For many, the removal of the Mont de la Plane cross has left more than an empty summit—it has created a spiritual void in the landscape
Newsroom (16/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a dramatic operation that has reignited France’s fraught debate over secularism and heritage, the town hall of Montgenèvre ordered the helicopter removal of a restored Christian cross from the summit of Mont de la Plane in early October 2025. The €5,000 operation has drawn sharp criticism for its cost and perceived overreach, underscoring tensions between preserving cultural landmarks and enforcing religious neutrality in public spaces.
The controversy traces back to October 2024, when a group of experienced hikers ascended the 2,500-meter peak in the Hautes-Alpes region and found a dilapidated 19th-century wooden cross. Driven by a commitment to local heritage, the group, acting anonymously and at their own expense, replaced the fragile structure with a sturdier one, preserving its original design and materials. “This cross already existed on this site, but it was old and fragile,” wrote Arnaud Violland, one of the hikers, in an April 2025 letter to Montgenèvre’s mayor. “Having at heart the preservation of local heritage, I undertook with friends, at our expense and anonymously, to replace it with a more robust structure, respecting all safety standards.” The town hall did not respond.
Citing secularism, the municipality ordered the cross’s removal, claiming it stood on private land and was not intended to replace the original Calvary, which it said remained nearby. Critics, including Violland, contest this, noting the new cross was erected precisely where the original stood—a structure that has since vanished. “I tried to explain to the town hall that there was local and heritage symbolism, but apparently, it was of no importance,” Violland said.
The Mont de la Plane case is not an isolated incident. In September 2025, the administrative court of Bastia in Corsica ordered the removal of a Christian cross in Quasquara, citing its placement on municipal land. In Nice, a cross was removed from a public space following a complaint for violating secularism. These decisions reflect a broader trend across France, where Christian symbols—crosses, statues, and nativity scenes—are increasingly challenged or removed under a stringent interpretation of state neutrality. In the Alps, as elsewhere, such mountain crosses, often erected after epidemics, wars, or parish missions, serve as cultural landmarks. Their gradual disappearance raises questions about France’s ability to reconcile its Christian heritage with its secular principles.
Legal experts note that the Council of State has, in several rulings, recognized the heritage value of such symbols. Yet, the distinction between “heritage” and “religious symbol” blurs when political sensitivities arise. The 1905 law on secularism, designed to ensure freedom of conscience, permits religious symbols on private land or those deemed part of cultural heritage. However, critics argue that cases like Montgenèvre reflect a shift: secularism, once a guarantor of pluralism, is increasingly wielded as an instrument of cultural censorship.
For many, the removal of the Mont de la Plane cross has left more than an empty summit—it has created a spiritual void in the landscape. These crosses, visible from afar, have long served as discreet reminders of the mountains’ transcendent role as places of prayer and elevation. The image of a helicopter unhooking the cross amidst the windswept peaks has become a potent symbol of a pivotal moment: one where, in the name of an ideological interpretation of neutrality, France risks erasing the simplest markers of its Christian memory.
“This is not neutrality but amnesia,” said one local observer, who requested anonymity. “The cross is not a provocation; it is memory, hope, and a blessing for all.” For others, the cross transcends time, embodying a love woven into the nation’s identity. To remove it, they argue, is to risk losing sight of who we are.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from https://tribunechretienne.com/
Related Images:
