The French Mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, has cancelled the screening of the Christian movie Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart) from a public-owned venue, arguing it did not respect France’s secularism.
The film is a faith-based docu-fiction piece aimed at followers of Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart.
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Christ is viewed as a symbol of “God’s boundless and passionate love for mankind”.
The screening was to be held in the Château de la Buzine in the XI arrondissement of the city.
The Republicans (LR) member Sylvain Souvestre, Mayor of the 11th and 12th arrondissements of Marseille, commented on the move on October 22.
On X, the local councillor lamented a cancellation he said was made “in a hurry” – one hour before the film was due to be shown.
Yesterday, in a press release, Payan explained his decision. He said it was “based on the strict application of the law and established case law on the matter, which applies to all venues managed by public authorities in France”.
That was a reference to the 1905 law that establishes a strict separation of religion and the State in France.
“Public facilities may not host screenings that are religious in nature or content,” he added.
The co-director of the film Steve Gunnel expressed his frustration over the ban yesterday on right-wing news channel Cnews: “I can no longer stand the censorship of Christianity in France. I will no longer tolerate it, whether in private life, in associations, or by mayors”.
He also criticised what he said was the growing hostility to Christianity in France.
“I can no longer stand being sidelined, no longer being allowed to talk about Christmas or Easter. There are Catholics in France, and we have to accept that.
“There are French people who are happy with this film; we’ve sold 200,000 tickets so far, which is crazy for a small documentary,” he added.
While Payan argued the cancellation “has nothing to do with an assessment of the film or a desire to restrict freedom of expression or creativity”, several right-wing political figures in Marseille condemned it.
Martine Vassal, member of the LR, President of Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis and contender for the mayoral office in 2026, criticised the move as “woke”. She said Sacré Cœur “will be welcome on our territory”, and that she “will contact the producer to organise screenings”.
This is not the first time French authorities have faced pressure over religious expression in public spaces.
Communist senators Ian Brossat and Pierre Ouzoulias in 2024 called on the French Government to intervene against what they described as “fundamentalist” Christian protests. That came following numerous incidents of street prayers in Paris meant to “atone for the blasphemy” of the Olympic Games opening ceremony.
In France, despite the mayoral ban, Sacré Coeur remains available in privately-owned cinemas across the region.
