In 1793, during the French Revolution, the cathedral was rededicated to the Cult of Reason, and then to the Cult of the Supreme Being. During this time, many of the treasures of the cathedral were either destroyed or plundered. The 13th century spire was torn down[10] and the statues located at the west facade were beheaded.[11] Many of the heads were found during a 1977 excavation nearby and are on display at the Musée de Cluny. For a time the Goddess of Liberty replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars.[12] The cathedral's great bells managed to avoid being melted down. The cathedral came to be used as a warehouse for the storage of food.[9]
Under a 1905 law, Notre-Dame de Paris is among seventy churches in Paris built before that year that are owned by the French State. While the building itself is owned by the state, the Catholic Church is the designated beneficiary, having the exclusive right to use it for religious purpose in perpetuity. The archdiocese is responsible for paying the employees, security, heating and cleaning, and assuring that the cathedral is open free to visitors. The archdiocese does not receive subsidies from the French State.
In 1991, a major programme of maintenance and restoration was initiated, which was intended to last ten years, but was still in progress as of 2010,[9] the cleaning and restoration of old sculptures being an exceedingly delicate matter. Circa 2014, much of the lighting was upgraded to LED lighting. -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Paris
Interesting the French government owns the church but the Catholics are responsible for maintenance and keeping it free for the public. Sounds like the typical model of socialism. We own it...you pay for it. Catholics should just walk away from it. And, btw, it doesn’t sound much different than the National Cathedral in Washington, DC which has devolved into paganism.
I truly love these old buildings but they are a sad reminder of how man repeatedly turns their backs to God.