Notre Dame: A Lesson In Shallow Resentment

The gut-wrenching sight of the centuries old Notre Dame Cathedral in flames shocked the entire world.  This 12th century iconic symbol of Paris is revered for its Gothic architecture, its rich heritage and enduring testimony to faith.  The tragedy spurred an outpouring of grief.

Within hours after the news of the blaze, the world became united in its determination to rebuild this this treasured masterpiece, which traces its roots to 1163 when the first stone of the cathedral was laid.  French leaders announced their support for restoration to a relieved, grateful nation.

It was a rare moment in this divided world when people rallied to help without regard for their differences.  French billionaires and companies, American foundations and firms such as Disney and Apple, and ordinary people from around the globe pledged financial support to restore Notre Dame.

The extraordinary largess totaled nearly $1 billion in less than a week.  Buoyed by this support, the French president promised to rebuild the cathedral in five years, an ambitious goal. French citizens huddled outside the scarred cathedral to offer prayers and to express their sadness.

However, before the last simmering ember was extinguished a chorus of bitterness ignited petty passions.  Some French politicians, sounding like their American cousins, criticized the "crazy amount" of financial donations for a building in the face of social misery in France.

A French union leader bemoaned the fact wealthy philanthropists gifts were a sign of the inequality in the country.   French people took to social media to denounce the donations as undeserved tax breaks for the wealthy.  Others griped disasters in their countries had not received the same support.

What had become a unifying issue suddenly turned into a boiling cauldron of angry dissent. So-called Yellow Vest mobs emptied into the streets of Paris, battling police in often violent clashes to protest the millions in donations to the fire-ravaged cathedral.

These protesters, who don yellow vests and black hoods to hide their identity, claim their own demands for more government funding for social causes had gone unmet.  Their anger is directed at the rich who had plenty of money for a crumbling cathedral but none for the poor and homeless.

The tone, echoed in some news media in the U.S., was one of resentment and class envy.  Their theme was these corporations and uber wealthy should be giving their millions to local social causes.  In their minds, it is shameful to donate money to an old cathedral in some far away place.

And people ask why can't we all just get along?  Seriously?  The answer can be found in the burned out hulk of what was once a cherished place of worship and history.  We live in an age of grievances, resentment, constant outrage and bitter acrimony.  Our politics are only a symptom of these divisions.

The self-anointed priests of social antagonism want to dictate what causes the wealthy should support.  They demand abandoning every issue except the ones they champion.  They insist on iron control over what people believe, what they think and how they act.  That is the root of our divisions.

On a personal note, when my bride and I lived in Paris we never tired of visiting the cathedral. We went to thinly-attended Sunday services.  No matter what you read, Notre Dame has ceased to be a center of Catholicism.  It is a secular emblem of French history stretching through the ages.

King Henry VI of England was proclaimed king there in 1431 as part of Britain's requisition of French territory.  Napoleon I was crowned in the cathedral in an extravagant ceremony.  Jacques de Molay, the last grand master of the Templars, was burned at the stake near the church.

During the French Revolution in the 1790's, the cathedral was ransacked by mobs who detested the Catholic Church's linkage to the monarchy.  The heads of 28 statues of kings were lopped off.  Lead from the roof was salvaged for bullets.  The bronze bells were melted to make cannons.

Despite the savage destruction, the cathedral once again rose from the ashes. Notre Dame returned to its former glory in the mid-19th century as Paris rebuilt its image as a historically vibrant city.  Today it is more tourist attraction than a place of worship. But that doesn't diminish its importance.

Will Notre Dame reclaim its regal presence in Paris?  Twenty-five years ago the answer would have been an unequivocal "Yes!"  However, times have changed.  We are a more petulant world given to frequent bouts of shallow loathing.  As a result, tragically Notre Dame may never be the same.