As one cathedral rises from its ashes, another is mired in misjudgments
One of Paris’ landmark treasures, Notre-Dame Cathedral, will reopen its doors in just nine months’ time. After the devastating 2019 fire, the billion-dollar restoration of this 860-yearold Gothic masterpiece is nearing completion, thanks to 340,000 donors from 150 countries. Remarkably the fundraising campaign has outstripped the capital project costs, with more than NZ$250m in spare change for the French Catholic Church to invest elsewhere. (Perhaps they’d like to lend Christchurch a hand!)
From the moment Notre-Dame was first engulfed in fire, church leaders and the French government did not hesitate to reassure the world. They were unequivocal, swiftly committing to keep the faith with a guts and glory restoration. The global fundraising campaign was launched days later.
No time was given to distraction by the alternative of a cheap, modern new build. Steadfast, clear-headed leadership is now bringing this restoration tour de force to completion in a lightning-fast five years.
Therein lies the biggest difference between the Paris experience and the amateur-hour tribulations that have blighted the reinstatement of Christ Church Cathedral.
What a shame Christchurch Anglican Bishop Peter Carrell wasn’t the guiding hand when disaster struck. Just imagine if our church leadership had exhibited the same vision as Paris in the aftermath of our quakes, passionately leaning in to the restoration crusade, while the bright glare of global media attention was still on Christchurch.
It was virtually 12 years ago to the day that the then bishop, Victoria Matthews, declared the cathedral was dangerous and would be demolished. A further five years was frittered away before the 2017 coursecorrection, with the diocesan synod voting in favour of restoration.
The church is still paying the price for the self-inflicted missteps and protracted inaction, stemming from Bishop Matthews’ unbelievable absence of affinity for our pre-eminent heritage.
Those misjudgments have cost millions. Fast-forward to today and the reinstatement project’s forward track is clouded in uncertainty. We do know that the project, set for completion in 2027, was costing $160m at last report and $104m has been secured. $25m from the taxpayer, $10m from the ratepayer, $44m in insurance proceeds and $24m in donations. That still leaves a formidable shortfall, with British firm Global Philanthropic now hired to help with fundraising.
Global Philanthropic’s mission statement is, “We aim to achieve the improbable everyday”. Indeed.
If you’re wondering what help the Christchurch Foundation has been to the cause, their British chapter generated $300,000 in donations last year. RNZ reports that the Anglican diocese aims to raise $2.5m from parishioners over the next five years. Bishop Carrell says construction work hasn’t stopped on the site, but they’re revising how to complete the “complex” work and recalculating the total cost.
“If we can't raise the extra money we will have to consider our options, but we're focused on raising the money,” says Carrell.
Ever since Bishop Harper laid the foundation stone 160 years ago, the Cathedral has been central to the story of Christchurch – even though the chancel, transepts and apse weren’t completed for a further 60 years.
Surely that mind-numbing marathon won’t be reprised. The city is now waiting until April for the new costings and timeframe to be released.
If the funding shortfall can’t be bridged, the diocese clearly has options. For example, does the new bell tower and spire really need to soar 61 metres high? What about the museum, the café, the visitor centre and the parish hall? Should they proceed, be deferred or axed?
Then there is the issue of prising open the church coffers. As Dr Michael Gousmett has outlined to The Press, the Anglican Church has vast resources, in assets, investments and cash. Self-funding a greater proportion of the project may well be the solution.
The earthquakes obliterated so much of our prized built heritage. Restoring the Cathedral will immeasurably reinject texture, soul and storied character back into the city’s heart.
I’ve spent the past week at a travel conference in Australia. It never ceases to amaze me how many people reflexively ask me, “How’s the Cathedral?” Love it or loathe it, Christ Church Cathedral is our Notre-Dame, the enduring emblematic symbol of the rise of Christchurch and its evolution.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 31,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed since Russia invaded two years ago, marking the first time he has provided an official estimate of Ukraine’s military losses during the conflict.
Zelenskyy gave the figure at a news conference in Kyiv to mark the second anniversary of the war. “I don’t know if I have a right to tell you the numbers of our losses. Every single person is a tragedy,” he said, adding, “31,000 of Ukraine’s military were killed during this war.”
The last time Ukraine publicly disclosed the number of troops lost in the fighting was in December 2022, when an advisor to Zelenskyy said up to 13,000 troops had been killed. The numbers were believed to have climbed significantly as Ukraine fought to push back Russian forces.
He also claimed Russia had suffered 500,000 casualties. – Washington Post