I think it is safe to admit that if you got to place an eight-century old building anywhere you could in expectation that it would be carefuly maintained throughout, maybe the last place in the developed West you'd pick is Paris.
People who've been up inside the building for years have reported serious questionable practices and neglect. I do praise God that critical historical items were saved, some by a proven hero priest.
1
Paris is full of ”vigiles” or security guards. France also has high unemployment. In hindsight I would have placed an alert 2-man security team on the roof 24/24. The Eiffel Tower is highly secured after many terrorist threats. Placing one’s faith solely on divine protection in today’s climate is not enough.
1
Imagine… discovering the icon of Western civilization, I was nineteen when first discovering the mystical wonders of Notre Dame. Like all youngsters of my era Victor Hugo’s prose was considered compulsory reading, we were all wide-eyed with the lustful antics of Quasimodo as he swung from the belfry thru the Gothic architecture with the gypsy protagonist Esmeralda in hand.
Imagine… inspiring, or being so naïve that visions of a gypsy queen danced thru your head when, approaching that old Cathedral, or glancing up at the gothic edifice with its spiraling spires and gargoyles taking their toll on a youthful imagination. I can’t remember if the Crown of Thorns was on display… but it was a visit into the whims of Middle Ages, I’ll never forget.
1
I am sure Notre Dame will rise again as the Dresden Frauenkirche did.
It was the summer of 1979, and my fiancé and I rode our tandem bicycle up the Loire Valley, starting from Annecy and finishing in Paris. It felt like a pilgrimage to me; of all the great treasures of Paris that awaited us, Our Lady was the the only one that truly mattered.
Although I am not Catholic, nor am I particularly religious, the majesty and glory of Notre Dame was deeply felt. How heart-wrenching to see it in flames.
3
notre dame, more like notre flame
4
I visited Paris last fall. I wondered how it managed to remain so intact.
Dietrich von Choltitz. He is chiefly remembered for his role as the last commander of Nazi-occupied Paris in 1944, when he disobeyed Adolf Hitler's orders to level the city, but instead surrendered it. He has been called the "Saviour of Paris" for preventing its destruction.
4
Hoping the rose windows survived.
Feeling sad that the magnificent work of those long ago artisans has been desecrated by fire.
Still in shock...
2
These cathedrals were designed with the risk of fire (mostly from lightning) in mind. The stone vaults protect the interior from burning roof trusses, and the wood and lead roof protects the stone vaults from rain that would seep between the stones.
The roof can be rebuilt, this time with steel or aluminum beams and copper or aluminum sheathing (steel and copper are a bad combination because of electrolytic corrosion, as in the Statue of Liberty). The vaulting is likely unharmed.
5
After fearing the worst yesterday afternoon, this seems like hopeful news to wake up to, the structure preserved, much of the important artwork saved, rose windows and other architectural elements salvageable. I'm confident that Parisians, French people, and friends of the cathedral from around the world will rally to see it restored.
4
I had the good fortune to be able to stay in Paris only a block or two away from the place in 2005. It was Xmas time & it was beautiful weather. Sitting inside in a pew while a ceremony went on, the singing wafting though the structure. The incense in the air. As I sat next to this ancient pillar and touched it, I could see it only a few feet high and it was under construction. The History... It was quite moving.
Yesterday, when my daughter texted me it was burning, what a wave of grief swept through me. I finally understood something I read recently - "Nothing lasts forever".
My memory of sitting in that very special place will however, last as long as I do.
4
I took a trip to Paris ±30 years ago. It was a magnificent experience just standing in the middle of Notre Dame. Then a group of about a dozen teenagers stopped nearby, formed a tight circle and began singing, something ecclesiastical. What a pure and memorable experience...
3
The NY Historical Society screened "Casablanca" on Apriil 5 as part of their "pay as you wish" classic film evenings. I happily went, in the cold rain of a Friday evening, with friends. The evening was introduced by Pia Lindstrom, the eldest daughter of Ingrid Bergman, who shared her mother's memories of the film. I sat in the dark and fell in love again with this film. My favorite part of the film, when the Germans singing their national anthem in Rick's, are overtaken by those who outdrown them singing La Marseillaise. Shouts of "Viva La France" by teary-eyed actors and extras, who it turns out, are refugees. I was last in Paris in the summer of 2017, on my way to Dublin to see U2 with my twin. When we came out of the Metro and saw the Arc de Triomphe, I had tears in my eyes. What a beautiful city. We will always have Paris. Indeed.
2
I confess.
I have been unable to stop weeping since the fire began.
The immense sadness I feel for the French and for all of humanity is making my heart ache for the Love of Peace on Earth. After Saint Peters in Vatican City, comes Notre Dame.
Notre Dame of Paris has burnt. I say those words, and feels like a dagger in my heart.
May the Love of Christ watch over us and teach us forgiveness and equanimity, as we pray for him and His Dame on the saddest day for Him.
I kneel and say Amen.
5
I wonder if an extremely disgruntled member of the Yellow Vests movement is to blame? After all, the Arc de Triomphe was vandalised.
1
Easter is about renewal, hope, life indestructible. No fire can take that away.
1
A terrible tragedy for Paris, France and the world. Perhaps it is time for the great cathedrals to be retrofitted with sprinkler systems.
1
A beautiful and iconic building needs to be re built. I hope that the Catholic Church with its other iconic buildings and seat of the Catholic Church in Rome will publicly commit to aiding to this important rebuilding! This church can afford to be generous to its world wide congregants!
3
My very best wishes to the firefighter who was injured. May he recover, just as Notre Dame will recover eventually.
5
@Rita Apparently a policeman is also injured and in need of prayers.
3
You really have to wonder about the French, who apparently did not have the slightest semblance of an effective plan in place, in case this great historical site caught fire. After 850 years of drying out, you should know that it's a tinderbox.
Instead of pledging to rebuild, I wish Macron had pledged to install a sprinkler system.
1
What a lovely article. Thank you.
1
The biggest items in the news on Monday were (1) Tiger Woods had made a comeback because he took better care of his body, exercised, focused, etc., and (2) the Notre Dame cathedral went up in flames after centuries of having the ravages of time ignored, rather than being maintained and taken care of. A lesson here?
1
@KB
Eat right, keep fit, don't smoke?
2
profound tragedy...good luck floating the accidental external ignition/post renovation shift theory of the fire's origin...
1
I'm so glad my Dad did not live to see this. He spent 10 months in Paris with the Military Police during WWII. This loss would have broken his heart.
4
An incomprehensible tragedy. A few years ago when I had a some time between planes, I had only one thought: get to Nôtre-Dame to sit and meditate for half an hour, even though I am a religious mutt, a mix of Jewish-Christian and Eastern thought. The beauty of this sacred space transcends all boundaries of doctrine and practice, collecting the millions of prayers from every corner of humanity and sending them heavenward to those who I imagine are never concerned with membership cards in one belief or another. The world desperately needs places like this; I pray it will be swiftly restored.
7
Notre Dame was our refuge on September 12, 2001. There was a special service for Americans providing some comfort at that time of great loss.
I will never forget the kindness of the Parisiens then. I look forward to repaying some of that kindness when the time comes to rebuild.
6
Due care must always be taken when conducting renovation on any structure, especially structures like this.
This is a very bad situation for the contractors involved.
3
Our tears and prayers are with all who have been been inspired by the spirit, beauty, and majesty of Notre Dame de Paris. Gratefully, objects can be rebuilt, and the spirit and love shall endure, without interruption for more than another century.
2
Notre Dame de Paris is a major symbol for western society and Christianity. There are 850 years of prayers that reached up into the mystery that are our lives. Respect the tears of loss today not the dramas of history.
Some people, even relatives, called to say "sorry for your loss." That's the same words they had used to condole when I lost my beloved son in 2016. Not sure how to feel about that. But I understand.
2
Sadly, nothing lasts forever.
5
So beautiful, even in flames.
2
A symbol
or is it the reality -
of the burned out soul
of Europe.
6
I live in Central Asia, which is in the middle of nowhere. But I always had a weird craving for Notre Dame. First, when I saw the musical - I could not get my self out of it. Then I swallowed Hugo's novel and everything I could find about Notre Dame. I was about 15 years old, and it was something strange - to the extent it was painful - that was pulling me towards Paris. Years later, I managed to visit Paris. I was a poor student, and I saved fiercly to visit Paris for my 25th birthday. I was lonely, poor, and struggling on so many fronts-but,boy-I was happy. I met Notre Dame with tears in my eyes. I bowed down to him. He was like the man I've always been searching for.
Next time we met - I was with my boyfriend. That guy whom I loved and thought I'd marry. I took his picture in front of Notre Dame, and we kissed, and we kissed. And when he broke up, with my heart tore apart - all that was left from him was the picture in front of Notre Dame.
The third time I visited Notre Dame - I was by myself. I was overworked, overstressed, and burned out from a corporate job.
I went off the plane and came straight to him. I bowed down with tears and said "Sorry, I messed up again". Help me. And he took me in. He walked me around, and let me touch his walls, and smell the air and sit in deep meditation. And it all happened.
Notre Dame is that only place on the planet, where I can mend myself. And I cry for him today as he needs our help.
7
@Assel
Thank you for your words ...
And come back to see the reborn of Notre Dame.
We will rebuilt.
6
I don't cry easily and almost never about inanimate objects.
Today, watching the flames envelope Notre Dame, I wept.
1
Seeing the Spire collapse in flames, I suddenly flashed-back to the Twin Towers on 9/11. Gut-wrenching, in a primordial way, even without the tragic loss of life.
6
The fire was likely started because of careless? construction practices. I've visited this beautiful church & hate to see it damaged.
1
The men of the Middle Age passed their wonderful architectural expertise and knowledges on us. Our french craftmen and women, our "Compagnons", will rebuild Notre-Dame the same way the men of the century 12 did. It will take decades, but the cathedral will survive thanks to this knowledge.
7
The fire at Notre Dame, wiping so much history in only a few hours, reminds me of how Trump is destroying 250 years of our democracy (ironically given to us by France) in just a couple of years.
15
What died today was the spirit the people had 850 years ago that steadily dissipated over the centuries in proportion to the inexorable march of time to the present. This was the last wisp of the candle.
Imagine what we could build if we patiently worked for two centuries on one building, if we worked for two centuries on something of great spiritual wonder. For the past 200 years we took a great nation and ran it into the ground, we fought wars that brought the whole world to its knees and capped it off with nuclear weapons, we cynically figured out how in 200 years to extract natural resources under the oppression of slave and wage-slave labor to create such destructive wealth our very climate and seas and earth are wasted, and we march into the future clutching devices that have trapped our souls like Pandora's Box.
We are living in a spiritual wasteland that has no precedent, and the cries of anguish we heard today were from those who are suffering this loss as the final end of an era where humanity once was cherished but now is perished.
3
A terrible destruction of one of the world's treasures. For me President Obama's tweet is spot on:
"Notre Dame is one of the world’s great treasures, and we’re thinking of the people of France in your time of grief. It’s in our nature to mourn when we see history lost – but it’s also in our nature to rebuild for tomorrow, as strong as we can."
8
I'm devastated by this tragedy. I've only traveled to the south of France, but this isn't about one's traveling props, it's about connectivity with our human past. I understand from NPR that France is a deeply secular nation and funding for the Cathedral's upkeep was scarce. I'm not religious, so fine. But couldn't this incredible treasure of humanity have at least been protected by a sprinkling system? Shame.
@Linda Hartman There is a case for having sprinkler systems in historic buildings, but this building is colossal. To protect every nook and cranny would have cost millions, and they were struggling financially just to maintain the basic fabric of the building, never mind install state of the art fire prevention systems.
1
It is quite sad to see Notre-Dame burning. No one with some respect for culture, irrespective of race and religion, wants to see that happen. But it is a huge wake up call - for everyone in general and the French in particular. We don't treasure what is human like Notre-Dame with their beauty and their history until they are gone. Paris is suppose to be a romantic place, not just to French but also to cultures beyond that confine of Europe. Yet, all we hear these days about Paris and France is cultural clashes and yellow vest. France, and any other country for that matter, can withstand accidents like this, but the Cathedral can be rebuilt, only when its own inhabitants, immigrants and yellow vesters alike, can unite to build a better world. The garden leads tending, not burning
3
As soon as I spotted a trail of billowing black smoke drifting past my window, I absconded from all pending matters, swiftly put on a jacket and went down in the street. By the time I got to the bottom of the stairs of my building I was already running, reminding to myself, -let's hope it's not Notre Dame". Panic was already easily felt in the streets, with people converging towards the Seine banks. Near the Pont Neuf and still with the church out of sight, I asked a girl with eyes swollen in tears, and right there I got a confirmation.
I then rushed towards the site. A Parisian gem and symbol, perhaps the most iconic one of all, and an unrivaled monument both revered for its magnificent beauty and the level of significance it holds for the Christian world and beyond were there being ravaged by what seemed inextinguishable flames.
An awful sight to behold with a broken heart. At least, communing with bystanders who also lived in the neighborhood helped a bit to cope with such terrible ordeal. I thereby stood in an adjacent street watching the scene unfolds until 01 am until the fire seemed to be under control. Many clumps of people chanted nearby under the gaze of Notre Dame, others applauding the work of firefighters.
Yet, waking up still in shocks and in disbelief for what just happened. Prayers for Paris. Fluctuat nec mergitur.
118
@jeanfrancois My heart goes out to you and all so deeply impacted by this. So far away here, I grieved too. Thank you for sharing your experience.
11
@Greengrace
Thanks to you. No words to transcribe what it was and therefore what it meant to be there as one would rather stay silent, just let all this slowly sink in as a mean to process the information at a deeper level.
Yesterday, we all watched this go in front of our eyes in complete disbelief, petrified in horror.
And yet, along with a knot of other people (whom I quickly befriended then spent a couple of hours watching the blaze go until we eventually broke in various directions), it meant a whole world to each of us to share our feelings to one another, sometimes though unable to articulate clearly. Early this morning, going back there with more than a lump in the stomach, observing the repercussions this already reaches across the entire world give it then another level of significance which, in and for itself, restitute the importance of this actual monument not just for the city but far far yonder.
