In recent years, numerous cathedrals and important French churches have burned, for one reason or another. Photo: Religion en Libertad

France, The Country Where More Churches Are Set On Fire

The causes of the fires vary. Investigations have shown the weight of the antiquity of the infrastructure. But why do fires not happen in other countries that have equally ancient churches, including the same materials? Negligence in the maintenance was noted, although this weakness seems more notorious in France, the country that receives the largest number of tourists worldwide.

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(ZENIT News / Paris, 29.01.2025).- In recent years, a high number of Catholic churches in France have been set on fire. In some cases, they seemed accidental, but in others the suspicion is that they were intentional. Both have resulted in historical damages and wounds to a population with identity problems.

A striking case of fire was that of the Saint Pierre church in Nantes, whose Gothic construction began in 1434 to replace an earlier Romanesque Cathedral. In 1864 the French Government declared it a national monument. Last April it was considerably damaged by a fire. The Authorities suspect it was intentional. Rouen’s Saint-Jacques church in Normandy, which was founded at the beginning of the 12th century, was partially destroyed last September and the investigators found proofs of a deliberate fire. The burning of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019 must be added, which showed the vulnerability to fire of sacred spaces in France.

At 4:00 am on September 2, 2024, the sacristy went up in flames of the church of the Immaculate Conception in the Ghière Square of Saint-Omer, a small French city near the Pas de Calais, in the north of the country. The suspicion is that it was deliberate. On October 3, 2024, the church of Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand in Poitiers — which dates back to the 10th century and is catalogued by UNESCO as world patrimony –, was vandalized and set on fire, “causing considerable material damages.” Added to these examples is the large fire in the sacristy of the Saint-Pierre-Saint Paul church, in the neighbourhood of Wazemmes of Lille in May 2021.

The causes of the fires vary. Investigations have shown the weight of the antiquity of the infrastructure. But why do fires not happen in other countries that have equally ancient churches, including the same materials? Negligence in the maintenance was noted, although this weakness seems more notorious in France, the country that receives the largest number of tourists worldwide.

The suspicion of deliberate fires highlights social problems such as the growth of secularism, anti-Catholic sentiment, the increase of Muslim immigration and the tensions in a population with diversity of cultures and beliefs. Acts of profanation touch the heart of France’s Catholic heritage, questioning the Authorities’ commitment to preserve its Christian roots.

Bishop Marc Aillet of Bayonne described the fires as “an attack on our nation’s spiritual fabric,” and called for greater protection for its restoration. The Catholic faithful have responded with resilience and action. Lay organizations hold fundraisers for repairs and exert pressure on the Government to protect these monuments.

What are the remedies? It is necessary to combine vigilance, investment and education. The increase of funds for the churches is a first step. Many buildings are centuries-old and need urgent structural reinforcements and measures against fires. The improvement of security and vigilance systems will dissuade the arsonists.

However, the need for cultural and spiritual cultivation must be added. France, the “Eldest Daughter of the Church” in ancient times, needs to harmonize the growing secularism with respect for the Catholic heritage. Education in the appreciation of the country’s historical and spiritual bases will help the care of sacred spaces.

The Church has her role to play with an invitation to local communities to care for the buildings, not only as museums, but as living centers of faith, not regarding them solely as relics of the past. The fostering of worship, community meetings and cultural events with a Christian meaning will be of much help.

 

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Rafael Llanes

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