French Senate Demands that Notre Dame Cathedral be Restored to its Traditional State

The French Senate passed a bill demanding that the Notre-Dame cathedral be rebuilt as it was before it was nearly decimated by a fire.

The Local reports, “The Senate has now approved the restoration bill already passed by the French parliament to allow work on the structure to be completed in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024 – but requires that the restoration be faithful to the “last known visual state” of the cathedral.

This bill runs counter to President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement, right after the fire took place, that an international competition of architects will determine the design of the cathedral. This move could have possibly led to a modernization of the cathedral’s architecture, effectively destroying its traditional aesthetic.

Other activists piled on calling for the cathedral to be rebuilt on modernist lines in order to reflect France’s “diversity”.

Some proposals to turn the cathedral’s roof into a giant swimming pool or a large greenhouse were met with immediate backlash.

One architecture expert Tom Wilkinson even suggested that Notre Dame’s damaged spire be replaced with an Islamic minaret. This gesture would serve as an apology to Algerian Muslims who’ve died at the hands of French police.

Summit News previously reported that the French government has prohibited architects working for the state from participating in interviews that deal with the Notre Dame fire.

The fire’s cause still remains a mystery.