But the picture it’s clear I think : the era was one of rampart nationalism, and ideology that destroyed at the end of 19th century the liberal/free-trade order in Europe, particularly in Continental Europe, and set the tone for the totalitarianism to come.

Sacré-Cœur is one of the most beautiful monuments that unfortunately symbolizes this type of ethnic and vindictive nationalism that strive for national autharchy coupled with international political domination.

As to the other churches, like Notre Dame for example, remember that the medieval Catholic Church was sharing the statehood with the grand barons and the King, all bishops were de jure feudal lords : consequently, there were all sorts of taxes in kind or labour that the ordinary people were forced to pay to the institution of the Catholic Church.

This is the downside of it (from my son’s blog) http://sydneyspy.blogspot.com/2005/09/under-bridge-its-acted-in-big.html

Regarding Sacré-Cœur, Wikipedia notes the following:

“Construction costs, entirely from private donations, estimated at 7 million French francs, were expended before any above-ground visible structure was to be seen. A provisional chapel was consecrated 3 March 1876, and pilgrimage donations quickly became the mainstay of funding. Donations were encouraged by the expedient of permitting donors to ‘purchase’ individual columns or other features as small as a brick. It was declared by the National Assembly that the state had the ultimate responsibility for funding. Construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1914, although consecration of the basilica was delayed until after the First World War.”