Paris France Temple Wiki

Description

The Paris France Temple is in Le Chesnay, a suburb of Paris, France.[ref name-“statement”]”Church Statement on Temple in France” (15 July 2011).[/ref]^[1]Monson, Thomas S. ,”As We Meet Again” 1 October 2011. . The Paris France Temple is the first temple built in Metropolitan France, and the second associated with France, after the Papeete Tahiti Temple.^[2]Temples en Europe et en Polynésie Française^[3] Un temple mormon à deux pas du château de Versailles In the past the French Saints have attended temples in Frankfurt Germany, The Hague, Netherlands, and Bern, Switzerland. The Temple is located very near the palace at Versailles.

History

Proposal

1998

On June 4, 1998, during a European tour to dedicate the Preston England Temple, President Gordon B. Hinckley met with about 2,400 members from two Paris stakes and three outlying districts. In his remarks, he noted, “When I came here after the war, there were so few members of the Church, and now there are 30,000 of you.” He continued, “I don’t want to build up your hopes, but the time has come when you deserve to have a temple among you, and we’ll look for a place to build one. I don’t know how long it will take to find a suitable site. I invite every one of you, my brethren and sisters, to plead with the Lord individually in your prayers to lead us to a property in this great city, or its environs, where we can build a house of the Lord so that you won’t have to travel five hours to Frankfurt or six hours to Zollikofen. Please unite your prayers with ours, and the time will come, and I hope that it will be quick in coming, when we can construct somewhere in this area a house of the Lord, a sacred temple, into which you can go and do that work which is found only in the temples of the Lord.”^[4]”President Hinckley Meets Members in Maine and Europe,” Ensign Sept. 1998: 75–78.

2004

In May 2004, President Hinckley returned to Paris, shortly after the dedication of the Copenhagen Denmark Temple. He met with French members on May 28 in a hotel convention hall on the property of Euro Disney. Remarking on the upcoming dedication of the Manhattan New York Temple, President Hinckley expressed, “I wish I could announce that we could have a temple here, but we do not have a suitable place yet, in my judgment, to build it. And so, we will continue to look. I don’t know when it will be built, but I am confident that we will have a temple for the French-speaking people of the Church sometime in the future.” Continuing he said, “You are worthy of the richest blessings of the Church. You are worthy of every blessing which this Church has to offer. And there is no blessing greater than the blessing of the house of the Lord. And so, my brothers and sisters, I ask you to be patient for a time. I know it is a long way to Frankfurt where you go. I hope that you will continue to go there, but sometime in the future a beautiful house of the Lord will grace this land.”^[5]”‘You are worthy of the richest blessings,'” Church News 5 Jun. 2004, 16 Jan. 2009 http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/45669/You-are-worthy-of-the-richest-blessings.html.

2006

As the April 2006 General Conference approached, hopes rose that the Paris France Temple would be announced when French media disclosed the Church’s interest in purchasing a huge tract of land outside Versailles—about one-third of the small city of Villepreux—reportedly for a temple. A church spokesman confirmed the Church was working with the property owners, but he said that the use of the property had not been determined and that temple locations were announced by the First Presidency. The summer before, President Hinckley had been considering a parcel of land in Saint-Cloud, a suburb of Paris, but attention had now turned to the Villepreux property. The Clerico family, owners of the Moulin Rouge, were the owners of this property as well. Of the three interested parties—an Arab emirate, a Russian, and the Mormons—the mayor of Villepreux said he preferred the Mormons for two reasons: morality and quality of investment. Never has there been any concern about public order with church members, he said.^[6]Carole Mikita, “LDS French Hoping for Temple Announcement,” KSL.com 30 Mar. 2006, 16 Jan. 2009 http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=299&sid;=184058. No temple announcement was made, however, and in the end, the Church did not succeed in acquiring the property.

2010

On June 21, 2010, Le Parisien reported that Church officials were seeking to acquire property in Le Chesnay, in the western suburbs of Paris, for construction of its first temple in mainland France. The buildings that occupy the site were leased by Électricité de France (EDF), but representatives of the company affirmed that they would not be renewing their lease after it expired in October 2010. Since rezoning would not be necessary, construction approval would only require the signature of Mayor Philippe Brillault. “Do we favor the Mormons [for this location]?” the mayor asked. “The answer is no. But we’re not against their architectural plans, and the City cannot oppose a request that conforms to the City Plan.” Gerald Caussé, First Counselor in the Europe Area Presidency, emphasized that the process was in the preliminary stages only and that nothing had been decided.^[7]Marie D’Ornellas, “Les mormons veulent construire leur temple,” Le Parisien 21 Jun. 2010, 21 Jun. 2010 http://www.leparisien.fr/yvelines-78/les-mormons-veulent-construire-leur-temple-21-06-2010-972106.php.

On October 11, 2010, Le Parisien confirmed that the Church had applied to purchase the buildings leased by EDF. However, the article reported that two other interested parties had come forward including the Academy of Versailles and a residential developer. In the end, the owner would be the sole decision maker. Mayor Brillault said the only certainty was that EDF would leave, but it was not known when that would occur. Next, the question was whether to sell or rent, which came with many options and unknowns.^[8]”Les mormons intéressés par le bâtiment EDF,” Le Parisien 11 Oct. 2010, 21 Jan. 2011 http://www.leparisien.fr/versailles-78000/les-mormons-interesses-par-le-batiment-edf-11-10-2010-1104009.php.

2011

On July 12, 2011, Le Parisien reported that detailed plans for the temple complex had been submitted to the City for approval. In turn, Mayor Philippe Brillault invited residents of the surrounding neighborhood to a Saturday morning informational meeting. Mayor Brillault explained that the temple emerged early as the strongest and most profitable project put forward by interested parties. He said that, according to his understanding, a temple and housing facility would be constructed with an underground parking facility; he also touted the beautiful gardens that would be open for public enjoyment. The vast majority of opposition, if not all, to the project results from an erroneous perception that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a cult. One Church member stated, “We are victims of misunderstanding and confusion. We are normal people.”^[9]Francois-Xavier Chauvet, “Un temple mormon à la place d’EDF,” Le Parisien 12 Jul. 2011, 13 Jul. 2011 http://www.leparisien.fr/yvelines-78/un-temple-mormon-a-la-place-d-edf-12-07-2011-1529224.php.

Official Announcement

On July 15, 2011, the Church released an official statement from President Thomas S. Monson announcing the Church’s hope to build a temple on the outskirts of Paris.^[10]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, “Church Statement on Temple in France,” 15 Jul. 2011.

On August 26, 2011, Le Parisien informed readers that the Church had successfully acquired the land on Boulevard Saint-Antoine, formerly leased by EDF, to build its temple, housing facility, and landscaped gardens. Mayor Brillault indicated that following an informational meeting for neighbors in July, the architects agreed to some changes to the design, which pleased them. City planners then had two months to verify that the permit complied with the City Plan.^[11]Marie D’Ornellas, “Les mormons ont déposé leur permis de construire,” Le Parisien 26 Aug. 2011, 19 Sept. 2011 http://www.leparisien.fr/yvelines-78/les-mormons-ont-depose-leur-permis-de-construire-26-08-2011-1579007.php.

President Monson gave a second announcement on October 1, 2011, in the opening session of the 181st Semiannual General Conference. After reading a list of several new temples, he stated, “in addition we’re moving forward on our plans for a temple to be built in Paris, France.”

On November 9, 2011, Le Parisien announced that the building permit for the Paris France Temple had been accepted by the City—issued October 27, 2011—calling it a “done deal” and making the community of Le Chesnay the site of the first Mormon temple built in mainland France. A member of the City Council noted that because the project complied with the City Plan, there were no grounds to oppose it.^[12]Françios-Xavier Chauvet, “Le maire a dit oui au temple des mormons,” Le Parisien 9 Nov. 2011, 10 Nov. 2011 http://www.leparisien.fr/espace-premium/yvelines-78/le-maire-a-dit-oui-au-temple-des-mormons-09-11-2011-1709366.php. However, just before the end of the year, four appeals to the approval were received by the mayor from opponents of the project who launched an online petition, arguing the land should be used for low-income housing. The mayor’s office had two months to respond.^[13]”Quatre recours contre le projet de temple mormon,” Le Parisien 28 Dec. 2011, 29 Mar. 2012 http://www.leparisien.fr/yvelines-78/quatre-recours-contre-le-projet-de-temple-mormon-28-12-2011-1786487.php.

