SAINT Rita’s church in the 15th arrondisement at the south-western edge of Paris will perhaps not be demolished after all. Its defenders heaved a huge sigh of relief as a special prayer ceremony was held there last Sunday, for the first time in the past nearly fifteen years.

Built in neo-gothic style in 1900 following canonising by the Pope that year of a 15th-century Italian nun named Rita de Cascia, the church has until today remained a fairly solid structure surrounded by modern buildings, most of them full of offices belonging to big business. That probably explains why a company managed to offer the city of Paris 3.3 million euros with the intention of razing the holy monument to the ground in order to make room for a more profitable supermarket and a multi-storied parking lot.

Saint Rita is reputed for her protection of the poor, her fight for the lost causes but also for her defence of animal rights, a concept unheard of in her times. The Parisian church, in homage to her crusade, kept up the tradition and not only human beings but animals as well were often brought into the parish to receive the priest’s benediction. Pet dogs and cats were of course regular visitors and were seated next to their masters and mistresses during the ceremonies.

The entire controversy began in the early months of the year 2001 when business companies were able to convince the Ancient Monuments Commission of Paris that the church building did not deserve to be protected as a national antiquity. The entrepreneurs were finally able to receive in 2011 the right to make an offer. This was done without further delay.

In retaliation to what was considered a purely commercial initiative and total disrespect for history as well as for religion, an association was quickly formed by the residents of the area and an assorted group of activists for human rights, animal rights or simply for the protection of historical monuments, entered the church and occupied it. They were backed in their struggle by Philippe Goujon, the mayor of the 15th arrondisement, but also by perhaps the most celebrated animal rights activist in the world, Brigitte Bardot.

Bishop Dominique Philippe, the Catholic priest who was in charge of the church from 1988 until his expulsion in 2011, told a reporter: “On the first Sunday of every month the residents came in great numbers to the ceremony followed by their pets. The prayer hall used to be full with about a thousand people and something like 300 animals present. Along the years I equally gave benedictions to zebras, camels, cows, pigs, parrots and once even a tiger.”

Efforts were made to throw out the protesters from the building and in September 2014 their association, called the Arches of Saint Rita, received a legal notice to vacate the edifice as demolition work was soon to begin. The activists refused to leave the church and what had thus far remained only a neighbourhood controversy took a national proportion.

Though the struggle is not over as legal complications remain and the demolition order is yet to be withdrawn, the defenders of the church found a new hope when an announcement was made last week that a liturgy was to be held in the church on Sunday May 22.

The inhabitants of the 15th arrondisement were happy to revert to the tradition. To mark the occasion they had originally planned to bring in exotic animals such as tigers, lions, camels and monkeys to the church, but time proved to be too short to organise such an exuberant event in cooperation with the local zoo authorities. The ceremony nevertheless went ahead in a modest but dignified manner, with pet dogs and cats in attendance.

The writer is a journalist based in Paris.

ZafMasud@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2016

Opinion

Editorial

‘Source of terror’
29 Mar, 2024

‘Source of terror’

ALTHOUGH dealing with the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan is a major political, security and strategic...
Chipping in
29 Mar, 2024

Chipping in

FEDERAL infrastructure development schemes are located in the provinces. Most such projects — for instance,...
Toxic emitters
29 Mar, 2024

Toxic emitters

IT is concerning to note that dozens of industries have been violating environmental laws in and around Islamabad....
Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...