Iconic Notre Dame Cathedral Is Being Rebuilt as a ‘Woke Theme Park’ – Opinion

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Simply, Notre Dame. A medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement of  Paris, France. It began construction in 1163, and the cathedral was consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary in 1345.

Notre Dame survived the atheist French Revolution, the Liberation of Paris from Nazi Germany (Aug 19, 1944 – Aug 25, 1944), ferocious storms, and various uprisings throughout the centuries, but at just before 18:20 CEST, on April 15, 2019, a fire broke out underneath the roof of the main cathedral. The cause has not been confirmed but a short circuit currently ranks near the top on most lists.

2019 saw the destruction of the Gothic cathedral.

Parts of the structure that was damaged by fire are being restored to the original condition. However, the new plans will drastically alter some parts that were not as badly affected by the catastrophe. pic.twitter.com/a83S25DPiz

— Telegraph World News (@TelegraphWorld) November 26, 2021

Fire quickly spread and, by the time the fire was put out, much of the roof, main spire, and upper walls had been completely destroyed. The fire caused extensive smoke and water damage. The once-magnificent cathedral didn’t know its future.

🔴Exclusive: Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was ravaged by fire in Paris, could resemble a “politically-correct Disneyland” due to controversial renovation plans. @TelegraphWorld

Here’s what they have planned⬇️https://t.co/SmSKeX2Qrh pic.twitter.com/ygh8gKPy1g

— Telegraph World News (@TelegraphWorld) November 26, 2021

Now, two-and-a-half years later as restoration continues, reports of what one of the world’s most iconic buildings will look like after full restoration is complete have surfaced. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the story, but as I dug into various reports in preparation for writing this article, one of the first words that came to mind was DESECRATION. 

I don’t even know where to begin; this boils my blood, and I already know where it’s going.

As reported by the Daily Mail, a new “discovery trail” will lead visitors through 14 chapels, with the final chapter being dedicated to — wait for it — The environment and climate change Africa and Asia will also be given prominence in other cathedrals, while Europe, the Americas, and Oceania are “tucked behind the apse, or totally absent.”

Under the proposed changes, confessional boxes, altars and classical sculptures will be replaced with modern murals, and sound and light effects to create “emotional spaces”.

Critics are aghast at plans for ‘Christianity for dumbies’ trail, Mandarin on walls and an eco-chapel pic.twitter.com/svs0mAn7sm

— Telegraph World News (@TelegraphWorld) November 26, 2021

In addition (subtraction), confessional boxes, altars, and classical sculptures, according to the Mail, will be scrapped and replaced with trendy art murals, with sound and lighting effects creating “emotional spaces.” Scriptures will be beamed onto the walls in foreign languages — one of them, Mandarin, the official language of Communist China.

Okay, now hold on to the bus. Are we sure we’re talking about Notre Dame and not Disneyland Paris: Here?

Exactly. Award-winning Paris-based architect Maurice Culot told The Telegraph just that: “It’s as if Disney were entering Notre Dame.”

“What they are proposing to do to Notre Dame would never be done to Westminster Abbey or Saint Peter’s in Rome. It’s a kind of theme park and very childish and trivial given the grandeur of the place.”

Again, exactly. While the Brits are many things, they have a strong loyalty to their culture, heritage and (silly!) Crown. No way would this desecration take place in London — or anywhere else in the country — to a building with the historical significance of Notre Dame Cathedral.

As noted by Daily Mail, a senior source with access to the latest restoration plans told the Telegraph the plans risk turning Notre Dame into an “experimental showroom” that would “mutilate” the cathedral.

“Can you imagine the administration of the Holy See allowing something like this in the Sistine Chapel? This would not be possible. This is not an empty space. ‘This is political correctness gone mad.

“They want to turn Notre-Dame into an experimental liturgical showroom that exists nowhere else whereas it should be a landmark where the slightest change must be handled with great care.”

According to Daily Mail, the fate of the “woke” Notre Dame plans will come down to a December 9 meeting of the French national heritage commission. However, given the final stages of the planning process and the amount of detail reported, what I just described — and worse — appears headed for a lock.

Personal note: I was able to visit Notre Dame a few years ago. The cathedral’s monolithic appearance and age was what struck me first. When we entered the cathedral, a mass was underway, and surrounding the open area, along the walls, were small, for lack of a better term, “trinket shops,” as I recall.

This was a part I found strange. Especially when mass was in progress.

Who’d a thunk this is where we’d be, today, Notre Dame?  You deserve the best.

One thing I do know, for sure: I won’t be coming back for a visit.

RedState News in the wake of the fire

French protesters set fire to the Notre Dame Cathedral donation size

Buzzfeed News Complains About a Dearth of Mosques In France Using Notre Dame Fire

Stoked by Donations for Notre Dame’s Restoration, Yellow Vests & Police Face Off in Paris