Rachida Dati still hopes to “convince” the diocese to charge tourists for entry to Notre-Dame

The Minister of Culture Rachida Dati persists and signs. On the sidelines of a trip to Dijon, she declared Thursday always « hope to convince » the diocese of Paris to charge tourists to visit Notre-Dame, « which would make it possible to finance the entire religious heritage » of which 4,000 buildings are in danger. « I hope to convince the diocese. A contribution of five euros would make it possible to raise 75 to 100 million euros per year and restore all religious heritage »specified the tenant of rue de Valois.

At the end of October, the diocese of Paris insisted on the principle of « free entry to churches and cathedrals »defended by the Catholic Church in France, while Notre-Dame-de-Paris Cathedral is among the most visited buildings in Europe with 12 million entries in 2017.

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“Investing in culture”

However, the minister assured that « non »his idea of ​​paid entry, put forward last fall, was not dead. « Environ 4 000 religious buildings are in danger »she underlined during a trip dedicated to the announcement of the financing « integral » by the State of the 22 million euros necessary for the restoration of the spire of the Saint-Bénigne cathedral in Dijon, whose former socialist mayor, François Rebsamen, has just been appointed Minister of Regional Planning and Decentralization. The spire, which has the highest wooden frame in France after that of Notre-Dame de Paris, culminates 93 meters above Saint-Bénigne, evangelizer of Burgundy.

 

“Pray for us, Lord, to keep the additional 300 million euros »

Rachida Data

Referring to the budget of her ministry, Rachida Dati launched « pray for us, Lord, to keep the extra 300 million euros » which she had obtained for 2025 from former Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Rachida Dati, in this regard, called on communities to « not to disengage » of culture, despite budgetary difficulties, shortly after the vote, by the Pays de la Loire region, for drastic cuts in this area. « Communities considered that culture was incidental, that it was a leisure activity. But today, often, mayors say that it is the priority of priorities : invest in culture. This is the whole mission that I have assigned to myself »she added.