It is not just that it is an ancient expression of the majesty and scale of gothic architecture not just the setting but the wellspring of perhaps the most famous French novel. But with the still-smoldering ruin behind him, and with the shaken archbishop of Paris at his side, President Emmanuel Macron - the embattled leader of that least-faithful great European nation - spoke movingly of the place Notre Dame occupies at the center of the Parisian imagination. Monday, the water of the font was no match for the inferno that consumed the ancient structure, centuries in the making, in a matter of hours. Just two weeks ago, friends who came to visit toured the ancient cathedral of Notre Dame. They happened upon a timeless scene playing out in a corner: a young couple, and a baby being baptized, made part of the community of the church. Yet faith persists, in quiet, often unseen ways. Flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. The emergence of radicalism in recent decades has brought renewed suspicion and scrutiny toward all belief - and has brought about an often unwise and clumsy reaction, even repression, from state authorities. The church throughout Europe had a long history of abusing its power over the faithful. There are reasons, ancient and modern, for this. The separation of church and state is so strictly observed that churches are actively discouraged from undertaking charitable work, which is regarded as the exclusive purview of state power. It’s not just that few people believe in God in France as a general rule, the stance of the state is not neutral, but plainly hostile to the life and work of faith communities. Out of all the European Union’s 27 countries, France is the fifth highest on the atheist scale, and the largest country by far in the top five. Forty percent of French citizens say they don’t believe in any kind of deity, at least according to the 2010 Eurobarometer poll. When I told them I was going to take up a job in the church, most of them thought I was crazy.Īfter all, France is among the most secular nations in all of Western Europe. When I told my friends and family in that I was leaving the country this year to take a job in Paris, most of them thought I was lucky. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP) This article is more than 3 years old. A hole is seen in the dome inside Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Tuesday, April 16, 2019.
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