Sawt Falasteen - Church and state clash over entry fee for Paris's Notre Dame

Before a devastating 2019 blaze ravaged the landmark, Notre Dame was among the most visited buildings in Europe, with 14 to 15 million a year expected to visit once the cathedral reopens on December 7 and 8.

But where tourists to London's St Paul's have to fork out 25 pounds ($32) and non-praying visitors to Milan's Duomo need to hand over at least 10 euros ($11), those wishing to marvel at France's most famous religious building could previously do so without opening their wallets.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati has proposed a five-euro ticket, estimating it could bring in 75 million euros a year to fund the upkeep of religious heritage sites. A leading archbishop has called the proposal a "betrayal" of the church's function.

"Nearly 4,000 protected religious edifices are in a poor condition, or even at risk," Dati warned the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) on Monday.

While acknowledging that her proposal had "sparked debate", Dati argued that charging for entry "could save a large part of our heritage" and urged Church leaders to work with the government on the issue.

"I have no intention of commercialising our religious heritage," Dati told the bishops.

However the Catholic clerical establishment has given the proposal scant approval, with a senior bishop vowing to protect freedom of access.

As churches and cathedrals have "always been places open to all", making visitors pay for their upkeep would be a "betrayal of their original vocation", CEF president Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort told the meeting.

France has a rich vein of more than 100,000 religious heritage sites. But the upkeep can be crushing for the finances of small municipalities.

The French state owns all religious buildings built up till 1905 -- the date of a law setting out the separation of Church and state -- while those built after belong to the Church.

Of France's 149 cathedrals, only four belong to the dioceses, compared with 87 belonging to the state and 52 to municipalities, according to a CEF survey published Monday.

Notre Dame will reopen next month following five years of work involving hundreds of artisans costing nearly 700 million euros.

On Monday a prelate in the southwest Landes region blessed with holy water the cathedral's new chairs and pews before they are taken to the capital.

T.Khatib--SF-PST