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France made of glass: historic stained glass windows of Notre Dame will be replaced with new ones
The French authorities want to replace the six historic stained glass windows of Notre Dame Cathedral, which survived the fire in 2019, with a new composition that will reflect the "modern picture of the world." The artist who was assigned to the project presented mock-ups of future glasses depicting biblical scenes involving black people. Some analysts believe that such a move indicates a clear globalist policy pursued by French President Emmanuel Macron. What the government's strategy can lead to and what the future of Catholicism awaits in this context is in the Izvestia article.
Modern stained glass windows will be installed in Notre Dame: what is known
The French authorities want to replace the six historic stained glass windows of Notre Dame with a new composition reflecting the "current ethnic picture of the world." The author of the project was 44-year-old artist Claire Tabure. She received the order following a competition between the French government and the Archdiocese of Paris. Recently, full-size models were placed in the Grand Palais complex at the artist's personal exhibition called D'un seul souffle ("In one breath").
The project caused a great resonance in French society, as the original stained glass windows of the 19th century, created by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, were not damaged in a fire six years ago. Nevertheless, the authorities of the republic decided to replace them as part of a full-fledged restoration.
Claire Tabure's composition shows biblical scenes featuring black characters. "I was fascinated by the beauty and poetry of the theme of Pentecost (in the Orthodox tradition, Holy Trinity Day. — Izvestia.), chosen by the Archbishop of Paris. This idea of harmony, the idea that people can unite and understand each other, despite the diversity of their languages, is a wild hope... I wanted to be a part of it," the artist shared her emotions at the opening of the exhibition. According to the author, such images should demonstrate the universality of the church and the modern diversity of French society.
The artist tried to use a "balanced but vibrant color scheme" similar to the one in the original stained glass windows of Viollet-le-Duc. Glassblowers from one of the oldest French studios, Simon-Marq, have already started manufacturing parts of the project. The completion of production work and the installation of the composition on the southern facade of Notre Dame is planned for the end of 2026. In total, Tabure's work will account for about 5% of the total area of the cathedral's 120 stained-glass windows, which were created between the 12th and 20th centuries.
The fire in Notre Dame occurred on April 15, 2019, its causes have not yet been clarified. The fire completely burned the wooden roof and the spire, which, falling on the stone vault, pierced it in three places. Emmanuel Macron ordered that Notre Dame be renovated within five years. At the end of 2024, the cathedral's grand opening ceremony was held, which was also attended by foreign leaders. The completion of all restoration work is scheduled for 2029-2030, and the total cost of reconstruction is estimated at 850 million euros. Some experts, however, believe that twice as much money may be needed.
The question of French identity
The French public opposes changing the historical appearance of Notre Dame Cathedral. In the summer of 2024, members of the Committee on National Heritage and Architecture (CNPA) spoke negatively about the replacement of stained glass windows. They argued that the International Charter (Venice) for the Protection and Restoration of Monuments and Landmarks restricts interference with well-preserved historical sites. However, a year later, the committee unexpectedly changed its position.
The online publication La Tribune de l'art ("Tribune of Art") has launched its own protest petition, which has already been signed by over 300,000 people. "Thus, we will replace the works created by Viollet-le-Duc, which formed a single whole with decorations and other stained glass windows, with strange and alien bodies in one of the most outstanding monuments of the French heritage," the author of the magazine wrote in an article devoted to the analysis of the Tabouret project. In turn, the Sites & Monuments Association filed a lawsuit against the installation of stained glass windows in Notre Dame in the Paris Administrative Court.
National identity in France is becoming more and more blurred every year. It is not only the migration issue that plays a role here, but also, according to experts, the globalist ambitions of the President of the Fifth Republic. So, in the capital of a state that historically professes Catholicism, the name of one of the most important Christian holidays, Christmas, was suddenly "canceled". This was reported by the newspaper Le Figaro. In the center of Paris, decorated with garlands, Christmas trees and gift boxes, the "name of the upcoming event" is not mentioned. Instead, the signs say: "Happy holidays."
At the same time, in other cities, including Strasbourg and Marseille, the word "Christmas" is actively used. Residents and tourists talk about fairs, and local authorities claim that they "fully develop the historical heritage associated with the Christian holiday."
The Olympics of Hell
Earlier, in 2024, a loud religious scandal broke out in France related to the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games. The parody of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper," which featured drag artists, caused the greatest outrage among social media users, religious, public figures, and politicians. Andrei Nastasin, deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at the time that "Paris officially and deliberately offended the feelings of all Christians and other believers by blasphemously abusing the figure of the Savior and his disciples."
"There is no doubt that the French authorities took this step, which has nothing to do with artistic creation, intentionally, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the traditional and sacred sphere of life for a huge number of people. The organizers of the Olympic Games, which are designed to be an event aimed at harmonizing and celebrating peace, turned them into a real orgy from the very beginning. Instead of building bridges between nations, the West continues to build insurmountable walls between people and world cultures," the diplomat stressed.
What do the experts think
Political commentator Elena Karaeva noted that it is no coincidence that the French government is pursuing a "strategy of destruction." This is due to the desire to come to a globalist world where there will be no ties and roots. For example, the restoration of the main cathedral of the country was carried out not from the state treasury, but through donations from caring people.
— That's what the authorities want, because by destroying the Christian foundation of the country, they are destroying the state itself. France is the cradle of Catholicism in Europe, but despite this, the Elysee Palace supports the replacement of stained glass windows in Notre Dame. There is one more point worth mentioning: all the money that was received for the restoration of the cathedral had nothing to do with the French treasury. It was pure patronage," says the expert.
Ruslan Kalinchuk, an Orthodox catechist and publicist, told Izvestia that it is not only the French government that holds similar views on religion. The Catholic Church itself actively promotes a liberal agenda: migration policy, LGBT (the movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) and much more.
— This policy is designed to destroy the very fact of a nation-state. It should transform society in such a way that it will not be noticeable how it will lose its own country, territory, and land. Therefore, I am not surprised that the Vatican blesses same-sex couples, nor that they do not protest against the stained glass windows with blacks in Notre Dame. I have no doubt that Catholicism will gradually slide into something that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures: transgenderism, same—sex marriage, an active migration agenda, and so on," the expert explained.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
