French debate: What is the value of dilapidated churches?

Former Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot recently published a book in which she wished her successors the courage to say no to renovating old church buildings "if they are not of interest for the cultural heritage." That is reported by Die Tagespost. According to Bachelot, it will become hard to save certain churches, especially from the 19th century, “which is of no great interest.”

However, her statements caused journalist Stéphane Bern and Communist Senator Pierre Ouzoulias to write an opinion article in Le Figaro, in which they stress the importance of keeping church buildings in a proper state.

In the next ten years, about 3,000 to 4,000 church buildings without monumental status will need extensive renovation. Especially churches from the 19th century are vulnerable, Bern and Ouzoulias write in their article. They contain cement, iron and plaster, making renovating them hard. However, if these churches disappear slowly, "there is a great risk of the definitive disappearance of links in the history of architecture that are essential for understanding its contemporary evolutions."

In an interview with Famille Chretienne, Bern explains that the de-Christianisation of France is one of the roots of the decay of the church buildings. People would rather build a football stadium than renovate the church in their town, he states. "But I don't see why you should spend millions of euros to renovate the plumbing of the Centre Pompidou and not be able to find a few hundred thousand euros for a church."

Donations

Guillaume Poitrinal, President of the cultural organisation Fondation du Patrimoine states in an article in Le Figaro that the money to renovate the churches is available. Her foundation has collected more than 66 million euros from donations to save church buildings, for example. According to Poitrinal, "the future of religious heritage is a territorial issue, which also concerns local authorities and their inhabitants."

The main problem, however, is not a financial reason, she declares. Instead, "Roselyne Bachelot has never seemed interested in local heritage, which is nevertheless the bearer of a common identity and history", she says.