Notre Dame Cathedral reopens after a devastating 2019 fire, showcasing the remarkable efforts of firefighters and the global outpouring of support for its restoration. However, the cost of the project sparks debate about whether resources should be allocated to saving lives or preserving historical landmarks.
Last week, Notre Dame reopened for its first public Mass since a fire devastated the structure in 2019, destroying its skyline-defining spire and coming close to leveling the building. The cathedral survived thanks to the bravery, diligence, and expertise of French firefighters, who were tasked not just with putting out the flames, but doing so in a way that would preserve as much of the delicate architecture as possible.
Some of the work was so dangerous that one team from a nearby suburb simply refused to do it; another stepped in, understanding they may not walk out. They did. And the firefighters who were willing to give their lives to one of Paris’ greatest icons managed to save the stained-glass windows, the church organ, and much of the building itself. When Notre Dame burned, French president Emmanuel Macron promised it would be rebuilt in five years, a pledge that felt radically ambitious to the point of delusion. Five years later, here she is, in what feels like a Christmas miracle: Open, gleaming, and close to fully restored (and, even more shocking, on budget). That budget is a big one: Some $900 million, roughly $700 million of which has been spent. Within days of the fire raging, the Instagram posts of seemingly everyone who had ever visited Paris dominated global feeds and money came pouring in. But the skeptics asked: Why do we care so much about a building? Isn’t human life more valuable than a structure, and wouldn’t this money be better spent saving people rather than stones? “Why does the Western world care more about a fire where no one died, than it does the gruesome killing of hundreds of people in coordinated bomb blasts?”just last week, Dylan Matthews wrote disapprovingly that “the Notre Dame restoration budget could save 47,500 people’s lives from malaria.”Few would argue that a cathedral is worth more than human life, or that when faced with 47,500 sick children versus a church, we should choose the churc
Notre Dame Fire Restoration Priorities Debate
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