The Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Dogma of Modernism
By: Joel Fernandes
Tags: Notre Dame De Paris, Notre Dame Fire, Catholicism, Paris, Philosophy

The Cathedral began construction in 1160 and has survived the French Revolution, World War I, World War II, potential terrorist attacks and is now facing a new battle with the French State.

This month marks the one year anniversary of a great fire that devastated the great Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. Damaging and destroying a symbol of French Catholicism and its priceless treasures. With the Cathedral still standing immense structural damages and restoration works must be undertaken in order to restore the glory and dignity of this great Cathedral and preserve a symbol of Western Catholicism for generations to come.

Yet, efforts to restore this Cathedral to its original glory have had to face the ignorance and barbaric passions of our age whose interests are to undermine and destroy the authentic purpose and place of this Cathedral in French history.

History of Notre Dame

During the expansion of the Roman Empire into France between 50 BC to 10 AD, the Romans introduced aqueducts, transportation systems and the rule of the law to this region of Western Europe. As the Roman Empire grew in its stature and prestige, barbarians from Northern Europe, Eastern Europe and the British Isles sought to take on Rome. Political turmoil caused by the lust for power and ambition was a constant threat to Rome and her empire with numerous external and internal enemies.

Such challenges eventually forced the Romans to accept certain ‘barbarian clans’ within its Empire and grant them Roman citizenship and authority to manage their own political affairs independently without the influence of Rome.

In 313, the Edict of Milan helped paved the way for the acceptance of the new Christian religion and by the end of the 6th and 8th Century, what is today modern day France, became predominantly Christian due to the work of the first Christian missionaries in mainland Europe. Towards the end of the 11th and 12th Century, Christianity in the West was at its intellectual and cultural peak. Numerous schools of learning, new religious orders, the construction of new Cathedrals and centers of arts and culture were established across the continent.

It is at this time that France and the city of Paris became a center of cultural excellence and home to the first university established by the Catholic Church in 1150 (University of Paris), followed by the construction of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in 1160. The Cathedral was a project undertaken by Bishop Maurice de Sully, following the precedence at the time where major Cathedrals were being constructed in large dioceses across the Christian world. By 1290, the Cathedral was complete adopting the Gothic style of architecture and funded by the generosity of the French Royal Family and the faithful.

The Cathedral also followed precedence at the time adopting a form of architecture that drives the person to look towards the heavens and to witness the union of God and man during prayer and mass.

Interior of St. Denis, Paris, a Abbey Church adopting the Gothic style of architecture, similar Cathedral such as Duomo in Milan, Cologne Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London adopt the same form of architecture.

Over the course of history, various editions were added to the great Cathedral, including priceless relics, works of art and important celebrations marking the timeless presence of the Church that has served the faithful and the people of France for countless generations. Towards, the end of 16th Century, the enlightenment sought to undermine the role of Catholicism in West and to reshape the West in its own image.

In 1789, the French Revolution, adopting the principles of the Enlightenment, sought to assert itself on the world stage by removing its enemies predominantly Catholics, the Royal Family and serious intellectuals. The protagonists of the French Revolution targeted intellectuals, academics, the Church and Catholics. Its efforts were successful with the death of hundreds of thousands of Catholic families and noblemen who opposed the radical ideology of the enlightenment. Such atrocities also resulted in the end of religious freedom for Catholics and the Church in France.

At this time, the Cathedral of Notre Dame was ransacked and transformed to center of worship for a new state sponsored form of religion-the Cult of Reason and the Cult of the Supreme Being. Catholics were beheaded in close proximity to this Church with their remains being recently discovered as early as the 1970s.

Towards, the end of the 1700s and at the start of the 1800s, Napoleon came to power and restored the original integrity of the Cathedral for the time being. During his reign, French Catholicism which had been on its knees had lost religious orders, the faithful and schools of formation that took centuries to build had some breathing space to establish herself. But this time was brief and her efforts were cut short.

With the advent of nationalism and new political uncertainty with World War I and II, Socialism, Marxism and the rise of the welfare state. Such challenges undermined the Christian values and principles that have forged the West. Values and principles that are alien to the Christian faith and the Christian way of life.

After the devastating fires of April, 2019, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France and the age of post modernism sought to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors by implementing political policies and ideologies that go against the very intellectual and spiritual fabric that has kept this Cathedral preserved and standing for many centuries.

Macron has sought to restore the Cathedral before the Paris Olympics of 2024, failing to take into consideration the depth of artistic refinement and construction techniques that were intended to ensure that this structure would last for eternity. His political demands has also resulted in the high probability of adopting ‘post modern’ artistic features to the Cathedral that goes against its spiritual fabric and will destroy its integrity as a House of God.

Notre Dame and the Age of Ignorance

Great efforts have been undertaken by the press, post modern architects, civil authorities and elected officials determined to turn this Cathedral into a religious amusement park with strange and ridiculous proposals that make mockery of Catholicism, Catholics and Catholic culture. Such efforts is a reflection of the lost soul of Western Civilization that constantly seeks to ignore its own history, culture, knowledge and tradition without taking into account why it chooses to live in a state of ignorance.

Proposals have been submitted to turn the Cathedral into a greenhouse with plant. Introduce a swimming pool on the rooftop etc. Such heresies of post modernism dictate that man determines the nature of his own reality, where pleasure, ignorance and arrogance triumph over truth and humility.

It is this ignorance that is the greatest threat to authentic human flourishing, religious freedom, the culture of life, the sanctity of human life and artistic refinement. It is this ignorance that is destroying the Church in France and in Europe.

In order to return the West and the world to a culture rooted in the natural law, it is essential that one must live an examined life and understand the nature of things. For even the ancients knew that the unexamined life is not worth living. It is this case, the great Cathedral of Notre Dame must be restored to its original integrity. Preserving knowledge, memory and identity in an age where relativism and ignorance seeks to reduce man to a state of non existence and barbarianism.