The television host denounces the abandonment by the public authorities of churches located in municipalities with less than 3,000 inhabitants, yet representing 75% of French religious buildings.
“It is urgent to preserve all religious heritage, and not only that which is classified”. In an interview given to Sunday newspaper (JDD), television host Stéphane Bern called for the creation of a State Secretariat and a heritage police, in particular to help the churches that mesh the French territory.
“A church that is falling into ruin in a village helps to reinforce the feeling of downgrading of the inhabitants”, he pleaded with our colleagues, recalling that 75% of French religious buildings are in municipalities with less than 3,000 inhabitants. .
“We have bet everything on the great heritage, the one that is profitable, which brings back tourists: Versailles, Chambord… We have left the responsibility of the small towns for the local heritage”, estimated Stéphane Bern.
“One euro invested in heritage brings in 20”
In 2017, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron had appointed Stéphane Bern at the head of a “mission of reflection on the financing of the renovation of small heritage in danger”. Since then, the host is proud to have collected 230 million euros thanks to his heritage lotto in five years of missions. 762 sites to be saved have been selected.
“Letting go of the religious heritage is an admission of failure for our Republic. The French understood that it was important,” added the host.
Stéphane Bern therefore calls for the creation of a State Secretariat for Heritage, which would be attached to the Ministry of Tourism, but also to a specific police unit, “so that we stop doing anything in terms of restoration “.
“One euro invested in heritage brings in 20”, concluded Stéphane Bern, who wants “closed churches in danger to be open so that the public can see the degradation of heritage”.