As I’m sure you’ve heard, the beautiful Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris caught on fire last Monday, April 15th, 2019. Officials believe the fire was started by a short circuit within wires that were being used to renovate the cathedral. The fire took four days to fully stabilize, during which the iconic spire of the cathedral collapsed.
Photo above: Mercury News https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/04/15/notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris-on-fire-officials-say/
The rose windows and organ, along with other invaluable artifacts and relics, were able to be saved, but the extent of the damage inside is heartbreaking. Notre-Dame was constructed during the 12th and 14th centuries and was built in the gothic style. About 30,000 people visit the cathedral each day from all around the world and its destruction was felt on a global level as social media was flooded with people posting photos from when they had visited Notre-Dame, whether that was 2 months ago or 20 years ago.
Very quickly, aid was offered to help restore the cathedral. Three of the richest French families pledged $565 million, €100 million from Kerig and the Pinault family, and €200 million each from Bernard Alnault and the Bettercourt Meyers Family. The University of Notre Dame has even pledged $100,000 to the restoration project. This initially seems like a good thing, but there has been a wave of pushback from the general public. These are just a handful of the posts I saw going around social media:
While I understand the point of these posts, I’d like to point out that changing Flint’s water situation, the ocean’s pollution, or world hunger, require much more than just money. Those problems need a structural solution that requires a great deal of research and careful planning by experts, all while not dehumanizing the people they’re trying to help. Donations and aid are very complicated and can even end up hurting the people they intend to help if not correctly executed. That’s problem number one I have with the criticisms of the restoration pledges.
Problem number two is that preserving this marvelous work of art is not a bad thing. Coming together to save an important part of human history and faith is not wrong or inhumane. Those donations will help ensure that thousands of people can continue to visit the cathedral and take pictures with it. Too often we criticize people for doing something instead of doing everything. Obviously, I believe we need to change our pollution policies and help Flint get water and take care of the Earth. Those are all important causes and I’m in no way shape or form trying to detract from their seriousness or steer donations away from them; what I am trying to do is appreciate the Notre-Dame donations instead of criticizing them. The Notre-Dame donations are just part of a larger problem about what our society values and how we spend our money. It’s unfair to criticize this specific instance when it is a part of a much larger issue and done with good intentions.