12
Mon coeur est brisé!
3
It is so amazingly wonderful that Notre Dame appears to have been saved from utter destruction though badly scarred by this fire. I was running errands when my car radio announced the news. I felt a wave of nausea, grief, and profound loss. I am not French by ethnic heritage, nor am I a true Francophile. But I am a Parisienne in my soul and am bonded to the heart of Paris. The interior of Notre Dame is simply an experience that wraps your heart around your mind and your mind around your heart. Like all of Paris, Notre Dame is all about the human experience, life, living, loss, love, joy, and grief. It embodies humanity with acceptance and acknowledgment. Simple, succinct, and, well, obvious. My heart goes out to all of Paris, all of France. Maybe, maybe, this horrific fire will uncover the deep affection you have for each other and for the magnificent heritage you carry ensemble, even when you disagree! Heal and rebuild, France, you have a long history of doing so. Votre Dame will endure.
8
Thanks to the news people and photographers who contributed to this report, which conveyed the sorrow as well as the facts.
8
Accentuating the positive, it is absolutely amazing that no one died and there seems to be only one person with serious injuries. Perhaps that is Grace. It also would appear that the fire could have been much worse. The one photo of the main worship area that I have seen shows that to be fairly well preserved all things considered. There are so many ways in which this could have been worse. Give thanks for that!
12
No building lasts forever. They all ultimately end up as a mounded pile.
That is why the pyramids were genius. They started out as a mounded pile and stayed that way!
9
Oh, so...we won’t live forever, so why bother.
Actually you have it backwards; impermanence is why we care. Nor—to refer to of all things “Age of Ultron”—is a thing beautiful because it lasts.
2
On est tous Parisiens !
7
In the volume of the Talmud dedicated to divorce documents and procedure, baseless hatred is given as the reason the Second Temple, the Jewish People's primary institutional connection to G-d, was razed.
1
Who was the man with a white covering (helmet?) on his head walking around a high part of the outside of Notre Dame between 6:30 and 7:00 P.M. local time? The workers had been dismissed and the fire had already broken out.
There's a video but. of course, no answers yet.
1
He should prioritize rebuilding France the way it used to be.
One of the opening scenes of Kenneth Clark's great series "Civilization" features him seated on the left bank of the Scene, with Notre Dame just behind him. He tells us that he can't explain what civilization is exactly, but that he knows it when he sees it.
He looks over his shoulder at the cathedral then tells us, "...and I'm looking at it right now."
The symbolism of this fire is too on point right now.
12
I am deeply saddened at the loss of this iconic building. It is part of our heritage and identity that has gone up in smoke. Tragic loss.
3
We are with you. The people of America and the World. We pray for you all this Holy Week and beyond as you rebuild Cathedral Norte-Dame de Paris
Vive la France!
8
I feel a deep loss seeing these photos. However I do wonder if spending massive sums to fix it is the best use of resources. Just days ago yellow vests and the French Government were at a tug of war partly over money. The idea of rebuilding reminds me of Sisyphus.
Let me refer you to Camus’ “Myth of Sisyphus.”
1
Je l'aime Notre Dame Cathedral et La France. We weep with you tonight. This iconic Cathedral is a beacon of beauty for the world. Get well soon!
5
In appreciation for the French giving us the Statue of Liberty, our true national emblem, perhaps we could return the favor by offering substantial aid in rebuilding Notre-Dame which, in many ways, is a more meaningful national symbol of the French than even the Eiffel Tower.
Let us not just send prayers, condolences, and loving thoughts the way politicians often do in times of tragedy. Instead, let us do something meaningful and relevant. Perhaps the government could set up a donation website which would allow us not merely to contribute but to demonstrate to the French that (hopefully) many millions of Americans care.
That said, I can't help but notice the significantly different reaction to the fire at Notre-Dame and the intentional destruction by the Taliban of the much older Bamiyan statues of Buddha in Afghanistan.
12
In appreciation for the French giving us the Statue of Liberty, our true national emblem, perhaps we could return the favor by offering substantial aid in rebuilding Notre-Dame which, in many ways, is a more meaningful national symbol of the French than even the Eiffel Tower.
Let us not just send prayers, condolences, and loving thoughts the way politicians often do in times of tragedy. Instead, let us do something meaningful and relevant. Perhaps the government could set up a donation website which would allow us not merely to contribute but to demonstrate to the French that (hopefully) many millions of Americans care.
6
How many of us watching the destruction of this icon realized how decrepit the building was? I never thought about the wear and tear on an 800 year old landmark. I guess I assumed a stone colossus would last forever. This has been an education. How many other renowned structures need attention and are not getting it because of the cost? Perhaps this is a wake-up call, but I don’t think we can afford the alarm clock.
10
What I'm wondering now is how the loss of the roof affects the integrity of the walls. If the roof bears weight of the walls transferred by the flying butresses, could the walls collapse inward? I think the answer is no, at least I hope it is.
5
@Stevenz
To what extent were these old churches experiments in what was then a new style of building? But some fell in, and some burned up, at the time. I've seen Notre-Dame under the snow, with moonlight highlighting its brilliantly assembled structure. It will be rebuilt with more science, but never the same coups de génie.
6
@Stevenz
My guess is that the heat of the fire affects the integrity of the stone itself, making it more friable. Hopefully, enough remains intact that they can use it to rebuild.
1
Surprised how hard this hit me; i was speechless. Notre Dame is part of so many people everywhere. Never forget seeing the rose windows first time. The building has woven so deeply into art and architecture -- Monet, Hugo, Viollet le Duc -- it is hard to imagine the actuality so diminished when its image and spirit continue forever. Waiting in fear to see what happened to the parts that are not replaceable. Will be perhaps the most difficult architectural restoration ever undertaken.
11
I am not a religious person, but history is important and the Notre-Dame Cathedral and all it contains is a part of that history. While I have never seen it in person, I have visited other cathedrals in Europe and the Palace of the Popes. Seeing these places in person reminds us of what humans could do so many years ago without electric or steam power and with little science to guide them. I see the engineering and the art and imagine the person who worked on them and how different their life must have been from mine, yet how similar their desires. The damage done here is a tremendous loss for the entire world. I hope that detailed records exist and that it can be reconstructed. Even more, if a fund is established to help pay for its rebuilding, it would be fitting to have contributions pour in from around the world. Yes, even from people like me who are not fans of religion, yet value culture and history.
22
When President Macron spoke of the loss to France, perhaps he didn't know how many people all over the world valued and cherished this great cultural monument. When the Catholics spoke of the loss in religious terms. perhaps they didn't know how many of us all over the world, Methodists, Baptists, believers and non-believers, are in shock. Today we are united in sorrow and in love.
23
Years ago I recall lighting a candle at Notre Dame and a few years later, my youngest brother told me he was going to visit Notre Dame and asked if I had been there. I said ‘yes, I lit a candle there. See if you can still do so.’ He replied ‘No, I’ll just blow out yours..’
I remember feeling so blessed while being there. Generations of my family wanted to go there but I am so thankful that I was able to make that journey.
7
How could this happened? No plans to protect this most historical cathedral of the world? Just couldn't believe this. No wonder France is declining since WWII. This taught a lesson for French leaders to have a detailed plan to protect and preserve these world historical buildings in France. All European nations should have a plans to protect their historical sites.
7
@Mclean4 It's a tad more complicated that your short summary. Yes, governments could pour money into the many. many historical buildings across Europe and make them totally robust. However, many of them are not government owned and have to raise their own funds, there's a constant process of prioritisation and risk management. There were plans to protect this cathedral but they were plans to restore the fabric and prevent parts of it collapsing (such as the 800 year old limestone that weathers). It's a constant balancing act between restoring and replacing with elements. Indeed, this fire seems to like to have been started as a result of restoration work. Imagine trying to manage the risks of using one angle grinder on such a building?
Come and visit Europe and you'll see that it's more complex than you think.
2
Where can I donate to help with the restoration of the Notre Dame? If even half the populations of Europe and North America donated just $5 or €5, the fund would be enough to help rebuild this indispensible monument.
20
@Kevin
Exactly!! Serious question and I hope the answer comes soon. Millions of us want to donate toward reconstruction.
Thank you Kevin.
1
France, we stand with you, and will help you rebuild, as you helped us build.
18
Thank you from France...your thoughts are a warm patch on our sorrow...
3
For France, very much like 9-11, without, thank God, the terrible death toll. The French national psyche has been scarred for many years to come with this loss.
8
Loved hearing the french hymns of my ancestors come alive in the streets of Paris. Notre Dame is damaged, but a city’s faith is revived. There will be more people in church in Paris this Holy Week than we have seen in many years. We are a Church of Suffering and Love and Resurrection. All will be well.
68
@Beto Buddy. We all need to thank Donald Trump and credit his advice to the saving of this rundown building, it should have had a fire system installed like the magnificent Trump Towers but due to generations of in-breeding the French have not the mental competency to understand that one of the most visited places on earth should probably have at the minimum the fire safety mechanisms of a Vegas casino!
I sobbed at my desk at work and couldn’t even respond when asked why.
9
If only humans had the same kind of reverence for the creation - Earth's rich species biodiversity that is in catastrophic decline from the depredations of humans and their 7.8 billion all-consuming numbers. We weep over a building that is supposed to honor God - while we deforest, defile and destroy that which we claim He created. A building can be rebuilt but the multitudes of lost life forms are gone forever. A lost building affects not the planet - a crippled biosphere will result in a global poverty that will last for a million years. As Thoreau said "Speak of heaven? Ye disgrace Earth."
21
Odd that St John the Divine also had a fire yesterday. This can’t be a coincidence.
3
All the world is weeping!
6
We are all French today. Our hearts are with you. A masterpiece, a great pillar of the earth will have new life from this devastating moment. Who can believe..
5
I had the good fortune to visit Notre-Dame a number of times beginning in 1972 onward, including singing a mass there. I was thrilled about the installation of the new set of bells and had looked forward to going to Paris to hear them. Now that won't be possible. I have wept this afternoon and am still numb with shock; seeing the spire fall recalled so vividly the falling of the twin towers in NY, which contributed to the sense of horror. I am an art historian and curator; to see this magnificent building gutted is distressing beyond words.
However, as President Macron has stated, Notre-Dame will be rebuilt. It's slightly older sibling, the transcendent cathedral at Chartres, rose in record time just before Paris' church was begun--and was itself the phoenix rising from the ashes (literally) of the 1194 fire that gutted the earlier Romanesque cathedral. The fire burned for three days while the town believed it had lost its precious relic of the Virgin Mary. A priest had run into the crypt with the relic while the fire raged overhead. I understand that Notre-Dame in Paris' principal relics likewise survived the conflagration today. That should be the token that this church, too, will rise again. It will be impossible to simply remake the church as we knew it; this is the chance to build something akin and as splendid and spiritual but with the stamp of our time.
Much was lost but some things were saved; just imagine if the fire had been during open hours...
8
In appreciation for the French giving us the Statue of Liberty, our true national emblem, perhaps we could return the favor by offering substantial aid in rebuilding Notre-Dame which, in many ways, is a more meaningful national symbol of the French than even the Eiffel Tower.
Let us not just send prayers, condolences, and loving thoughts the way politicians often do. Instead, let us do something meaningful and relevant. Perhaps the government could set up a donation website which would allow us not merely to contribute but to demonstrate to the French that (hopefully) many millions of Americans care.
10
Windsor Castle burned but was beautifully restored. The same will be said about Norte Dame.
7
As someone who has seen something precious destroyed and rebuilt, I can only give you my condolences. And share my experience that people who love something have an amazing capacity to restore it. Best wishes from New Orleans.
10
I am not a big fan of cities, but I love Paris and Notre-Dame is its beating heart. It's from where all distances in France are measured, central to French literature and a place of unique historical significance.
It’s magnificence was not only it’s craftsmanship and amazing level of detail, but the story it tells about the human condition, which like any work of art can be interpretive. For me it’s foreboding gargoyles and other-worldly scale and presence is a reminder of how the Catholic Church used its wealth to inject both fear and awe-inspiring majesty to convert and control.
Given the current state of the church, and its belief in miracles, there may be some divine karma in the timing of this terrible loss of their most revered structure by apparently an act of carelessness.
It amazes me that knowing the fragility of any old wooden structure ("the forest" an 850 year-old oak roof!) that the contractors restoring this priceless masterpiece were not required to have people dedicated to ensuring that a fire could be quickly extinguished.
All that being said, it’s rebuilding—to which I as a citizen of the world will contribute my modest share—is perhaps an oppotunity for a rebuilding of the church itself whose own internal structures have proved—devoid of appropriate safeguards and monitors—as frail and vulnerable—as 850 year-old oak.
3
i've been to france 24 times. all but one trip has included paris.
i've visited notre dame 14-15 times. the cathedral at chartres more than 20 times.
notre dame de paris is a symbol of faith, art, music, endurance thru the centuries, peace, ingenuity, imagination and more.
i realized a life long ambition in october 2017 when i was able to go to an incredible concert featuring gregorian chants and medieval music.
the centuries enveloped me as the beautiful voices echoed and swept over me.
it was sublime.
i am an atheist.
16
At age 13 I visited Notre Dame as part of a week spent in Paris. That was 1974. Now, Paris needs to rebuild this symbol of French greatness more than ever. I am hopeful that Macron's vision and the patriotism of the French people will cause the Cathedral to be rebuilt, and in the process a religious revival will sweep France, bringing the whole nation together, including those of other faiths. May it be so, and may the best digital representations available be used to help the best artists and artisans rebuid Notre Dame until its beauty surpasses its beauty prior to the fire. Nous pouvons le faire. May Notre Dame heal the French Nation.
