Punkfolkrocker says: Just shows how much god cares about all these big old buildings in tribute to him/her...

I think God has a relationship to Beauty and Art that we can't comprehend. But the massive buildings are more human self-expression and self-identity. Massive churches have far more to do with human values, than with divine. Still, it's a beautiful church and I've spent many good hours gazing at its beauty from all angles. I got inside in 1973, and it was a zoo. Didn't seem much like a church inside. It seemed like the primary focus inside was the gift shop. Mass was going on when I was there in 2008, so I wandered around outside until it was over. And when Mass was over, they said the church was closed. Can't say I waited in vain, because I enjoyed my time waiting (and had a very memorable Grand Marnier crepe)...but it was kind of a dirty deal to make us wait and then not let us in.

Stanron says the Catholic Church should pay for the repairs, but that makes me wonder who owns the cathedral. I think that churches in France have been property of the State since the Revolution, and that the Church uses the properties by concession of the State. Whatever the case, the Church gets little value out of big old churches, but they are of great touristic value. Massive, impressive church buildings send a message a church with a "preferential option for the poor" no longer wants to send.

Regarding ownership of French churches, Wikipedia says....it's complicated.

-Joe-