Question 2590 — cultural heritage

Summary

Mrs. Lisette Pollet alerts the Minister of Culture to the serious concerns regarding the non-free admission of churches. The proposal to introduce an entry fee for tourists visiting churches, such as Notre-Dame de Paris, raises fundamental questions about the vocation of places of worship, their role in society and the means of preserving religious heritage. Although driven by the laudable intention of financing their maintenance, This measure goes against essential principles enshrined in the republican and cultural history of France. First of all, free access to religious buildings is a tradition anchored in the law of 1905, which enshrines the separation of Churches and State while guaranteeing freedom of worship. Churches are not simple monuments: they are living places, entirely dedicated to religious practice and their gratuity is an expression of this vocation. Questioning this principle would risk blurring their spiritual significance and reducing them to simple tourist attractions. Then, this measure threatens to undermine the universal dimension of the churches. These spaces have always been open to everyone, whether believers or not, rich or poor, tourists or local residents. Making them pay could exclude the most modest people and create a barrier where openness should be the rule. Churches represent a “magnificent exception” in a society where everything becomes “commodified”. Finally, there are viable alternatives that respect the spiritual nature of these places. Private sponsorship, voluntary donations or crowdfunding campaigns offer solutions to mobilize the necessary funds while preserving free access. These approaches strengthen citizen involvement and solidarity, instead of imposing commercial logic. The MP also wishes to emphasize that churches are not simple buildings: they carry within them a collective memory, a history and a spiritual role that transcends eras. Their open and free access is an asset for French society and a symbol of fraternity. which we must not give up. She would like to know how she will be able, in a context where France prides itself on a religious heritage unique in the world, to reconcile the paid entry fee to churches with respect for the fundamental principles of freedom and universality which are the very essence of churches.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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