2
I was lucky enough to attend services at Notre Dame in December of 1996. It was majestic. The cathedral is not just Catholic, or Parisian, or French. It transcends all of that and is a Cathedral for the world. I cried when I saw the flames on tv. My heart broke when I saw the people kneeling and praying. Today the borders of nations vanished for just a moment. The world embraces France today to let it know we feel your pain and are praying for recovery and renewal
16
I cried while I watched her burn today. I could not believe how quickly the blaze got out of control. Given the size and power of the fire I have great admiration for the fire department from Paris and surroundings. I was also eternally grateful to hear that so much of her had been saved. The rest can be dealt with and will be!
That being said this is probably a real gift to Macron who needs one right now. The yellow vest protests have put people on edge in Paris and the the rest of the country. I can't imagine anything other than the "heart of France" being in peril that will bring that country together. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to reassess and to recognize that there are outside forces trying very hard to tear you apart.
6
The world weeps tonight. I visited Notre Dame twice in my life and am blessed to have seen it’s former glory. The Rose window looks to be lost. It is simply irreplaceable. It is sad that so many people will never see its former glory. Yes, the French will rebuild it but it will never quite be the same. The loss of the National Museum in Brazil to fire and now the loss of Notre Dame. How could this have been allowed to happen?
7
I visited Notre Dame de Paris one time as a student in the late 90's with my late professor, who was a medievalist and French musicologist. I am not Catholic, and not particularly religious, but It brings me to tears to see what happened today. What a tragedy.
10
I've never been to Paris before, but I could see just how terrible the people of Paris must've felt today, seeing one of their greatest cultural icon in flames, nearly destroyed. Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the pinnacle of both French architecture and culture coming together in one glorious holy building.
Paris, nous sommes avec vous.
We are with you, the world is watching and grieving for your loss today. We hope to see the Notre Dame stood tall again, and we hope to hear the bells ring again in the days to come. Until then, just know that we are all the way with you.
128
A fund will be officialized tomorrow. Don't hurry on fake ads you may find on the internet.
If you're in hurry, look at the official page of Notre Dame de Paris on Facebook, where you can find a link to donate all the year.
Or contact the French "Fondation du Patrimoine". Your favorite newspapers & TV sites will link you to the specific site for this reconstruction project, that will cost several hundreds millions euros (the ongoing restoration before the fire was already planed to cost about 150 millions euros, this will now be much more).
As well there will be lot of missing artistic works that are unrecoverable (except with possibly existing copies), notably for the giant artworks along the walls inside the central nef, for the giant organ, and the stained glasses that have been blazed by the fire, for which we hope there are enough photos and technical recipes from their last restoration or the restoration that was already mapped).
Lot of artists will be involved, This cathedal will require the best talents of the world. There will be an open competition for reconstruction and restoration projects that will require several decenials to be completed.
12
I wonder where your outrage is when sites older than Notre-Dame are destroyed in Africa, Asia, Latin America and other regions? I am just as sad as anyone to see this beautiful place being destroyed but I have NOT seen this kind of coverage on sites (UNESCO or otherwise) in India or Brazil or any of the African cities? More importantly, isn't it human life that deserves front page coverage - people fleeing from wars, violence, hunger.. why is physical structure more important than a human life? Churches and Cathedrals are meant to be burned (not deliberately)... we ought to care more about human lives, no?
9
No.
2
You sound like you’re having a miserable day. And not for the reasons Parisians and people the world over are, when they hear of this disaster. No need to minimize the loss of a treasure..
15
Must everything be considered relative to everything else? There is indeed something to be discussed regarding the disparate reactions to tragedies in mostly white first world countries as compared to other non-white countries, but there is no reason to begrudge anyone feeling sadness as a result of this terrible event.
20
A haunting metaphor for the crisis of world civilization that has been whipped into an inferno by those who have seemingly forgotten what comfort and joy is provided by such hallowed spaces.
We must rebuild Notre Dame as part of a parallel effort to rebuild our common humanity.
171
As the French pledge to rebuild this towering momunent of its national religion, it should be comforting to remember that when we Americans lost one of our national religion's great monuments, one of the world's great shrines to money and power, the World Trade Center, we bounced back and rebuilt.
Unlike our ill-fated temple, which crumbled to dust and mangled steel, Notre Dame - every detail reverently pointed upward - is a shrine to something above and beyond itself. Maybe this is a factor in its substantial survival. I suspect they will restore the former splendor.
3
@Andrew
Well, crudely put on my part. The spirit of New Yorkers (and those who came from far and wide to help and express sympathy and solidarity), the idealism and compassion that always kept greed and materialism in check, instantly became the site's new defining spirit, from the moment terror struck. That's undoubtedly the main point Parisians should recall in this moment of tragedy.
2
In appreciation for the French giving us the Statue of Liberty, our true national emblem, perhaps we could return the favor by offering substantial aid in rebuilding Notre-Dame which, in many ways, is a more meaningful national symbol of the French than even the Eiffel Tower.
Let us not just send prayers, condolences, and loving thoughts the way politicians do after every mass shooting. Let us do something meaningful and relevant. Perhaps the government could set up a donation website which would allow us not merely to contribute but to demonstrate to the French that (hopefully) many millions of Americans care, that the banning of French Fries in Congress under the Bush Administration did and does not represent the true soul of the American people.
15
Everyone's agnostic until Notre Dame Burns.
10
Beauty herself weeps.
11
@Dejah
In fact, many other cathedrals in France and England are far more beautiful.
This one is attractive, but has the added gravitas of a grand history.
4
I visited Notre Dame in 1986 last time personally. Stood at the church tower. I became now remembered that every Kind of tragedy will Push our wanting to rebuild and protect. In 1999 I stood at top of World Trade... same fire, same wanting, but another Story. The tragedies have to bring us all togehther!!!
42
We can rebuild her. We can make her better, faster, stronger. The six billion dollar lady!
2
As a wise man said last night, nothing lasts forever.
First saw Notre Dame in 1975 on a high-school trip through Europe. Last time in the mid eighties. The world is just a tiny bit less magnificent today. Let's face it, this structure cannot be replaced. In the long run all man made structures are destined for ruins. Let's hope this was an accident, I'd hate to think someone thought it was a swell idea to burn it down. But think of all the man made destruction, the carpet bombing of Germany in WWII. Visiting the shell of Coventry Cathedral is also a solemn experience. I was just reading about the destruction of the Summer Palace by the British in the 1800's. Not just one palace, the Summer Palace was acres of landscaped gardens, lakes, forests, palaces and other building full of priceless irreplaceable art. It burned for two weeks, all to punish the Chinese for killing six diplomats and cracking down on the opium trade the British depended on. Interestingly, it was the son of Lord Elgin, the guy who looted the friezes on the Parthenon, who was in command of the British expedition. Notre Dame was special, but it underscores the fragility of treasures like this, they take years to build and can endure for centuries, but they can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. Even the gargoyles are weeping tonight.
8
Today I grieve along with France. Beloved memories fill me of stopping to pray in Notre-Dame . I pray again today. God bless France and the cherished cathedral that will surely rise again from the ashes.
6
A terrible tragedy; this is on the order of one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world being destroyed. Thank goodness, however, that no lives were lost, and that the fire did not spread.
9
Beautiful buildings become more precious with age, and therefore their loss or the damage to them becomes more difficult to accept. Thanks be to God, nobody was killed and it doesn't appear to be a terrorist act.
4
If One human soul, just one, perishes, the loss is infinitely greater than the cathedral.
2
That is now how the original builders looked at it. Many died buiding the Cathedral; the work was not stopped.
4
The beauty of this cathedral goes without saying. The craftsmanship of generations is invaluable. Also the historical events which have happened within her walls. The stories to be told. Growing up in and going to a Catholic Church has always drawn my attention to the architecture and artistry of these buildings. My heartfelt prayers go out to the citizens of France. May they find a way through the pain of today. God bless.
8
I have never seen Notre-Dame personally, just in pictures and on TV. But I am a carpenter that has worked on old buildings, done some stone work, and even did a little stained glass work.
It's a shame to see such beautiful work that took a century to construct, be destroyed in 10 hours. I feel I should say I'm sorry to the builders of the cathedral so many centuries ago.
15
Homage to the firefighters who are heroes. As of now, one report of an injured one, and while it is time to weep, let us count blessings that there were no lives lost. Having listened to a friend at Versailles, who lived WWII, 'trauma' is the word that comes to mind (when she was very young, her fiance was in communication with a general who had been ordered to blow up Paris, and this was averted but it took some persuasion and a moment in time that turned history into Lady Fortune).
I believe the president does care, and will do everything within his power to set matters right. This will be remembered as The Paris Fire which took place during the Holy week of Easter, and a reminder for this reader of Victor Hugo's classic that the Mob is cruel and Humanity can do better.
13
I’ve been weeping all day. I’ve been fortunate to visit Paris and the cathedral many times ; my favorite place in the world. A beautiful day in June 1992, my best run ever. I ran from my right bank hotel at 7:00 am to I’ll De Cite. The sun was rising over Notre Dame. I looked back and it took my breath. I ran on to the Louvre, through the Tuileries, and to the Eiffel Tower. Then back. A loss for our world. I will happily contribute for its reconstruction.
22
My boyfriend just made the most striking remark I've heard all day. While the world grieves--as it should--the tragedy in Paris, which has dramatically unfolded before all our eyes in the matter of several hours, we have not yet fully grasped or fully grieved the staggering loss of Australia's Great Barrier Reef--another magnificent, godly, spiritual place, whose loss, like Notre Dame's, can also be attributed to human fallibility.
37
This is not going to be a popular view but the Cathedral represents centuries of slave labor and stolen materials to glorify the RC Church. How many people died to build this monument to the church? Like the Vatican, how much art was stolen to glorify its interior? How many were castrated to sing in its choir? How much money did the Vatican make from its coffers? If the RC church wants it rebuilt them let them pay for it.
10
@S.L. The only one of your questions that I can answer pertains to castration, and the number is likely very few. The practice was largely confined to Italy, thanks to the Pope banning women from public singing in the latter-mid 16th century.
Castrati filled the choirs at the Sistine Chapel, but likely not Notre Dame.
Napolean appreciated Pacchierotti and Crescentini, but they were Italian opera singers, not French victims of castration.
There were some castrati who performed in France, but it was not a French practice.
10
@S.L. My thoughts precisely. And yet...to lose a human-made masterpiece of Gothic architecture, second only to Chartres Cathedral, is a sobering reminder that not only is every human-made structure on earth ephemeral, so is our planet, so is our sun, so--most likely--is our universe. It is incredible timing that Notre Dame burns during "Holy Week"--and almost immediately on the heels of our first human glimpse of a black hole.
Sorry to the god-fearing Christians everywhere, but the notion of human-made gods is a trifle bit outmoded at this juncture. S.L. of Briarcliff Manor is wise to point out the vast--and continuing--human exploitation that has occurred at the hands of the human-made Catholic church.
3
@S.L. Notre Dame, as I think all Catholic churches built before 1905, belongs to the French state.
4
I was born in Paris. Seeing the live video of the Notre Dame on fire in the Times headline with strong winds fanning the flames, crumbling scared me. It reminded me of the Twin towers whose foundation burned for months, the three recent synagogue fires in Manhattan from sloppy roof renovations using welding on dried wood, including the 18th century Moorish Central synagogue, and the three black churches set on fire last week by an arsonist. I recall the impression it made on me in the film Hunchback of Notre Dame which I saw as a child. I learned of the architectural significance of the new flying buttresses holding up the highest walls for its time. I urge all the historic houses of worship to install water sprinklers in the ceilings, wrap all wood lathe in fireproof material or replace it if too dry or rotten, and avoid all wood scaffolding, along with removing all flammable construction materials. For example, pressed wood is flammable. There should have never been so much scaffolding at one moment around it. There is always construction elevators. That created an inaccessible cage. The spire fell first since smoke rises. St. Patricks' Cathedral renovation was done without a hitch. Why didn't Notre Dame consult the expertise and personnel at St. Patricks'? Shame on the neglect in waiting too long to maintain it, and not hiring the best experts and construction planners. This was not an inevitable outcome as we saw with the successful St. Patricks.
11
Notre Dame de Paris has come to represent the Humanism of Western Civilization - Paris not Athens. France, not Greece.
Notre Dame de Paris, not the Parthenon.
Indeed, Notre Dame isn't even Christian - only what Christianity could have been.
7
I suggest that we rebuild the angelic, heavenly spire in America, with American funds, and ship it by sea to France in gratitude for our Statue of Liberty.
40
What a beautiful idea.
4
@Bill bartelt We need the money for a border wall, tax breaks for the billionaire class, improved weapons of mass destruction and more Klan rallies, so I'm afraid your suggestion is out of the question.
Re: "France has a deep Catholic history, and nearly two-thirds of its population is Catholic, even though fewer and fewer attend Mass."
Perhaps the fire is God calling Parisians, the French and the world at large to return to worship and to worship as a unified body of believers.
9
@Prodigal Son
Or perhaps not.
5
Every time I hear hateful remarks directed against religious belief, sometimes even in these columns, I wonder whether those who make them have any awareness what Europe--and, of course, America--would be without Christianity, minus some nasty perversions of it. This horrible fire caused me to think that Christianity could survive without Europe, but that it's at least plausible that Europe could not survive without serious and authentic Christianity.
21
@David A. Lee
We would be either Talmudists due to Judaism, or Muslims due to Islam.
The former, however, never kills people in the name of religion.
1
@Bob Read about the crusades, just in case you're sitting on any Christian laurels.
We can build one just like it in Vegas.
6
Prayers go out to the people of Paris. Let us all contribute to its rebuilding.
9
Heart broken.
9
I’m sorry, a counterpoint: rebuild, and move on.
