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| -Great Cultural Revolution |
| 'Macron's Requiem': Why the Pope Refused to Attend the Opening of Notre Dame |
| 2024-12-11 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Olesya Orlenko [REGNUM] The fire at Notre Dame Cathedral on April 19, 2019, was one of the most shocking events of the year for the entire world. The fear of losing the famous architectural monument, which is not just a symbol of France, but has invaluable universal, historical and cultural significance, caused a storm of emotions. French President Emmanuel Macron solemnly promised that the cathedral would be restored in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite everything, he kept his word. But the ceremony to return the masterpiece to the public was perceived as a fiasco for the French president instead of a triumph. "THEY TOOK IT TO HEART" The fire in the cathedral started in the evening, around 7:15 p.m. The nearby streets were filled with onlookers - tourists and Parisians, the firefighters worked until 4 a.m. Social networks were full of comments. Many, including Donald Trump, criticized the firefighters' actions. Experts of varying levels of expertise offered theories about the cause of the fire, suspecting, among others, atheists, "leftists" and migrants. However, as time has passed, experts agree that the fire was extinguished correctly, taking into account that it was necessary not only to eliminate the flames, but also to save the building from even greater destruction. A government agency was quickly created to coordinate the restoration of the monument. The restoration work was carried out in several stages. Until 2021, the task was to preserve the structure and strengthen the walls. Then, for more than three years, the actual restoration of the cathedral's appearance was carried out. After much debate, it was decided to return the building to the appearance it had received after its restoration in the 19th century, when it was led by the famous architect and art historian Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. The restoration of Notre Dame's interior is planned to be completed in 2027. The unfortunate fire brought to light an internal problem related to the state's attitude to historical heritage. The cost of restoration work at Notre Dame Cathedral has already exceeded 700 million euros. They were made possible by organizing a collection of donations for the restoration of the monument. To date, people from almost all over the world have already transferred 843 million euros. About half of this amount was given by representatives of French big business. For example, the owner of the LVMH group, Bernard Arnault, who, according to him, took this tragedy to heart when he saw his 17-year-old daughter watching the fire in tears on live television. Meanwhile, the budget for maintaining all monuments in the country, including churches, museums, secular historical buildings, etc., was only 326 million euros in 2019. And, apparently, the situation has not changed for the better now. In 2024, a number of architectural monuments in France had to be closed to tourists because it was simply unsafe. The country has about five thousand churches classified as national heritage sites that are in a state of disrepair. The authorities tried to repeat the Notre Dame experience and announce a collection for the maintenance of other cultural sites, hoping to receive 200 million euros. However, this topic did not find a response in the souls of people, so it was not possible to collect even 17 million. Rachida Dati, who recently headed the Ministry of Culture, proposed transferring some of the funds sent to Notre Dame Cathedral to finance urgent work elsewhere. But this idea met with a wave of disapproval, particularly from the Catholic clergy. "SPLENDOR AND MISERY" But the cathedral in Paris was lucky, and on December 7, its grand opening ceremony took place. The whole world was watching the event. For many, the event was more important than the recent Olympic Games. Not to mention that the event itself received far more positive reviews than the scandalous opening of the summer sports competitions. Representatives of the political elite of other countries came to the capital of France. In particular, the elected US President Donald Trump, for whom this visit was the first foreign trip after winning the election. But the inexorable world press is in no hurry to describe what happened in rosy tones. And analysts see a large number of facts that darken the solemn mood. Journalists note that the event was marked not only by the presence of important guests, but also by the absence of two iconic figures. Firstly, the Pope, who refused to attend the opening despite Macron's personal invitation, but is planning to visit Corsica on December 15. The Pontiff explained his refusal by his reluctance to draw attention to himself, which on this day should be addressed only to the council. However, behind the scenes, it is assumed that he rather does not want his person to be used as an argument in the rhetoric on the Ukrainian issue in the context of Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit. The second absent guest is the current Prime Minister of France. Absent because there is still no one in that position. Emmanuel Macron positions the restoration of Notre Dame as a symbol of France, capable even in a difficult situation of mobilizing resources and talents to save its heritage. But the world media wrote more about his kind of servility to the American president. The Germans wrote that for Trump, Macron is “just an unpopular president in an ungovernable country on a continent drifting at sea.” The Italian La Stampa calls the ceremony “glitz and misery,” when “Paris shines again, but the nightmare of the crisis remains.” And the Spanish El Pais even dubbed the whole event “Macron’s requiem.” And indeed, this time many are noticing the harsh reality that even such a truly grandiose event as the resurrection from the ashes of Notre Dame Cathedral cannot overshadow. But even with his help, Macron will not be able to earn the glory of a creator, since not long before this he plunged the country into a crisis that is still far from resolved. Related: Notre Dame Cathedral 12/08/2024 Mark Steyn: Fire and Faith Notre Dame Cathedral 10/17/2024 ‘A disgrace’: Gallant rips Macron for again barring Israeli firms from defense expo Notre Dame Cathedral 10/09/2024 Osama bin Laden's son deported from France, barred from returning |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #7 Despite being catholic, the only action of this pope I won't ignore is when he croaks. I don't feel he represents the church and I don't feel he even recognizes God. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2024-12-11 09:29 |
| #6 Trump refused to attend the opening of the new US Embassy in London. Same reason. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2024-12-11 07:28 |
| #5 Still PO'd over that Avignon Papacy thingy? |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2024-12-11 07:22 |
| #4 Since there is no announced/official cause of the fire; we know what that most likely means. |
| Posted by: Airandee 2024-12-11 06:41 |
| #3 Because he might encounter Jews there? |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2024-12-11 01:19 |
| #2 Because he wants nothing to do with Catholicism? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2024-12-11 00:34 |
| #1 Afraid to leave his walled city? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-12-11 00:12 |