France considering admission fee to the Notre-Dame

Posted On October 29, 2024October 29, 2024

The culture minister of France, Rachida Dati, has suggested charging visitors to see Notre-Dame de Paris once it reopens. Following a five-year restoration, the historical landmark is set to open in December 2024. 

The fee would be a new introduction and no doubt could be met with some controversy; however, in an interview, Dati confirmed that her rationale behind introducing a fee came from a good place. Given how much the restoration of Notre-Dame has cost and how eagerly anticipated its reopening is, she sees an opportunity to help more churches through this new revenue scheme. 

When speaking with Le Figaro, Dati confirmed she is interested in charging people five euros to enter Notre-Dame once the restoration is finished. She affirms that by doing so, they could potentially raise €75 million a year. Dati also confirmed that she would intend to use that money to “save all the churches in Paris and France.” The monetary figure comes from an estimated 15 million visitors annually. 

Notably, the Notre-Dame had to close in 2019 after its roof was destroyed by a fire. Before the tragedy, the church had approximately 14 million attendees every year. This number will likely increase once the restoration is complete, as people are excited about seeing the new church. 

However, Dati’s proposal has been criticised as imposing a fee to attend the church could breach a French law signed in 1905. This historic piece of regulation was introduced to ensure that the ownership of churches was passed over to the State. Furthermore, It made sure churches agreed to stay open to the public and never impose “charges or dues.” 

Dati acknowledged this law and subsequently softened her stance. The Paris diocese got involved in the ongoing debate, backing the “unchanged position of the Catholic Church of France on the free entry of all churches.” 

The politician has since took to social media to confirm: “Masses and religious services should remain free of course, but each cultural visitor should contribute to the preservation of our heritage.” 

Paris clerics have also voiced their concerns about Dati’s proposal, highlighting the logistical challenges of separating cultural visitors from those attending a religious service. “Services and visits are held together,” they said, adding that it would be impossible to “separate religious followers from visitors.”

They also added that it would be wrong to discriminate between cultural visitors and those attending mass, saying it would “deprive them of the communion between everyone, which is the essence of our mission and the place.” 

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