There a time went we must come together in the worst of times. But today , I watch the church of god burning in Paris. My heart sank. How will they put this beautiful building out ,the sheer thought of the size was chilling . I saw it was out of control for 20 mins. It was so fast . I can’t imagine with rush hour on and the brave firefighters trying to get there. But god must have asked and answered the people that were praying in the streets and singing for there love of there home of their gods. From all over the world I saw , we stand together, we hope together. It’s was so overwhelming and sad at the same time. I couldn’t believe how amazing theses firefighters where ,Incredible just incredible. Within 5 hrs this fire was under control it was a miracle .It could have been a lot worse. You brave men definitely deserve and honour. To all of Paris my heart go out to you all , We can mend what not there from wood and stone and glass and yes love. The brave firefighters of Paris, thank you
Linda brown
18
My question is how this fire was started ?, there has been a rash of attacks on churches on France recently. Why also this church did not have its own fire suppression equipment ?, the church Should have had a state of the art sprinkler system . Questions many questions
4
@Bill Lombard I've answered this question somewhere above. They could just about raise enough money to restore the bits that were falling off (like crumbling limstone), let alone a multi-million euro sprinkler system. It's owned by the government, but channelling that amount of money into it may not have proved popular with the masses.
Let’s dream. Wouldn’t it be something for the ages if the people of France dedicate themselves to restoring this priceless treasure to its authentic glory? I’d love to see it. It could be the moonshot of the 21st century.
8
I had the honor to be Notre dame at 13.
I was struck by the sublime image, another kind of beauty distinct from forbidden city.
"Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee."
19
Notre Dame, our Mother, pray for us in this sad and bleak time.
Help us to sustain despite our loss, and move forward with character, energy and faith.
14
Never again to be seen, in my lifetime, as she was. Nor, perhaps, our children's, and they would only see a facsimile. Ineffably sad.
13
It will be rebuilt, but it will never ever really be the same.
13
@the shadow
The visible roof is irrelevant to the whole (other than protection), and the spire is a 19th century device without any real saving grace.
Original things are mostly still there, since they are of stone and glass.
6
@Bob Now some very rich Frenchmen will become notables thereby diminishing the history of the original builders.
I also wonder if it was an accident, or some yellow vest that started the fire.
1
Actually the fire has brought people together and will give Notre Dame, which will be rebuilt even more history. Notre Dames is a thing of beauty built initially to celebrate the Divine. It will be rebuilt with care and affection to continue that celebration and to uphold the patrimoine of France. But it is a reminder that all of mankind's great art and achievements produced here on Earth is fragile and even the things we presume to be eternal may well vanish long before an encounter with the event horizon of a black hole.
9
I will contribute without hesitation for the restoration. Let's not be petty, it's centuries old monument and to be a treasured. Only short sighted think otherwise.
17
I was a little girl when my family had the opportunity to visit Paris. My mother was very ill during that time, but felt compelled to take me to see Notre Dame. As we walked together, I was speechless with awe at the majestic beauty of the cathedral's architecture, at the sight of its glorious stained glass windows and other works of art, and at the weight of history so profound I could feel it as a tangible presence.
Aujourd'hui, dans mon coeur je suis française, et plein de tristesse.
16
Forty years ago, attending school in NYC, I walked through the plaza of the World Trade Center every day on my way elsewhere. After a few weeks, I never much looked at it, thinking it'd always be there.
In 2003/2004 I lived in Paris for two years. Every day for two years, I walked past Notre Dame on my way elsewhere. After a few weeks, I never much looked at it, thinking it'd always be there.
I'm sure there's a lesson here somewhere.
22
@Tim
Buildings are just buildings. What makes them special are the people who use them.
I would like to suggest, that if anybody feels compelled to donate to the restoration of a world class cathedral, that people look to the cathedral of St John the Divine. This NY gem is in need of funds and IMHO is worthy of our support. Check out their web site or better yet visit in person, it's just a quick subway ride away. Aside from being a gorgeous gothic cathedral still under construction, they have many social and educational programs that deserve recognition.
9
So sad to hear about la Cathedral de Notre Dame. Visited it on three separate occasions during the 2000s. Glad the main structure survived but hoping it will be restored to its original soon (whenever that’ll be).
6
Notre Dame lives! The "Idea" of Notre Dame should live on as well. Her creation and philosophy of being speaks to the idea that great creations of enduring beauty, love, and human interest take time. Do today's societies have the forbearance and patience to plan for something that will be completed long after we are gone?
6
@Tim Shaw The answer is yes. Look at La Sagrada Familia.
1
Île de la Cité is the heart of Paris, and Notre Dame is the heart of Île de la Cité. Always a bustle nearby, but somehow a serene bustle. Will the heartbeat return, or will we be left with a ruin and wistful reminisces? Hélas.
1
The French should pay for the entire restoration themselves. They have no business asking any foreign governments to contribute. Foreign individuals? Sure. But not foreign governments.
5
@Peter Civardi
Peter, your comment made me cringe. So heartless your comment comes across. Have you ever seen the Statue of Liberty? France gave us that iconic statue in the New York harbor. I will be sending a contribution to Paris, France to help restore such a world treasure.
28
@Peter Civardi
We will.
Frankly, what a mean spirited comment. Macron has launched a national (stress: national) subscription, the Pinault group has pledged 100 million euros.
Just watch us
21
They gave us the Statue of Liberty, remember?
22
I weep, I weep, I weep, for the people of Paris, of France, of the world, for our loss of this treasure.
14
@me
I weep for the millions, perhaps billions, of innocents tortured, abused, raped and killed, all in the name of some kind of god. The cathedral is a evil monument build upon the backs of the poor and abused.
3
Norte Dame is a monument to the beauty man can achieve when he is paying homage to his God. She has survived almost a millennium: innumerable wars--including the air barrages of two world wars; the ravages of time; and the risk of being loved to death by tourists. Fortunately, the most dire predictions were not realized, and she has survived this latest insult. The thought of her total loss would be too much for Paris and the French to bear, and the mourning would have spread across the globe. Even now, our hearts are heavy. It took the artisans of the Middle Ages a century to build her. Such craftsmanship is not as prized today. Can we realistically expect the reconstruction--once the damage has been assessed--to proceed any faster? Cost will surely be a deterrent. All those whose feet have trodden her marble floors and hold this glorious cathedral in their hearts should repay that debt through contributions. When the Statue of Liberty--a gift from France--needed a base, the school children of New York City contributed their pennies. Pennies or dollars--or millions of dollars--will be welcome in this cause.
10
Notre Dame is part of my family, and transcends religious affiliation. So sad to see it extensively damaged. My heart goes to the French citizens.
Dear NYT- why the graph about the burning building underscoring Macron? That’s not the story, not at all.
2
I'm heartbroken!
5
The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the Paris prosecutors’ office says investigators are treating the blaze as an accident for now. But after months of arson, vandalism & desecration of French Catholic churches I have to wonder, why don’t the different archdioceses hire security guards to protect our Churches?
7
Few things touch my soul. I feel scared today. When nine eleven occurred the world felt out pain. Today I say to the French we feel your pain. Notre Dame is not just French though it’s the world’s heritage, today we all weep, we have all suffered grievous wound.
8
@Kyle Samuels
You are "scared", how truly scared do you think the innocents were when they were tortured, abused, raped and killed by this evil "church"?
1
@Kyle Samuels
Not quite the same.
2
It would be hard to imagine a more potent symbol of our decline as a species and our accelerating descent into chaos and madness than the sight of Notre Dame in flames. We are long past our apex as a race—the finest music, architecture, film, literature, painting, philosophy... all of it is in the rear view mirror. Our once-magnificent cities are in a state of ruin and our wild places and living creatures are being destroyed with terrifying swiftness.
17
Very reminiscent to the demise of another French masterpiece of beauty and design, the SS Normandie, sunk in NY Harbor, by a welder's torch.
3
The Bells of Notre Dame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMZg7JqyhXU
3
Notre Dame is burning.
One week before Easter.
Sure sounds like a coincidence to me.
But then, when the second plane hit the Twin Towers, there were folks around me who were horrified that a second "accident" had just occurred.
Strange though how Notre Dame survived not only 900 years, through every war and riot, and even through the massive carnage of World War II , intact.
Guess it was just a careless cigarette or something.
6
I am of the school that everything happens for a reason - usually.
From all that is known so far, at least this devastating event was not the result of terrorism.
Instead, right under the nose of ongoing renovations, the cathedral reminded us today of the frailty of the human condition.
We will and should mourn what is lost and irreplaceable - a grand edifice that bound humanity - but if we ever needed reminding of our frailty on this planet, the time is surely now.
3
@Publius
"...that bound humanity", how does that relate to the millions, perhaps billions of people tortured, abused, raped and killed with the approval of the "church"?
1
It's almost comical to hear Macron claim that "the worst has been avoided."
Notre Dame is destroyed. Start by accepting that. Now let's find out why.
6
@Martin X Notre Dame is not destroyed. If the interior ceiling and stone vaults have held, then the roof can be rebuilt.
33
@Martin X Are you there in Paris? How do you know?
15
@Martin X
The worst was avoided. Why do you want it to be worse than reality? Is there some reason you'd prefer if it was destroyed?
A roof and a spire are lost. Nothing that cannot be replaced.
15
This was an act of terrorism
1
@bob
There is no indication it was terrorism.
10
And how do you know this? We're you there when it started? A beautiful old church, the oldest by far in the town where I live was destroyed by fire caused by carelessness during renovation. It happens.
If you didn’t weep at the news that Notre Dame was burning, perhaps you need to check the depth of your humanity.
Taking the long view the culprits here are Milton Friedman, who derided any social responsibility on the part of corporations, global predatory capitalism, which enthusiastically advocated and embodied this view, and those governments that tamely fell in line, ensuring national treasures like Notre Dame were constantly starved of funds for restoration.
“The cathedral had been in dire need of a thorough and expensive restoration,” André Finot, the cathedral spokesman, told The New York Times in 2017, adding that “Everywhere the stone is eroded.... It’s spinning out of control.”
In reporting the fire, the NYT goes on to note:
"The tragedy seemed to underscore the challenges heaped before [Macron’s] administration, which has struggled to reconcile the formidable weight of France’s ideals and storied past with the necessity for change to meet the demands of the 21st century” Demands like what—enriching the plutocrats, the feckless philistines who have allowed things to reach this pass, all in the name of a doctrine that sees no use for spending either public or private money on preserving national treasures like Notre Dame?
Without a radical change of heart on the part of those who, for the sake of profit, have measured out in teaspoons their response to the need for preserving our human heritage, this whole tragedy can only happen again.
18
I am neither French nor Catholic. Yet, I am shocked by the damage done to this most beautiful cathedral, a momument to the beauty and great things humans can create.
11
@NEPrendergast
Why not build a magnificent monument to those that were abused, tortured, raped and killed all in the cause of the "church". The "church" destroyed many of the things of beauty and great things that humans could have or did create. "Vengeance is mine".
I have not read in any report whether the interior stone vaulting has fallen?
It has not.
1
In Book I of Virgil's Aeneid, the Trojan prince Aeneas looks at a Carthaginian temple with art depicting the fall of Troy, which he has just escaped, and, moved to tears, says, "Here there are tears for things, and human affairs touch the mind." Sunt hic lacrimae rerum, et mentem mortalia tangunt.
Here and all over the world there are tears for Notre Dame of Paris, also.
7
Je suis desolee. Perhaps the rebuilding of this ancient symbol of Paris will unite Paris and France. The whole world stands with you in this tragic time!
5
Why would the NYT's be fronting this article with a quote from President Macron? The man is irreligious at best, if not down right anti-Catholic, like so many in France today.
Where is there any quote from the Archbishop of Paris, his Excellency Michel Aupetit? I would think, as the successor to over a millennia of stewards of Catholicism in Paris and France, he would be better placed to speak of to what the destruction of Notre Dame really means.
1
Because the Archbishop speaks for the Catholics of Paris. Macron speaks for all of France regardless of religion.
2
I dunno... maybe because he’s the President of France?
8
The Royal tomb was at Saint Denis. Napoleon’s Tomb is in Les Invalides. Coronations mostly at Notre Dame de Reims (a different city). Weddings varied.
Notre Dame de Paris is a site of world heritage and we should cry for its loss. It is history is grand, its place within the heart of Paris grander still.
But the NYT should get the history of the building correct. There is Wikipedia for facts. Or one can read the Guardian.
7
How everybody chip in to a GoFundMe to rebuild the Cathedral.
2
Notre Dame took my breath away as a 19 year old traveling through Paris, many years ago. Today, my breath was again taken away, as I watched the fiery visions of the destruction of that magnificent wonder.
6
How can you rebuild all the intricacies of a Cathedral from the 12th century? I am by no means a religious person, but when I watch Rick Steves travel programs he always visits an old time Cathedral no matter what European city he is in and find those structures quite interesting, all the intricate paintings, every inch of the walls and ceilings covered by the paintings of some the most famous artists in history, some even done in gold. Yes, they can rebuild the damaged structure, but it just won't be the same.
4
@ShirleyW
Regardless of what any travel show tells you, being IN Notre Dame was an amazing experience.
Awe inspiring does not convey the feeling, it's majestic. Beautiful beyond words.
this is such a devastating day
6
This is an incredible tragedy, a loss for the world.
I feel so very sad.
9
After hearing the news, I went to my photo album from 1992, when I spent a month in Paris. There I was, a twenty-year-old again, posing with friends in front of the towers, another photo capturing the beauty of the flying buttresses and the spire. There was never a moment when we imagined that the cathedral would not be there. Meilleurs voeux to everyone who feels this loss today.
9
Nothing lasts forever
Soon the present is the past
The kids were once in diapers
The time goes by so fast
We fight about such nonsense
Wasting time we can’t get back
Our priorities always shifting
Don’t waste time you can’t get back
But in the middle of the turmoil
We must find a moment of calm
Let the past become our present again
Say a prayer for Notre Dame
7
The spire that burnt and fell was a replacement built in the middle of the 19th century . It was not medieval.
10
"We will rebuild" - what, using a time machine? It's over, folks - don't mourn the fact that it's gone, be glad you go to see it. Next.
1
We can definitely rebuild with modern technology and safety standards so this doesn’t happen again.