2012

On February 8, 2012, Le Parisien delivered the news that all four appeals had been rejected. The mayor explained that none of the arguments were likely to call into question the decision to grant the building permit. One applicant said his resolve was only strengthened and that he would take his appeal to court, which must be done within two months. Church spokesman, Christian Euvrard, said that Church members watch the proceedings closely, sometimes with regret as they are often the victims of stereotypes.^[14]Francois-Xavier Chauvet, “Les recours contre les mormons rejetés,” Le Parisien 8 Feb. 2012, 29 Mar. 2012 http://www.leparisien.fr/espace-premium/yvelines-78/les-recours-contre-les-mormons-rejetes-08-02-2012-1850612.php.

On March 17 and 18, 2012, Church members offered an open house at the Versailles meetinghouse to give neighbors of the temple an opportunity to receive additional information about the temple and to familiarize themselves with the Mormon faith, as a general misunderstanding of the Church exists among French citizens. At the open house, one Church member expressed his understanding for the fear neighbors may feel toward the Church because of the stereotypes that exists, which label the Church as a cult and a culture that lives on the fringes of modern society. “We are quite normal,” he explains, noting that Church members simply choose to live certain moral principles such as no alcohol or tobacco, weekly church attendance, and tithing. The open house was organized in response to opposition to the project from individuals who have challenged the acceptance of the building permit. Christian Euvrard, director of the Paris France Institute, gave a 13-minute television interview in conjunction with the open house.

By April 2012, two administrative appeals had been filed with the objective of cancelling the building permit issued in October 2011. The appeals, which were examined by lawyers for the Church, were no surprise to Church officials who remained confident in a favorable outcome. The appeals did not prevent work from beginning.^[15]Francois-Xavier Chauvet, “Les mormons n’abdiquent pas,” Le Parisien 8 May 2012, 16 May 2012 http://www.leparisien.fr/espace-premium/yvelines-78/les-mormons-n-abdiquent-pas-08-05-2012-1989158.php.

Construction

2013

By February 2013, a construction barrier has been erected around the former buildings. Asbestos removal began, which was required before demolition could proceed.

In August 2013, the buildings that once occupied the Paris France Temple were demolished, following an extensive asbestos removal process. Several months were spent removing the underground facilities that serviced the former EDF buildings and other debris.

2014

On June 13, 2014, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve met in the Versailles chapel with approximately 60 people involved in the construction of the Paris France Temple including architects, lawyers, builders, contractors, construction company representatives and others. (Read the news article.) The administrative appeals filed against the issuance of a building permit for the temple have been denied by the court system—removing all legal obstacles from the temple moving forward.^[16]Francois-Xavier Chauvet, “Yvelines : les Mormons lancent une opération séduction,” Le Parisien 17 Mar. 2012, 26 Mar. 2012 http://www.leparisien.fr/versailles-78000/les-mormons-lancent-une-operation-seduction-17-03-2012-1910495.php.^[17]”Temple mormon du Chesnay : plus rien ne pourra l’arrêter,” Toutes Les Nouvelles 30 Sep. 2014, 15 Oct. 2014^[18]”Temple mormon du Chesnay : plus rien ne pourra l’arrêter,” Toutes Les Nouvelles 30 Sep. 2014, 15 Oct. 2014 http://www.lesnouvelles.fr/2014/10/03/temple-mormon-du-chesnay-plus-rien-ne-pourra-l%E2%80%99arreter/.

Groundbreaking

As the temple was built on the site of an existing building formerly used by a public utility that had to be demolished first, there was no public groundbreaking ceremony on the already active construction site.

The Paris France Temple is one of only two temples where a traditional groundbreaking ceremony was not held. (The other is the Tokyo Japan Temple.)

Construction

2014

By July of 2014, the substructure of the temple, primarily the underground parking structure, was well underway.

The superstructure of the temple itself began to rise that fall, and was well underway by the end of October.

2015

By early January construction progress on the Paris France Temple was easily visible as the exterior walls of the building have reached above the construction fence. Walls have also been poured for the housing facilities behind the temple but not yet for the information center that will stand beside the temple. Concrete walls surrounding the superstructure began to go up in early February.

May saw the beginning of exterior stone cladding on the temple’s exterior, as well as window frames and roofing shingles. Work on the cladding began on the south east wall.

As scaffolding is came down from the eastern wall of the Temple in July, cream-colored stone and features magnificent blue and green art glass windows were revealed.

August showed that stonework covered the entire east side and nearly the entire north side (rear). Concrete has been poured for the courtyard, which will feature a water attraction and planter boxes.

October saw cladding begin on the west side of the temple, leaving just the south side left to begin.

By November Landscaping structures were beginning to take form, and the cladding had been completed on the North side of the temple, including the baptistery entrance at basement level.

2016

Early in 2016 cladding installers had nearly finished the exterior. The front of the temple was the final side to be completed. On the east side of the temple is a visitors’ center, which will also provides access to the landscaped gardens and water features.

April saw much work move to the landscaping elements, the facade being completed on the temple and the accommodation center.

As of April 2016, the attachment of stone cladding to the exterior of the Paris France Temple was nearing completion. Work continued simultaneously on patron and worker housing facilities that share the temple site.

July brought progress being made on stained-glass window installation and landscaping in the garden area where hundreds of pavers had been laid.

September brought landscaping to the front of the temple, along thee street. Sidewalks were poured, lamp posts installed, flower beds filled, and the art glass entry doors installed.

Open House and Dedication Announcement

On 7 November 2016 The First Presidency announced that the public open house for the Paris France Temple would begin Saturday, 22 April, and continue through Saturday, 13 May 2017. The temple will be dedicated on Sunday, 21 May2017, in three sessions.

Nighttime Lighting of the Paris France Temple began in the late fall, around the middle of December. The high-tech lighting system at the Paris France Temple subtly illuminates the exterior surfaces of the building while interior lights bring to life the exquisite art glass, featuring flowering blossoms and eye-pleasing geometry.

2017

Open House Tickets became available for the public open house of the Paris France Temple through the Church’s online reservation system on 27 March 2017.

Open House

A public open house was held from April 22, 2017 through May 13, 2017, excluding Sundays.^[19] “Open House and Dedication Dates Announced for Paris France Temple: First temple in France”, Newsroom, LDS Church, 2016-11-07

During the three-week open house, a total of 47,561 guests toured the beautiful structure and its visitors’ center.

Cultural Celebration

A cultural celebration titled “Que Votre Lumiere Luise Ainsi Devant Les Hommes,” or “Let Your Light So Shine Before Men” (Matthew 5:16) was held on Saturday, 20 May 2017. The celebration featured music and dance performances by 950 Mormon youth from 13 stakes in France, Belgium and Switzerland gathered at the Velodrome National – a stadium which accommodates bike races – de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvellines.

Dedication

The temple was dedicated on May 21, 2017 in three sessions by Henry B. Eyring.^[20]”Paris France Temple Is Dedicated: First French temple is the 156th worldwide”, Newsroom, LDS Church, 2017-05-21 The Service was broadcast to meetinghouses in France and French-speaking units in the Europe area. Joining President Eyring were Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder Larry Y. Wilson, executive director of the Temple Department; Elder Paul V. Johnson, president of the Church’s Europe Area; and Presiding Bishop of the Church, Gerald Causse.

Dedicatory Prayer

Dedication Order

The Paris France Temple was the first temple built in mainland France.

Description

Location

The Paris France Temple is intended to be constructed just north of the renowned Château de Versailles on Boulevard Saint-Antoine in the suburb of Le Chesnay. The buildings currently occupying the property would be demolished and replaced with the temple, a housing facility, temple president residence, underground parking facility, and beautifully landscaped grounds open to the public.

Exterior

The Paris France Temple is one of [then] four temples built with no towers or spires. (The others were the Laie Hawaii Temple, the Cardston Alberta Temple, and the Mesa Arizona Temple.)

The grounds of the Paris France Temples features a beautiful reproduction of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s Christus statue.

Interior