Of all the venues for the 2024 Summer Olympics, being held July 26-Aug. 11 in Paris, France, many are modern stadiums, but others have roots deep in the history of Catholic France.
France and the Catholic Church
Once dubbed "The Eldest Daughter of the Church," France's ties with the Holy See go back to the 5th Century.
Major Catholic figures came from France, including St. Joan of Arc, St. Bernard of Clairveaux, St. Louis (a k a King Louis IX), St. Catherine Labouré, St. Bernadette Soubirous (who saw Our Lady of Lourdes), and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
But, the nation's relationship with the Church has been strained and uneven (to put it very mildly), beginning in 1789 with the French Revolution.
Catholicism has been fading in France for decades. But, the deeply emotional response of French citizens, even sophisticated Parisians, to the devastating fire at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, in April 2019, shows that, while the Church doesn't hold the place she once did with her eldest daughter, there's still love.
That included the spontaneous singing of hymns in the face of the flames:
When the world comes to Paris for the Olympics, the nation's Catholic history will be reflected in some of the sights and venues.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Along with the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe, the Cathedral is an indispensable part of the Parisian skyline, and predates both by centuries.
Begun in the 12th Century and completed in the 14th, the French Gothic masterpiece stands on an island in the River Seine (where, despite the river's reputation for not being very clean, some open-water Olympic swimming events will take place).
Reconstruction on the cathedral has been proceeding at a faster pace recently, with plans to reopen the church fully in December. But, the current goal is for the north and south facades, and the recreation of the 1859 metal spire, to be fully visible in time for the Games -- starting with the Opening Ceremony.
Here's a report from USA Today:
The Château de Versailles
The grounds of the over-the-top palace of French King Louis XIV, the Sun King, form the backdrop to the equestrian sports.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the palace also includes Louis XIV's Royal Chapel, done in the Gothic style and dedicated to St. Louis. During Louis XIV's reign, the king and his court attended daily Mass there.
And, in a 2021 report from the AP, here's a view of the recently restored exterior (sorry, the interviews are in French):
A temporary outdoor arena has been erected on the Etoile Royale esplanade to the west of the Grand Canal, in the heart of the palace's gardens. The arena will play host to two of the three eventing disciplines (dressage and show jumping), as well as the specialized show-jumping and dressage competitions, both Olympic and Paralympic.
The cross-country section of the three-part eventing discipline will be held along the Grand Canal. The five-sport modern pentathlon -- which combines fencing, freestyle swimming, show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross-country running -- also takes place at the palace.
Take a look, in a video from the FEI (Fédération Équestre Internationale, or, in English, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports):
Hôtel des Invalides
Built in 1687, during the reign of Louis XIV, as a military hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the Hôtel des Invalides features a museum of French military history, the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Saint-Louis Cathedral.
The Esplanade des Invalides, the Hôtel's garden, is the stage for archery and para-archery.
Regarding the Saint-Louis Cathedral, from the site of the Musée de l'Armée:
In 1676, the Secretary of State for War, Marquis de Louvois, entrusted the young architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart with the construction of the chapel which Libéral Bruant has been unable to complete. The architect designed a building which combined a royal chapel, the "Dôme des Invalides", and a veterans' chapel achieving consistency and harmony.
In this way, the King and his soldiers could attend mass simultaneously, while entering the place of worship though different entrances, as prescribed by etiquette. This separation was reinforced in the 19th century with the erection of the tomb of Napoleon I, the creation of the two separate altars and then with the construction of a glass wall between the two chapels.
Have a look:
The Rise of Faith Among French Youth
While Catholicism in France may never be what it was at its height, there are green shoots. A May 2023 story in Catholic site The Pillar referenced a survey published in the Catholic weekly La Croix. It spoke to French young people attending World Youth Day that year, in Lisbon.
From the post:
La Croix’s senior editor Jérôme Chapuis suggested that the survey confirmed a “major trend.”
“These young Catholics — among the most committed — seem to be swimming against the tide of their elders. Their sensitivity to liturgy, their relationship with the institution, their societal options: on all these subjects, the majority are out of step with the generations that preceded them,” he wrote.
Where to Watch the Paris Olympics
Click here and here for schedules of, and info about, NBC's coverage of the Paris Olympics, which also heavily involves its streamer Peacock and the Spanish-language Telemundo.
Live coverage begins with the Opening Ceremony, on NBC and Peacock, on Friday, July 26, at noon Eastern time. Telemundo comes in with Spanish-language coverage at 1 p.m. ET. Primetime coverage (time-delayed) on NBC and Peacock begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Image: The Apollo Fountain at the Château de Versailles/Shutterstock
Kate O’Hare, a longtime entertainment journalist, is Social Media Content Manager at Family Theater Productions.
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