2
l use to work for middle east airlines, was in Paris , 1955, so sad , l am sure some body started this fire, and we are going to see this here in our country, dividing people and make enemy to each other, than this, well come Trump's world, sad sad sad times
Notre-Dame burning under billows of smoke clouds is like a dark metaphor for Christendom throughout Europe, the West, the Middle East and Africa. Crescent moons bursting in flames and burning them asunder. A faith out of which great civilizations emerged and ages of enlightened men thrusted us into the modern age. Bloody wars fought in vain. Burning. Dying. Persecuted. Stomped out. Hated. Beloved. Believed. Disparaged. Slandered. Stolen from. Appropriated. Uncredited. All vapor, soot and rubble. THE Church is of flesh not of wood, hay and stubble.
1
Sad loss of history in that building, but it was comforting seeing the French pray for their Church today. Some here have said the Catholic Church has lots of sins to answer for. Well gee! Yes! Catholics are flawed sinful humans. Eureka! Jesus came to save the flawed humans. If the Catholic Church wasn’t full of sinful people there would be no reason for its existence. Amen
3
Systematic rape of children isn’t just a “flaw”. It’s a crime that goes all the way to the top.
1
The RMS TITANIC sank today back in 1912, so not a good date for disasters.
6
The Cathedral will be rebuilt, it’s too important a symbol of France not to be. President Macron is already asking the international community for help, to which my answer is, “Non.”
(While it’s a shame the Cathedral suffered some harm today, at the same time, there’s no way I’d support the construction or reconstruction of any religious symbol. If it were merely historical; sure no problem. If it’s religious in any way... Non.)
1
@Grunchy
It's a monstrous symbol of ignorance, wanton power, abject cruelty -- man's inhumanity to man. A pile of stone glorifying and dictating absolute obedience to those wicked men of the Roman Church and the French monarchy. So of course we, who have learned nothing in the last eight centuries, will rebuild it.
3
I’m Asian and I don’t have any religion. What’s more, I’ve never been to France.
But it doesn’t matter.
I feel we lost significantly important icon of not our national but our global identity.
People, including me, who are not related to the cathedral are grieving now.
We are with you.
36
I bet they won't be using dry wood to rebuild. It is very sad that such damage was done.
2
@vulcanalex--The entire building has what they call a wood-frame construction. All the joists and buttresses, which make up the skeleton, are wood. But it also included masonry and stone. Fortunately, the bell towers were spared.
3
With all the visitors, construction and age of the structure it is a wonder no one was killed and that they were able to save anything. Kudos to the security staff and the first responders. Sad day but the French should take heart.
10
Nothing lasts forever. I have no problem with stabilizing the ruins and treating it as a historical relic of the bad old days in Europe when the church and the king ruled with absolute power over the miserable lives of their subjects. But rebuild it? Why glorify that symbol of oppression? The church (as a co-conspirator with the monarchy) was so reviled during the French Revolution that there was serious talk of pulling down Notre Dame Cathedral. It should remain, like the Colosseum in Rome, a ruins, albeit a profitable tourist trap.
1
I think many join with me in disagreeing with the cynicism and poor grasp of history shown in this comment.
22
@Jeff
The United States explicitly barred the establishment of a state religion. It's right there in the very First Amendment. The Founders did this for a reason. They knew European history. They were aware of the religious wars, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the torture and burnings, the absolute control of the church and monarchy over the people. That's history. Real history.
Why does this feel like such a potent symbol of the collapse of civilization? Beauty, grace, history, tradition- so shocking to see it in flames.
14
One comment lamented that we don't have the artisans to rebuild ND.
In fact, we could rebuild Notre Dame (a good portion of which was already 19th C by Violet le Duc). Are we willing to spend the money which could go another stealth bomber or a Disneyland in S-E Asia is another question altogether... and perhaps one that should be discussed.
I pray the exterior structure here is strong enough to leave in place, altho we also have the techniques to take things down and reassemble them. The loss of the organ -- I know little about instruments -- I hope the small sculpture of the teen-aged round faced Virgin Mary holding Christ has survived.
Between this horrific fire and the one which destroyed the jewel-like opera house La Fenice in Venice during the restoration, there is a need to be some discussion of various restoration practices. One problem is that one of the most fire resistant materials asbestos has been outlawed for use, because of consequences in terms of human health.
The original Notre Dame (c. 1180) was a four story structure like the Cathedral at Laon. The arched flying buttress resulted in a three story structure inspiring its various rivals at Chartres, Amiens, Bourges, Reims and Beauvais (the tallest of all) the nave of which collapsed in 1284 and was not rebuilt. Alon g with the original Gothic abbey church of St. Denis (N. Paris) these are all worthy of our attention! while we wait for ND de Paris to arise like the phoenix from her ashes.
15
Such a devastating loss, especially during Holy Week. Let us hope an international rebuilding campaign can begin as soon as the last ember is out.
9
When I first visited Notre Dame, my heart stopped, my thoughts were silent. It is a place for repose, contemplative reprieve, or spiritual nap! I heard the news of the fire while jockeying between posting my taxes and picking up the dogs after a long weekend at the High Water music festival. I felt nauseous, heartbroken. The spiritual height of Notre Dame will always lIft my heart. Always. Rebuild, Restore, Live On.
7
That’s an utter tragedy...
Thank God, no one was badly injured (there were close to 2000 people inside when it caught fire!).
All that weight and legacy of its history, even for those who are not Catholic Christians... the majesty of an architectural wonder to have outlasted two world wars, and that’s not counting the revolution.
What a sad day for France and the world at large.
7
I sat in this beautiful sacred place with my children one cold rainy Sunday about 20 years ago. There was an African choir that morning-sweet young voices singing in French . We were tired and hungry, having just gotten off a plane. I remember thinking: This is a bit what it was like to fast before services and sit on the stone benches in the dim light , shivering, but listening to the soaring voices in the service of a shared higher vision. I am so relieved that most of the cathedral was saved and I know it will be rebuilt. And yes, I think the Vatican should offer funds. They have the money and they need to start doing more good with it.
11
My sympathies to the French people on this unfortunate trajedy. I've been there and marvelled at this beautiful structure with the flying buttresses. An international relief fund should be implemented to bring restoration to this priceless world wide symbol of architectural splendor.
6
Where I live in Pittsboro NC construction was begun on the 250 year old courthouse a couple of years ago. The result was that its beautiful cupola was completely destroyed. These are cases of when the help hurts. Now Notre Dame. It breaks my heart.
2
It had a good run. We can mourn the loss of beautiful monument, while still seeing it as an opportunity to shape and form a new future. If nothing changes, nothing will change.
5
First, and briefly, a personal recollection. Back in 1962, my senior year in college, I wandered into a survey course on the history of art; it turned out to be my favorite course. For some reason, I developed a particular interest in the great gothic cathedrals of France: Paris, Chartres, Rheims, Amiens.
They were pre-Renaissance and were the great glories of their time; architecturally and as statements of the then-unified christian faith.
I hope as much as possible has been saved: the limestone structure (including the then-novel flying buttresses) for those who love great architecture); the artistic details (including the medieval windows); and the relics for the faithful. I also hope the French people and their government will take the time and undertake the processes necessary to determine what restoration/ preservation efforts are most appropriate.
Most of all I hope that all of us do our very best to preserve and protect the glories of western and other civilizations. Literature and music are more easily preservable than architecture and painting. Sprinkers might preserve the Sistine Chapel, an otherwise undistinguished structure, but what would they do to Michelangelo's frescos? A lot of deep thinking, and, of course, money is urgently needed.
7
I cried looking at this, I hope most of the artwork was saved, very sad.
5
This is great tragedy that tears at the soul of anyone who appreciates art and history let alone the power of symbolism and faith. Let us take solace in the knowledge that a world wide effort is already afoot to restore this priceless icon to a restoration as close to its original grace and majesty as is humanly possible.
16
I realize the cathedral can be rebuilt but not with the stone and materials of the day. How sad to lose so much history all in one day. I have been to Paris several times and always hold that amazing cathedral in my heart.
5
I hitchhiked around Europe as a grad student in 1969, visiting sites I'd only read of in books and seen in movies. Paris was one city that didn't disappoint, and Notre Dame was its apex. I hope its beauty can be restored as a tribute to both God and the human spirit.
9
I love France and have spent a lot of time in Paris. I cried when I saw the video. Now I sit here thinking about how building a cathedral takes centuries, but taking it down is easy to do in less than a day. This strikes me as an apt metaphor for culture itself--hard to build, easy to destroy.
33
Norte Dame cathedral can and will be rebuilt. That’s one of the great things about buildings. They can be restored. As an architect I’m glad to know that the public respects one building.
12
I add my own email only to increase the number in this collection, so that all in Paris may known of the great love for their city and their way of life shared by so many of us all around their world.
7
Thank you New York Times for a thoughtful and sensitive handling of this stunning and hurtful event. Its somewhat similar to a gut punch only worse.
I've had the pleasure of visiting Paris a dozen or so times. I always gravitate to the area around Notre Dame. I love the view of the Cathedral from different angles at different times of day. I've always been impressed by the visitors...religious and of no particular religion...treating the environment with great respect.
Hemingway said Paris was a "moveable feast" in that once you'd been there you would carry the feeling of Paris with you for the rest of your life. Notre Dame Cathedral is literally and figuratively
central to Paris, to France and to Western Civilization.
11
Requiem for the Cathedral that has spiritually and esthetically inspired at least 28 generations.
Flying buttresses and kaleidoscopic windows that inspired one to be transcendentally lifted from the pews to the ceiling. What deep sadness and historic loss.
9
I’m not religious in any way whatsoever. In fact, the Catholic Church has a lot of serious sins to answer for... dating back hundreds of years. Nevertheless, I’m deeply saddened by this loss of magnificent cultural heritage. My heart goes out to all of France.
16
So close to the Seine where were the very inexpensive half dozen water pumps-hoses that could have put that fire out in minutes?
@joe laaman
Not that close. I believe there is a paved street along the cathedral, then a low wall and, far below, the quay of the Seine, and then the water. The distance from the fire to the water is probably greater than you imagine.
10
I'll defer to the expert quoted in the article, that water pumps cannot reach that high.
1
My heart goes out to Parisians, especially, and the world. This most beautiful cathedral in this breathtaking city is a part of people everywhere. So sad.
10
How can we contribute to a fund to help rebuild?
9
My understanding from another news source is that Notre Dame was in dire need of repair for many years and that the estimated $7 million then was difficult to raise in donations. I have to ask - Why didn’t the Vatican fund the renovations years ago? If restoration of this iconic place of worship did not deserve a relatively minuscule part of the estimated 10 - 15 billion dollar largesse of the Vatican, what does?
26
@BBKing I believe the French Ministry of Culture oversees Notre Dame, not the Vatican.
2
@BBKing Like every church in France built prior to 1905, Notre Dame is owned by the state not the Catholic Church.
3
@BBKing
The Vatican does not own the cathedral; the French State does because it is a "monument historique".
2
This is the 5th French Cathedral fire in recent memory and it's burning during the Lenten Holiday.
At least it was under renovation so many of the sacred and historical items were removed.
5
There is no upside to this, except the French, and Parisiennes, remain French and Parisiennes. That is what their culture is really about, the people. Rebuild the building, please.
4
@johnny ro
Only upside is that there were no deaths, and apparently only one serious injury. That still matters.
2
Where will Quasimodo go to ring his bell,
Now that the belltower is a flame,
Will it be repaired, only time will tell.
Trumps tweets of advice, a US shame,
Where will Quasimodo go to ring his bell,
Paris watched, firefighters fought,
Notre Dame's spire sadly fell,
Trumps bad ideas, again came to naught.
4
The Crown of Thorns and the Holy Nail survived the fires of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 which were set by the crusaders to drive the people of Constantinople from the city so the knights could more easily loot the city. Constantinople had 400,000 people at the time. The relics ware in the Church of Our Lady of the Pharos, near the Palace of Bukoleon. A few years after the Latin crusaders took the city they were forced to pawn these relics and they ended up in the hands of the King of France. He built the Sainte-Chapelle to house them. The passion relics in Notre-Dame were to have been displayed during Holy Week next week. This continued the tradition of displaying them in the nave of Hagia Sophia during Holy Week prior to 1204.
6
@Bob A.
There are no fewer than 22 different entities claiming to hold bits and pieces of the "Crown of Thorns." Christian relics are, historically, scams devised to separate the gullible from their purses and their rationality:
Italy: Rome, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme: Two thorns from the crown of thorns.
Italy: Rome, Santa Prassede: A small portion of the crown of thorns
Italy: Pisa, Spedali Riuniti di Santa Chiara: A branch with thorns from the crown of thorns
Italy: Naples, Santa Maria Incoronata: A fragment of the crown of thorns
Italy: Ariano Irpino, Cathedral: Two Thorns from the crown of thorns
Spain: Oviedo, Cathedral: Five thorns (formerly eight) from the crown of thorns
And so on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_of_thorns
Notre-Dame had to burn to have its moment of glory. Usually, when people say "Paris" they think "Eiffel Tower".
3
What a bizarre and horrible coincidence that just this past weekend there was a fire at Saint John the Divine Cathedral on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Perhaps God is trying to tell us something about the current state of global affairs.
5
@Marla Gayle - I thought that myself, but at least St. John the Divine escaped with little damage, and services will still be held there this week for Easter. Notre-Dame will not be able to do that for the French people any time soon.
@Marla Gayle
Yes and also an underreported fire at the same time at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Very strange.
I extend my sympathies to the French people. At the very least, we can take some comfort from knowing that no one was killed. But what a cultural tragedy.
2
Note to the NYT: it is a Catholic Cathedral. Of the Roman Catholic Church. You might want to mention that fact in subsequent articles about this tragedy.
9
@BDM
Used by the Roman Catholic Church, but they do not own it.
4
On YouTube, there has been a lot of white supremacists & Yellow Vest apologists & conspiracy theorists speculating that this was either caused by Muslims, the left or it was some false flag to blame the Yellow Vest movement to discredit them. Not surprisingly, they offer little or no evidence, except for right wing talking points about church vandalism by Muslims &/or the left, white genocide, the Yellow Vests being persecuted by the French gov't, etc. With these talking points, unsurprisingly, very little if any evidence is presented except for right wing & conspiracy theory blogs like Infowars, Storm Front, Red Ice T.V, etc.
