The cathedral is set to open in December after five years of restoration to repair the damage caused by the 2019 fire.
The plan put forward by Culture Minister Rachida Dati would charge visitors a 5€ entrance fee and is part of a larger plan that would see non-EU nationals paying more to enter state-owned museums, monuments and attractions.
The plan has drawn criticism from various involved parties, including the Archdiocese of Paris which released a statement asserting the “unchanged position of the Catholic Church in France regarding free entry to churches and cathedrals”.
The archdiocese argued that the mission of the Cathedral is to “welcome unconditionally and therefore necessarily free of charge every man and woman, regardless of their religion or belief, their opinions and their financial means”.
The archdiocese also highlighted that charging entry fees could disrupt the shared experience of visitors and pilgrims, create practical difficulties in distinguishing different groups, and disregard contributions already made by many who helped finance the restoration.
The statement noted that while heritage preservation is essential, alternative funding solutions should be considered.
Ariel Weil, Mayor of Paris Centre, told BFM TV that the Notre-Dame entry fee proposal is “morally shocking”.
Heritage historian Alexandre Gady told France Info it represents a “philosophical break” from the idea of “accessible and democratic culture.”
Entrance fees into historic churches and cathedrals exist in other European countries. For example León Cathedral in Spain charges 6€ and St Paul’s in London charges significantly more at £25.
However, the Catholic Church in France has maintained that access to churches to be free, and despite most Churches being state owned, has succeeded.
The first Mass in the restored cathedral will take place on December 8 and will be directly followed by an octave of daily solemn celebrations, each focusing on a different theme.
Archbishop Laurent Bernard Marie Ulrich of Paris has asked the faithful to make a pilgrimage to the cathedral in the first six months of its reopening to encourage a city wide renewal.
“It will be breathtaking,” Notre Dame’s chief architect Philippe Villeneuve has said.