The iconic Notre Dames des Champs church in Paris has been closed. The closure follows two fires that occurred within a 48-hour period. Details about the cause of the fires and the extent of the damage are currently under investigation.
5 months ago
The iconic Notre Dame des Champs church in the Montparnasse neighborhood of Paris has been closed indefinitely following two fires within 48 hours in late July 2025 1 2. No injuries were reported in either incident 2.
The first fire occurred on the morning of July 23 and was attributed to an accidental electrical circuit failure 2. This initial blaze destroyed the church’s sound system and choir organ 2.
Just 24 hours later, on the afternoon of July 24, the church was targeted in an arson attack 2. Vandals set fire to wood panels in a side chapel dedicated to St. Joseph, causing significant damage to a recently renovated canvas located above the panels 2. A statue of St. Joseph also fell and broke during the firefighting efforts 2.
Father Camille Millour, the pastor, stated that the second fire caused even more damage than the first 2. He has filed a joint police complaint with the City of Paris, and the Archbishop of Paris has expressed support for the parish community 2. The church will remain closed for an indefinite period to allow for investigation and rehabilitation of the building 2.
Jean-Pierre Lecoq, mayor of the sixth arrondissement where the church is located, expressed concern over the rapid succession of fires 2. He had previously requested an audit of the church’s electrical networks and security system after the first fire, noting that the fire alarm system had failed to activate 2. The pastor also highlighted that a planned campaign to replace the church's lights, ahead of its 150th anniversary, is now crucial for both aesthetics and safety 2.
The Tablet, a publication cited in one report, noted that there have been "50 fires or attempted arson cases" in French churches in the past year, an increase from 38 in 2023 2. This broader trend underscores concerns about the security of religious sites in France 2.
How does the Church respond to desecration of sacred spaces?
The Church responds to the desecration of sacred spaces by outlining what constitutes desecration, the consequences of such acts, and the procedures for restoring the sacredness of the place.
Sacred places are those designated for divine worship or the burial of the faithful through a dedication or blessing prescribed by liturgical books . These places are considered houses of God, symbolizing the Church and the heavenly Jerusalem, and are primarily for prayer, especially for the celebration of the Eucharist and the adoration of Christ truly present in the tabernacle . Churches are where the Church celebrates public worship, hears the word of God, offers prayer, and sacramentally offers the sacrifice of Christ . The consecration of these places manifests "the life of the world to come" and signifies the world transfigured by grace .
Desecration is the loss of the peculiar quality of sacredness that inheres in places and things due to the Church's constitutive blessing . Sacred places are violated by gravely injurious actions done in them with scandal to the faithful . These actions must be so grave and contrary to the holiness of the place that it is not permitted to carry on worship in them until the damage is repaired by a penitential rite .
The Catholic Encyclopedia identifies three kinds of sacrilege, which can lead to desecration: personal, local, and real .
Those who commit sacrilege against the Body and Blood of Christ by taking or keeping the Sacred Species for a sacrilegious purpose, or by making them the object of contempt, incur a latae sententiae (automatic) excommunication in the Latin Church, the absolution of which is reserved to the Holy See . In Eastern Catholic Churches, a major ferendae sententiae (to be imposed) excommunication is incurred . The Church imposes penalties to safeguard the moral integrity of the ecclesiastical community, seek the spiritual good and correction of offenders, and primarily to safeguard Christ Himself in the Eucharist .
If a sacred place has been violated by gravely injurious actions, worship is not permitted until the damage is repaired by a penitential rite according to the liturgical books . Sacred places lose their dedication or blessing if they have been destroyed in large part, or have been turned over permanently to profane use by decree of the competent ordinary or in fact .
In cases where a church cannot be used for divine worship and cannot be repaired, or if other grave causes suggest it should no longer be used for divine worship, the diocesan bishop, after consulting the presbyteral council and with the consent of those with legitimate rights in the church, can relegate it to profane but not sordid use, provided no detriment to the good of souls occurs .