6
Stay away from the wing nut comments and conspiracies. They are meaningless and add no value to the reporting and discussion whatsoever.
Let’s face it. The internet sorta did for conspiracy theories what television did for professional football and we’re all the worst for it. Best to ignore if you can.
3
Of course......flying water tankers. Thank you Mr President. If only the French had thought of that. Your genius knows no bounds. How about using grass cuttings to build the wall on the Mexican border?
21
@Richard
It was very painful to read the Trump tweet in the midst of such a terrible tragedy. His crassness is seemingly boundless....
6
Tim Shaw and Isaac, yours are two of the most nicely expressed comments I've ever read in the 'Times.' Our parents also took us to live in Paris in the '60s and one sister became an architect. Your early impressions of Paris, and Notre-Dame as your magnificent refuge from war time are wonderful to read about.
2
Anyone who has ever gazed upon this most glorious cathedral will weep tonight. Notre-Dame de Paris is such a powerful symbol of human faith and civilization. We must rebuild her so she stands for another 850 years to remind us of a love and beauty infinitely larger than ourselves.
16
Notre-Dame de Paris, a member of the family.
Seven generations labored to raise those vaults, towers, spire, buttresses. Across the stones, across eight hundred years, their hands touched ours.
May God restore this great love of centuries of Parisians, of the French, and of the World.
267
@alyosha
The spire, I believe, was added in the 19th century. If you can read French, look up "Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris" in the French Wikipedia. It seems the gargoyles were not "d'époque" either.
3
@alyosha
Yes and may Macron mobilize the Yellow Vests to do their national duty and help with the rebuilding.
5
@alyosha Beautifully written.
4
So the roof is carried on wood framing above the masonry vaults whose thrust in turn is buttressed by the flying buttresses. The question that is yet to be answered is has the vaulting itself failed? What is impact on the buttresses if the vaults are gone?
And of course why have the roofs, framed with 800 year old timbers, not been protected with sprinklers? Might be something to consider for Rheims, Amiens, Chartres, etc.
8
@George Thomas
Sprinklers that are fully charged with water are surprisingly heavy. It may be that the old wood framing was not strong enough to carry them.
2
I saw this wonderful monument to God in 1984. I was awed by what people had built to commemorate their beliefs. A soaring building to carry their prayers, hopes, and dreams to a God that was a real to them as the earth beneath their feet.
I send my prayers to the entire French nation that this monument can be rebuilt even if the treasures within couldn't be rescued. The spirits of those who built this and those who have worshipped their over the centuries will understand.
13
I am sure it will be re-built. It a a symbol
of national pride and a religious site. I am optimistic that this will a major project for the French with a strong funding from the Vatican and the general public. I was imagining the horror of destruction of other iconic buildings and was wondering what the local and world response would be- the Taj Mahal, Great Wall or the Pyramids? That is a subject for an interesting discussion.
2
The sad thing is that funds will now probably pour in from all over the world but too late to save much of what has been lost due to lack of funding prior to this disaster. I don’t think many of us realized how desperately in need of funds this great cathedral was.
2
@Pb
Notre-Dame, like most French historical monuments, is the property of the French State which allows the Catholic Church to use it for religious purposes. I doubt very much that the Vatican will fund the repairs or reconstruction; the French State will, not because of religion, but because it is a historical monument.
1
I am in tears tonight. Notre Dame has always been the very first site I visit whenever I go to Paris. I've gone there many times, and always have lit a candle in memory of my parents. I'll also never forget the great organ concerts I've heard there.
It has been a place of comfort and although I'm not a Catholic, it has always been a kind of home to me. A sad day indeed, for Paris, for France, and for the entire world.
28
How very sad and wrenching. Not just the spiritual center of Paris or of Europe but of a 2000 year-old civilization. One can not hold back tears. And yet, in the present age we think of all those who find their spiritual centers in others of man's works who have experienced the same sense of loss...in the museums of Iraq or the monuments of ancient cities or the many mosques that have flamed through similar nights and lit the faces of the grieving.
11
Maybe this will bring the French back together.
4
@seleberry The French ARE together. What do you think the yellow vests protests are about?
3
Please know dear French citizens, how we are crying in front of our tv's this evening as we see your beautiful cathedral burn. We cannot imagine your pain seeing this iconic and gorgeous architectural and spiritual wonder smolder. I have only been inside it once, but was moved to tears then and am now. We love you Parisians and France... we would happily contribute to a public fund to help rebuild this treasure. Please know we stand and kneel and pray with you.
23
I just saw a picture of the interior after the fire. Quite a bit is still intact, including quite a bit of the wooden items inside the church.
4
My heart is with the people of France.
11
What a devastating loss for all humanity. I am truly heartbroken. I have a strange idea how perhaps we in the United States could help.
Ash is an excellent hardwood, abundant in North America, but 99% of them are expected to die due to the emerald ash borer. Many communities are overwhelmed, grinding them into mulch or splitting it up for firewood.
Wouldn't it be beautiful if this great loss to North America were instead repurposed into timbers to rebuild the Cathedral of Notre Dame? How fitting! What a wonderful gift of rememberance it would be to France and the world, and a timeless act of gratitude for their gift to us of the Statue of Liberty.
26
@guillo2C
What a wonderful idea! Our Secretary of State should listen to this.
3
This is a fantastic idea. Who can make this happen?
@guillo2C. A.wonderful idea but ash is a springy, flexible wood, most likely not suited to carrying the great weight of the roof. The original required something like 5000 oak trees, which are traditionaly the strongest wood around. However, even oak will eventually fail, and 800 years might be asking too much of even the mighty oak.
2
I wonder what the potential health effects could be -- that's a lot of burning lead dissipating into the air with thousands upon thousands of onlookers within a mile.
3
My only time in the cathedral of Notre Dame was right after “Dessert Storm” in 1991. Our American Army Hospital Reserve unit had been activated and sent to Nurnberg, Germany. When the war ended quickly we were allowed several days to travel, I took a USO trip for several days to see Paris. What a magnificent city!! I was especially excited to walk into the entrance of Notre Dame. I was awestruck seeing the beautiful round giant stained glass window from the inside, with brilliant colors displayed by the outside light wanting to get into the cathedral as much as the crowds did. After witnessing the horror of war, caring for the wounded Army soldiers over the last several weeks, Notre Dame comforted me and I felt the peace, strength, and kindness of her structure, which withstood two horrific wars and comforted all in her arms, including the American Army soldiers who helped liberate Paris. No sooner had I walked in, an elderly German woman passed out and fell forward and hit her face hard on the solid stone floor of the foyer. Her nose and face were bleeding badly, and l and my fellow medics held our hands over her profusely bleeding wounds to help prevent the bleeding until the French medics and ambulance came. She rose to her feet, all blooded, and kept slapping us on the arms, saying “Danke Schoen” in earnest over and over and was taken to the hospital. When I saw ND on fire, my thought was - that old lady won’t fall, she’s tough, she heals, she’ll stay standing.
27
Notre Dame is a symbol for Parisians but for all French people..they should unite and rebuild this beautiful icon to show the world what it can do as a nation!
my heart aches for Paris right now..thanks to all Americans for their support.
11
We measure our place in the world by where we are in terms of Notre-Dame. How far away are we, as the crow flies? By what trajectory? How much time stands between us and the cathedral? I have my own idiosyncratic memories pertaining to Notre-Dame which I will not encumber you with, save for one recollection. Notre-Dame is a landmark of the soul and a refuge for the mind. I recall an early sunset. My feet were very wet and cold. An inch or two of snow covered the square. The entire structure was lit in lavender and blood-orange, and the windows were as white as milk.
7
To hear the cries of horror and despair from those crowds, watching this tragedy was heartbreaking. I myself, who visited the Notre Dame just 2 years ago, was at first speechless, then choked up, then in tears myself. This is likely the most tragic cultural loss since WWII. It is my sincerest wish that this wonderful cathedral be rebuilt and restored, precisely as it was. I cannot fathom this worlf without it. It's restoration should be one of mankind's foremost projects to undo this horrible tragedy.
13
As a young boy, my parents took our family to France for a year while my father did research and my mother painted. It was the early 1970’s and people did these things. When it was time for me to start school, we went to Paris and we took an apartment on the Right Bank within eyeshot of Notre Dame. With its spires, flying buttresses, statuary, gargoyles and that amazing glass, this building captured my imagination like no other. I never got over it. Fifty years later, I have spent nearly my entire adult life working as an architect. Notre Dame showed me that architecture can have great power. Generations of people toiled to create this amazing structure and more have worked to repair and modify it over hundreds of years. Paris had a heart because people built one. Now we will see again how much that matters as we try to rebuild it.
43
If the 13 millions visitors every year gave just 1 euro for the entrance , that would be a lot more than the allotted government’s 2.5M .
10
I'll bet some good wine that we, being "the good Americans" and "all around good guys" will once again go to the rescue, and put up lots of government money to help in the rebuilding of this French monument. We have always been patsies for this kind of thing.
Meanwhile, of course, many despondent American taxpayers somewhere can't get a loan or any kind of monetary assistance to help fund repairs to a home or business damaged by some catastrophe.
4
Notre Dame is a shared heritage. Many Americans have French ancestors.
15
@Bob
First, Trump will never give a cent to help the French.
Second, the lack of FEMA funds and other disaster relief is part of the TRUMP administration budget.
He is taking money from FEMA to build his wall. So take it up with him.
22
@Bob
Didn't Trump pull the US out of UNESCO? The US wouldn't even be part of a contribution from an international organization created for the purpose of saving world heritage sites. Next president, please.
6
May the beautiful Rose Windows survive. To see this beautiful building burn - it wrenches the heart. It is not just a building but a living being.
17
@MCH I believe the Rose Window is destroyed. Sadly it seems too that whole sections of the interior stone vaults have collapsed into the nave. So it was not just the attic and roof that burned.
1
@MCH It's yet difficult to determine which windows are gone. The intense heat of the fire will have likely weakened all of the lead joints. It looks as though the fire started in the attic, and as the timber and lead roof burned and melted, parts crashed through the interior stone vaults catching sections of the nave on fire. Saving the building will require monumental care and caution, as these Gothic structures were tied together in many ways, and whole parts of the structure will now be in jeopardy.
3
What a beautifully written article
4
I would have given my life to prevent this fire.
4
@Stevenz
Things can be rebuilt, lives are unique. Spend your life in a better way.
9
A tragedy to be sure but also a stark reminder that the works of mankind, both beautiful and terrible, are impermanent.
8
I cannot fathom the Parisian skyline without Notre Dame. From the first time I walked into it in 1972 and the last time I walked past last year, it was a marvel to behold. Though there are other cathedrals in France that I find more beautiful, I will treasure my memories of praying inside, climbing the steps to the towers, kissing the Crown of Thorns in its holder on a Good Friday and lighting many candles for various intentions. May it rise to the sky again.
8
Trump says use “flying water tankers” to stop the fire . . . on a 12th Century cathedral with only thin flying buttresses holding up the ancient walls from the outside and, with the fire, perhaps much less strcture to keep the walls from collapsing inward. Thankfully, the French both have comptent firefighters and lack a president who rages about "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
35
@Max from Mass
His idea was so incredibly stupid that the head of the Paris fire department had to take the time to tweet back and note that dumping water on top of an old building like this would make it collapse. Fire experts noted that this would work with FOREST FIRES -- of course Trump is an expert on those, too. That's why we lost so much of California.
And yet Trump never had the time to issue a civilized statement of sympathy and camaraderie, like a normal human being and a national leader would do.
Nope -- too busy showing how SMART he is and trying to grab the spotlight. Then he said he would give Tiger Woods a medal of honor. Well deserved, but Trump had to announce it right now so maybe he would get some attention. Then a tweetstorm of attacks on Mueller.
He was competing with a fire for TV time.
Such a sad, sick man.
54
@Fred
Yes, he's to blame for everything that he says and does.
1
Even though I am not catholic and maybe not even christian, I had the honor of taking communion at the altar of Notre-Dame. We will rebuild her. She shall survive.
9
@Jeff - I should let you know, it is not possible to partake in the sacrament of holy communion, unless you are Catholic. When I attend church there is a pamphlet in the pews which explains the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Similar to the explanation below. You have committed what would be viewed as sacrilege.
Scripture is clear that partaking of the Eucharist is among the highest signs of Christian unity: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). For this reason, it is normally impossible for non-Catholic Christians to receive Holy Communion, for to do so would be to proclaim a unity to exist that, regrettably, does not.
1
So hard to comprehend this happening to something so iconic -- and so old. As an American, the fact that Europe manages to maintain structures that are nearly a thousand years old has always impressed me. Today is incomprehensible on so many levels. But among them is the realization that the cathedral was so vulnerable to fire -- and yet, somehow, this didn't happen for 800 years?
I guess suspicion is that maybe something like a welding spark from the renovation did the cathedral in. But that somehow makes it all the stranger: In 800 years of various renovation work, wars, cigarette smoking, and all other manner of urban chaos -- all of it during times of lesser fire safety regulation and technology -- the cathedral never had a devastating fire, but today it did? True, the structure was older today than it's ever been before. But it still makes me curious how it made it so long if it was anywhere near this fragile.
11
Incredibly sad and heart breaking.
However, not the most important cathedral in regards to the French monarchy who were mostly crowned (with a few exceptions) at Nôtre-Dame de Reims. Likewise, the majority of French kings are entombed at Saint-Denis. Not sure about marriages, but Nôtre-Dame de Paris would be an odd choice and location.
2
Let the aftermath of this tragedy be a much-needed point of unity for global hope and peace.
7
Witnessed the fire spreading from an adjacent street. Such an awful sight to behold and it's still way short of describing how it actually felt standing there for hours, waiting for the fire to be finally tamed. One of the most iconic monuments of Paris, the heart of France is badly hurt and hopefully shall recover, despite the losses.
Fluctuat nec mergitur. Paris'motto is once again being put to the test.
