Does it matter that Notre Dame burned?

pic Fabien Barrau/AFP

One of the most important buildings in France's heritage has been ravaged by fire and will cost hundreds of millions of euros to restore. Yet there have been some mixed reactions to the news of the damage to Notre Dame. Most French people seem to be shocked at the destruction caused in the 900 year old building; it is seen as the most iconic building in Paris, having lived through all the most important happenings there over the centuries. Many conservationists and historians have called on the government to commit to fully fund the work. But President Macron has called for international aid and private funds to contribute.
Notre Dame de Paris is the most visited site in the most visited tourist country in the world, so its international stature is well established. But inevitably some are questioning the value of spending so much on a church when there is so much social inequality. Some say that cancelling the 2024 Olympic games in Paris would release sufficient funds. It has even been suggested that as it is a symbol of the centuries of ecclesiastic oppression it should be demolished to make way for something "more modern". One art historian belittled the 100 million pledged by a wealthy family because it only represented "one 350th of their wealth".
Such points of view may appeal to some, but the importance of our countries' heritages should not be underestimated or devalued. We were outraged when the Taliban destroyed centuries old pre-Islamic carvings. Should we demolish the Coliseum in Rome because barbaric games were held there? What about the pyramids, symbols of despotic pharaohs? And even Auschwitz still stands to remind us that not everything in the past should be forgotten.
And we Brits recall how St Paul's cathedral was a symbol of our resistance to Luftwaffe bombing.
Let's cherish our heritage, but invest more on a regular basis to keep it safe from the ravages of time.