Throughout the centuries, millions have flocked to Notre Dame precisely because of its religiosity. Even those who see it as belonging to an earlier era — with no real connection to the transcendent — are able to recognize its cultural worth. Those who prefer Disneyland are free to go to Disneyland.