Yet no words can transcribe what it was like, what it meant to be there, standing and watching powerless such a beautiful human creation dating back from the middle ages, assaulted by the raging flames. At last, groups caroling, praying while many shared their hard feelings with others witnesses who for many just, like myself, came rushing down from their nearby apartments. Confiding to each other somewhat helped and soothed from such unbearable vision.
Hurrays and bravos to the hundreds of firefighters and police enforcement who are still on site and working on it.
28
We watched in horror, aching at the sight of this beloved world treasure, a religious, cultural, historical jewel, fully engulfed in flames. Thank God there is no known loss of life and that the bones of the cathedral survived, thanks to the heroic firefighters of Paris. The vast devastation of priceless treasures is unimaginable; the pain of irreplaceable loss is acute.
The exquisite face of Paris is now scarred; her glorious profile at the Ile de la Cite as shockingly disfigured as the skyline of Manhattan was after 9/11. We stand in solidarity and shared sorrow with our bereaved allies in France. The world must now join together to restore this venerated treasure.
10
The first post-fire photograph of the interior shows that while almost everything else was incinerated, the cross survived. On Holy Week, we should all take inspiration from that!
6
@CS
I saw it. There's quite a bit that was intact - if you look, you see that even most of the pews are still fine - they just have ash and rubble on some of them.
2
That I found myself in sudden tears telling my husband of this sad event surprised us both. Then I remembered the first time I’d learned about Notre Dame, in middle school. Followed by the countless hours I’d spend attempting to accomplish passable-to-moderate French.
Our first visit a year before 9/11–a year to the day. Lighting candles in memory of loved ones, although I’m not Catholic, seemed to tie a long tether to ancestors, known and not, ours and others. A ritual that thousands participated in daily left a imprint my heart. It was—and I’m sure remains—palpable despite the destruction. This I hope.
A later visit we spent in a rented apartment on Ile Saint-Louis, a week of living in the shadow of this revered cathedral, comes also to mind. Every walk from the river’s edge, east or west, displayed Notre Dame.
The feeling of the wood and stone, the stained glass and the air itself almost enlivened by the hands and hearts that created, sustained and loved this place.
Of course I cried. How could I not?
20
In 1976, I visited the Cathedral and brought back Rosary beads for my mother. The Rosary beads have not left my side since the fire broke out.
What a horrible tragedy.
7
My wife once went crazy/mad at me for going to extreme lengths and costs to have a fire hydrant installed in front of our house.
But our dogs, cats and horses sleep near us, so ….
5
Extreme? I doubt that.
@Simon
Well, I had to have my whole street dug up, so ....
7
It is interesting to read that such medieval churches were quite famous for burning to the ground in the past. We tend to forget that. It is sad to lose so much history but once a fire starts, there seems to be no way to contain it even using modern equipment. When they rebuild, sprinklers might be the modern way to prevent such fires in the future.
4
@George
During certain phases of a major renovation, it might be pretty hard to keep even a sprinkler system 100% intact. One would think, however, that in such an important place, it was in place prior to this tragedy.
Regardless, it's a very sad thing to see such a beloved icon in flames. I'm hoping most of the gargoyles survived.
1
My heart goes out to Parisians and the rest of the French people, especially those who are Catholic.
I hate to say it, and pray it is not so, but have the Parisian authorities been in touch with NYFD/PD to be sure today's fire there is entirely unrelated to yesterday's (Palm Sunday) fire at the Cathedral of St. Paul the Divine in NYC (an Episcopal Cathedral, I believe).
3
@Concerned. It's Saint JOHN The Divine, and yes, worldwide police, fire and intel are working together on this.
1
People need to remember that Notre Dame is over 800 years old and the spire was made of wood. Wood burns. CNN just aired a photo of the inside of the cathedral which shows the altar post fire. It's also been reported that a lot of the statues were removed before this current renovation. It is a truly magnificent building.
3
Got lucky enough to tag along on my husband's business trip to Paris several years ago: I am thanking God we got to see it during our brief stay. Those windows...
5
I guess the fire sprinkler system did not work well.
4
What would this WOOD roof structured cost for preventative measures compared to what it will cost to rebuild?
4
@RonRich
It was being renovated - and it didn't burn from a dropped candle, over the centuries it's been around, it burned from the renovations (the fire started where the spire was being renovated).
And sprinklers are not going to stop a full blown fire - not everything is preventable, even by the mythical Captain Hindsight.
31
We are with you, Paris. Where do we send funds for the rebuilding?
10
They've been looking for funds for years and in France the requests from citizens and the government fell on deaf ears. This is the price not only the french have to pay but everyone around the world.
2
Yup. Money has replaced God. And we will pay dearly.
2
@Wick
I, too, am hoping that the world opens its heart and pocketbook to help rebuild this magnificent building that almost every world citizen is familiar with in some way. Perhaps Parisian authorities could arrange with entertainment moguls to host an outdoor concert to raise funds for rebuilding, and stream it online for the many millions who would want to "attend".
2
Maybe a robust fire station should be next to the cathedral and the louvre. They coukd still deploy to other venues. Also foam loaded fire helicopters with ”scramble” deployment would be a good idea.
1
..."“It’s apocalyptic,” said Eleanor Batreau, 45, who organizes pilgrimages to Lourdes and sometimes works at Notre-Dame. “It reminds me of Dresden burning...”
The exaggeration in this remark borders on the obscene. An entire city incinerated with 100,000 lives compares to the roof of one masterpiece of building?
Many comments assume the entire structure has been destroyed, when that is nowhere near the truth. This is only the latest of many blows this magnificent, but damaged landmark has sustained in the 800 years of its life.
9
Je suis si triste. I used to live across the river from Notre Dame on Rue de la Huchette. That's the shish-kabob street for those who have wandered about the area. I would often sit reading in the sun on the benches in the square in front of the cathedral. I thought reading Hugo's "Hunchback" at the scene of the crime was near perfection.
14
And of course your president just had to add words of wisdom by telling the Parisians to get a tanker and dump water on the flames. Never mind that a few tons of water could have caused the collapse of the entire structure, not just the roof that was in flames. If the man had one ounce, just one ounce of brains he would be dangerous.
18
@Marc Jordan
President Trump was trying to be helpful and hopeful in his way in a desperate situation.
His tweet was the reaction of a normal human being.
4
@Marc Jordan
... he IS extremely dangerous ...
7
@RLS no one needs 45’s kind of “help”!
Thanks to the genius of medieval engineers and their fire-resistant stone vaults it looks like most of the nave including the vaults and interiors are intact. There will be some holes to repair and water damage and much structural investigation needed but miraculously the fire seems not to have devastated the interior in the way it has been reported. Yes, the roof collapsed, but only onto the vaults which seem to have mostly held. Amazing!!
11
So heartbreaking to wake up to this terrible tragedy. We, here in Asia, share Paris’ and the world’s grief. Our sincere thoughts are with the people of France. We pray you will rebuild and recover.
12
Absolutely heartbreaking.
8
I am touched by NY Times readers and Mr Trump's heartfelt comments. Thank you from France since N-D is as much a national symbol as it is a fine example of Gothic architecture.
Many other churches exemplifies Gothic architecture in France, the most iconic being St Denis royal abbey (early Gothic) and the cathedral of Reims. There are also magnificent cathedrals in Chartres, Metz, Beauvais, Strasbourg, Amiens, Laon, Clermont and exquisite churches in Paris (Ste Chapelle, St Etienne), le Puy, l'Epine, Avioth to name a few.
Yet only one such church is located on the banks of the Seine. Victor Hugo devoted about 170 pages of his novel "Notre Dame de Paris" (aka the "hunchback") describing ND, the view from its towers and the patina of time on its materials. The indentations left by generations of people on the narrow stone catwalks are still there to be seen since the structure of the church has apparently been prevented from collapsing.
Pdt Macron has just announced that the cathedral will be rebuilt and enhanced. This is the right move, the one that has made Notre Dame what it used to be till tonight. Most of the gargoyles adorning its roof terraces where added in the XIXth by Viollet-le-Duc in order to boost its style. Stain glass windows aren't usually replicated after such a disaster. New ones are installed.
It will be a great artistic and collective endeavor. Check Metz cathedral to have an idea of what two bold restorations have accomplished.
17
How sad.
They can "re-build it" - and they have no choice - but it won't ever be what it was. It's virtually impossible to put back what was there in terms of craftsmanship and materials. So of course it will be some "modernization" out of necessity. So sad.
6
@Matthew
What it was, was a building that had been rebuilt and modernized several times in the past. Any sufficiently old building is not just one building, it's a history of changes, destruction, renovation, rebuilding, etc. This will be the latest, and that is a good thing.
9
@SusanStoHelit
Understood and agreed, but this is on a massive scale. They will be forced into a plan of creating a modern roof quickly merely as a preservation effort. For starters.
The photos of the Parisians watching the fire reminded me of the faces in Manhattan on 9-11.
10
I am French and I do believe while it saddens me to lose this part of cultural and architectural heritage, at least this time there is no life taken by the incident.
It’s something to still be very grateful of. And it is possibly the most important thing about this fire.
15
@Carole agree. They need to stop showing images of the spire falling over and over again. Showing those 9/11 images of buildings collapsing over and over again did immeasurable psychological damage.
3
Yes, to both original comment and the reply.
Both were iconic symbols of our beloved cities, but the profound loss of life, and the grotesque manner in which the victims of 9/11 perished (including of cancer and other diseases later on), coupled with the essentially complete ruin of the twin towers and some surrounding buildings, and the additional losses at the Pentagon and in PA, make the two events quite distinct.
I appreciate Parisians' recognition of these differences, even as I join them in mourning the damage to such a beautiful and important building and symbol of the French heart.
3
“The tragedy seemed to underscore the challenges heaped before his administration...” No, it doesn’t do anything of the sort. Is it not enough that the building is burning down? Do you not get enough clicks with that?
10
I am not Catholic, nor particularly religious.
But I love history and beauty.
Notre Dame is both, and this is very sad.
8
I visited the Notre Dame 2 years ago, for the first and only time, and now I regret that I did not ascend the towers. Now I probably never will. This is a tragedy on the order of the 9/11 destruction of the World Trade towers, only culturally, even greater. When I learned of it, and saw video footage, I was in shock. I could not speak. I WAS in tears. This loss is incalculable. It is a tragedy not just for Paris, or France, but for all humanity.
Without our heritage, we, humanity, is greatly diminished. This historical and artistic masterpeice MUST be rebuilt, and restored, PRECISELY as it was. PRECISELY. Only then will we ever truly recover from this. That will be very costly. It is my greatest practical wish that all of us who mourn this loss will contribe generously to its restoration.
It is only a guess, but it could cost $1Bn to restore, properly. I intend to dig deeply, and make a real sacrifice toward that end. I hope that millions of others will do the same.
This tragic loss is to all of us.
4
@Richard Savary
This is a tragedy on the order of the 9/11 destruction of the World Trade towers,
NO it is not. 9/11 included 3000 people killed. Fortunately only one firefighter has been seriously injured in Paris.
5
@Richard Savary
Every generation leaves it's stamp - some of those things you want so precisely replaced were themselves once new additions, replacements. Newer isn't worse, it's often better.
Please, please do not compare the tragedy of losing 3000 lives to losing a building, no matter what the building is. This time we lose no life, at least we can avoid the real tragedy of losing human’s life over this.
3
I join others below in mourning its loss of Notre Dameas we had known it.
I have been there many times.
My first visit was in mid 80's - much younger and before all security concerns.
My wife and I had climbed up to the top on that tortuous stairway where you had to really mind your head.
And I had taken one of my wife's most favorite photo of her showing off her new diamond ring - and I still remember - under a pink sun umbrella.
I pray it is not way beyond repair.
This fire reminds me of Windsor castle fire - again during restoration.
And the queen had famously called that year "annus horribilis" - something M. Macron might be thinking with yellow vests and now this fire.
3
Vive la Notre Dame. It will survive, damaged, but it will. To all those who are working tirelessly to save the beautiful cathedral, thank you. One of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe and a place of profound peace when one is inside.
8
It’s a good thing they still have the cathedral at Chartres, down the line a piece from Paris. The Chartres cathedral I thought, was even more impressive than Notre Dame.
The structure has been falling apart for years. They replace the fallen stones with wood. The word is that the French could not afford definitive care nor I suppose the Catholic Church nor the laity. France is proud of being secular.
It's all about the money.
A fire which did not consume was the burning bush, holy ground.
Now it's all about the money. God may be sending us a message.., DO NOT MAKE MONEY YOUR GOD. But that's what we are doing. Hence no infrastructure repair and no effective response to climate change.
That's the message of Norte Dame.
Whether atheist, fundamentalist or in between, there's a message here for all of us.
2
It is very sad. But nothing lives forever. This seems to be human error, from ignoring risk. As such, this is a good reminder that we need to tend the things we truly love and not take them for granted. Not paying attention sometimes has random consequences.
Yes, I am thinking about those "poor planners" including climate deniers who ignore the risks to our planet, the science deniers who think the world will stand still while we go back in time, and anyone who thinks we can routinely mistreat whole groups of people without long term consequences. What we love will eventually burn to the ground too.
3
@JK
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm pretty sure the French in charge of Notre Dame were not taking any risks with their stewardship of this treasure. The French, in my limited but intensely personal experience of their culture, love beauty and history, and accord both loads of respect. I once stood in front of a pedestrian American grocery store cake display for a full 15 minutes, with two French teens heatedly debating the merits, taste and decoration of each and every single cake in the case, in order to choose the best one to bring home for their father's birthday celebration. Top that for aesthetic respect, huh? 'Twas a highly impressive demonstration of the French way of life.
Sometimes stuff just happens. How breathtakingly arrogant, unfathomably rude and incomprehensibly ridiculous it is to insinuate otherwise. You should apologize to my French friends, post haste!
Today is the anniversary of the Titanic, by the way, and we're still trying to figure out what was to blame for that disaster. In that case, plenty of deserving suspects. Here, why don't we just pause and take a deep breath before slinging half-baked theories around and dragging in irrelevance? A moment of silence to respect the terrible loss of a beloved and irreplaceable French icon and a world landmark is in order. I've already heard wails of grief from two American friends - a Rabbi and a Lutheran. Viva la France! J'te aime.
3
I’ll donate to a Go-Fund-Me in a heartbeat. A Jewel of France for all to admire.
3
No Donald, you will not be permitted to buy the site and put up a trashy casino.
5
@FilmMD
President Trump was trying to be helpful and hopeful in his way in a desperate situation.
His tweet was the reaction of a normal human being.
2
I am heartened to learn that the nave has not collapsed. That would have been even more catastrophic. As an architect, I know construction and restoration sites are so vulnerable to fires because of sparking tools, open flames from welding or soldering, solvents, rags, saw dust, over burdened electric lines, generators, compressors, and just a lot of workers coming and going. Remember the great loss of the Glasgow School of Art occurred during a restoration project too.
13
So the French officials claim they “averted catastrophe”? Sounds just like the French officials stating “certain deficiencies” occurred when the Germans blew through the Maginot Line and motored into Paris in World War II. This is an unmitigated disaster that was totally preventable and an honest investigation will I’m sure reveal a complete lack of proper oversight and procedures. When doing extensive renovations on what could easily be considered the crown jewel of France, an international landmark of tremendous historic and cultural significance, you would think that hot work in an attic/roof area-welding, torching, etc.-would require pre deployed hose lines, pre fire plans, extinguishers, sectioned off fire block areas and 24 hour human fire watches. Yes, it’s very sad, but I’m infuriated at what amounts to a giant screw up on the part of the French government.
8
I believe a good deal of what they mean is that, this time at least no life is lost in the fire.
While the lose of such architectural and a huge part of our cultural heritage is devastating, the only real catastrophe on events like this is when human life is lost.
Buildings can be rebuild, restored. Human life cannot be replaced ever.
5
I am agnostic. Maybe this burning depicts cleansing of the forest from invasive and unwanted shrubs and vines. It coincides with the holy week of Christianity.
1
For very many people, this is the destruction of a personal monument, a landmark to happiness, reverence, beauty and hope. As we all grieve this sudden loss of something once loved as immutable, let us think also of the planet. Let this pang of loss remind us of what else we stand to lose--and that as Americans, we share so much more fraternity with France, Europe and the world than we tend to remember or honor.
16
That Notre-Damme had been reduced to a charity case is typical in this world of strict neoliberal fiscal austerity personified as much as anyone by French President Macron.
3
@Edwin
What charity case? You seem to be jumping wildly to conclusions, based only on the posts here of people who so love the building and what it represents to them that they offer to help rebuild it. To think that France wouldn't do this is kinda weird.
4
An Eulogy to Our Mother
My love for you is like a fire.
My dream: to kiss your spires.
But, today you leave me
with an inextinguishable flame.
Alas, how I wish
my tears could extinguish
these torturous, fiery desires.
5
Trump, that's your response? Really?
14
@Ky
President Trump was trying to be helpful and hopeful in a desperate situation.
His tweet was the reaction of a normal human being.
1
RLS, there is nothing normal about him.
6
France gave us the Statue of Liberty in New York. The citizens of the US should contribute to the restoration of Notre Dame in reinforcement of the values that the Statue represents and as a thank you to the French people.
30
@indiana_jones_i Nice sentiment. And agreed. I will contribute. At the same time, I believe we have more than honored the gift of Lady Liberty - at the Somme during WWI, and during the invasion of Normandy. Yes, we've contributed significantly.
3
I suggest that the City of Paris open up an.International GoFundMe to shore up funds to restore/rebuild the Cathedral. I'm pretty sure this will be an international success.
And for Mr. Trump, in the absence of his now defunct "charity" Foundation, to donate the remainder of his tenure's salary for the reconstruction .
4
I am french, not catholic but, as you, I am sad, so sad for ‘Notre-Dame’ : It’s a part of the world heritage which disappears today.
To introduce my next sentence, I will say that the American people can, sometimes ( often ? ), despair of French people for political/economical/military/etc… reasons.
So, in this case, remember this sentence :
“When you despair of the French, remember that they did France, the France of the Declaration of Human Rights, the France of Notre-Dame.” ( Jean Daniel ).
Thanks for your prayers, your compassion, your sympathy.
18
To watch the beautiful Notre Dame spire succumb evoked the same painful memories of the World Trade towers.
And just as in New York, Parisians will stannd strong and Notre Dame will rise again. And as then, we all stand with all of Paris and France.
Thank goodness no loss of life in today's tragedy.
10
NYTimes - a moving story all the way up to the last two paragraphs where you just had to mention what our incompetent and hateful president had to say. Will you please stop giving him the oxygen he craves.
As someone at another site stated so eloquently: "For him to say one word about this is literally a sacrilege."
22
The world mourns along with France this tragedy today. A symbol of faith, beauty & culture has been altered irrecoverably. As a New Yorker who lived through 9/11, my hope is that Paris will rise to her full glory & begin to rebuild.
7
I am not French, nor am I Roman Catholic. I rarely shed tears. But I wept for this tragic loss. My heart goes out to the French people. Perhaps at this season of resurrection, the restoration of this iconic place can help serve as a unifying force for good. Is there a fund that people can donate to help with the eventual costs of restoration?
6
Notre Dame of course is in Paris and a treasured symbol of France, but it has existed also very much for all of humanity and the world. I have visited it and seen it many times, and to me it represents so much more than a beautiful structure. It embodies French history and aspects of her literature, of Victor Hugo and his novels, it has survived revolutions and wars, and of course is a sublime expression of religious calling. It must survive this terrible catastrophe, and it will. If there is a worldwide campaing to donate for the repair and restoration of its physical structure, count me in!
11
The world mourns along with France this tragedy today. A symbol of faith, beauty & culture has been altered irrecoverably. As a New Yorker who lived through 9/11, my hope is that Paris will rise to her full glory & begin to rebuild.
4
I was lucky enough to visit Paris in 2001. I was on liberty during a Navy deployment and took the TGV bullet train from Marseille with a friend whom I was serving with at the time. I almost didn’t go, because I’d just stood a midnight watch on the ship and was tired, but thankfully my friend was persistent and I went. It would be our second to last port visit before September 11th.
My grandparents had passed some years ago by that time and both had French heritage. I lit two red candles inside glass jars to celebrate their memory inside Notre Dame cathedral during our visit. I felt and still feel so grateful to the Navy that I traveled to see Paris. We spoke with artists along the Seine and only had time to stay one night and part of a day. I had such a brief visit, but what I saw and felt were unforgettable. The streets of Paris during a gold and pink sunset are etched into my memory.
My heart goes out to the people of France tonight, and to anyone, anywhere, who is saddened by this. I have faith the French people will find a way to rebuild this precious part of our world’s history and heritage.
11
This, milord, is my family's axe. We have owned it for almost nine hundred years, see. Of course, sometimes it needed a new blade. And sometimes it has required a new handle, new designs on the metalwork, a little refreshing of the ornamentation . . . but is this not the nine hundred-year-old axe of my family? And because it has changed gently over time, it is still a pretty good axe, y'know. Pretty good.- Terry Pratchett. Even though it burns Notre Dame like the Mighty Phoenix will be born anew!
7
It is sad beyond belief. I'm crushed. I love that city and its people and I hope that something can be salvaged. It's horribly sad.
9
This destruction of centuries old inspired artistry and deep beauty is devastating. I wept like a child at seeing the images on TV on such masterful beauty aflame.
We can never recover the inspirational works of earlier artists that have been charred... but what can be done is an international effort to restore this monument to the magnificence of the best of humanity. Spare no expense.
An international effort, to restore Notre Dame as best as possible in the 21st C. Seek out the best artisans and contributions of iconic pieces from all Churches, museums and private collections.
It may take 10 years or more but a new Notre Dame must arise from the ashes.
7
Let's hope the descendants of Henri Deneux are available to help with the rebuild. Work done under his direction in Reims is largely not noticeable for most of us and it only took about 20 years. A blip in time really.
As for the rest of the art, those terrible losses are truly lost.
8
My heart goes out to the people of France, and especially to the people of Paris. If it causes me this much pain to see this grand old lady in flames when I am thousands of miles away, I can only imagine what it is like for those for whom this cathedral is part of their daily lives, if only to see it on the skyline. I hope she will see a grand and glorious resurrection.
14
The church was built bay by bay -- unit by unit... A continuous platform of scaffolding with wooden boards on it would have been the perfect vehicle to cause a rapidly spreading fire. I suspect the underpinning of the roof probably lead -- which melts at a low heat-- were wood... very very dry.. Meantime, water poured on the roof -- the building is about 250 feet long would not have gotten to the flames beneath. Obviously, in retrospect there should have been fire walls on the scaffolding. Inside Notre Dame is I believe at least 100 feet tall and the roof is another... what 30 feet. The streets surrounding ND are narrow... getting equipment in would have been a nightmare. La Fenice in Venice the last restoration project to end in a total reconstruction. Human error was the problem in that case.
Many a Gothic structure was bombed during WWI and WWII.. Notre Dame escaped. For those visiting Paris and needing to see Gothic, the first Gothic styled church is the Abbey of St. Denis with its own metro stop in the district of St. Denis.
5
I couldn't help but start crying when I saw this terrible event. Places like Notre Dame are am emblem of the cultural history not only of France, but of the world. When you contemplate what this building has gone through over the last 850 years, and of the unnamed craftsmen who created this architectural masterpiece, you cannot help but grieve when you see the destruction that has occurred. Thankfully some has been spared, and hopefully some of the artistic treasures contained within have been saved. However, as pointed out in the article this event serves as a metaphor for the unrest that has been occurring in Paris for months. If I were a religious person, one could perhaps see this as an expressions of God's displeasure, and a reminder that eventually all will turn to dust.
5
What a shock. So glad no one was injured or killed. I trust the French will pull out all the stops to rebuild. I hope the US can contribute something like wood or stone to our long-time ally.
2
A firefighter was seriously injured.
Now we need to move on with rebuilding our wonderful cathedral.
I am heartened by the out poor of support coming form everywhere.
In our difficult times, this, I hope, will federate humanity around its deepest shared values.
7
When my wife and I married last year, our honeymoon destination was never anything but Paris. I had been a student there in my youth, and my wife had always wanted to see the City of Lights. Most of all, she wanted to see the Cathedral of Notre Dame. On a beautiful autumn day, we slipped through the mass of guided tours and found ourselves inside a magical cave of history, architecture, literature, religion and art. My wife lit a dozen votive candles, took photos of everything in sight, and bought a crystal bracelet by the exit. I just took mental notes, squaring the circle of my life path with the woman, and the city, that are the true loves of my life.
Our hearts go out to everyone who has felt a sense of loss today. We cannot bring past craftsmen and artists and engineers back to life in a miraculous restoration of this cultural monument. But we can pay homage to them by rebuilding it in their image -- and adding something of our own.
Tell me where to send my money, and you will have it.
33
How does this happen? How does a city have a structure, largely made of wood, this important, without having double/triple/quadruple methods of identifying a potential fire?
3
it's not rare for construction projects to burn because of welders and torches. is this just carelessness?
5
How sad is it that my first thought was IS ROBERT LANGDON OK???? And then I remembered that I don’t live inside a Dan brown novel.
Thoughts and prayers for the French, kiddos to the brave firefighters, and let notre dame be rebuilt!
2
A public wooden structure like this lasting for such an incredibly long time is something to be celebrated, and it is a blessing that it has meant so much to the French people for so long.
1
It's horrible the fire happened and the only consolations are that the main structure is saved and no-one did this on purpose.
I also hope no lives were lost saving it.
But great art belongs to all the world and should remind us all that there is always something more than the view right in front of us.
3
The well-researched article should not have ended with, or even included, a moronic suggestion by someone who knows nothing.
20
His follow up Tweet will suggest that the French should rebrand the Notre Dame Cathedral.
2
@Greater Metropolitan Area: His blustering ignorance never fails to disappoint, does it?
1
@Greater Metropolitan Area
President Trump was trying to be helpful and hopeful in a desperate situation.
His tweet was the reaction of a normal human being.
Can we all agree that trump is to blame? Can we all just find common ground on that?
3
She still stands. Notre Dame will continue to be a source of awe to people the world over. She is a survivor.
2
The inferno engulfing The Cathedral of Notre-Dame is a calamity worse that a typical international disaster, because unlike the destruction of most modern buildings and other manmade structures of recent years, the 800-year-old Cathedral is an iconic structure which can never be re-built, let alone duplicated.
Fortunately, there was no loss of life, and we should all hope that most of the priceless paintings and statuary are saved.
Those of us who had the opportunity to tour the Cathedral feel grateful. But whether or not someone actually walked through the Cathedral and grounds, everyone – certainly in Europe, North America and South America – knew The Cathedral of Notre-Dame very well. She was part of our common history, and our hearts should go out to all Parisians for their special loss.
7
Devastating loss for the world. Never thought I could feel so sad as a result of this, its heartbreaking. My business supports millwrights who produce such millwork which a building of this is adorned. They have their work cut out for them. I am sure they will restore and rebuild as much as humanly possible..
But what is awful, is the original wood timbers and the copper and the paint etc which survived years and wars will never truly be reproduced, never.
The aged smell and patina of the interior space not to mention the art is lost forever. I am saddened by the reality that those who have never stepped into this Cathedral including my youngest daughter will never experience the original Notre-Dame .
13
oh my 'god' -my heart goes out to Paris & the world for the loss of history. i know that this is Paris's loss, but my thoughts go back to when the towers fell on 9/11/01 and the horrid loss i felt then. such a tragic accident during the endeavors of a restoration to repair this treasure.
2
Tonight all of Paris and most of France is in shock and mourning. Many in the entire world as well it seems, paying hommage to the culture and history embedded in Notre Dame, rather than out of religious beliefs. As you can see on my pics taken from the Buttes Chaumont hill on Instagram @sophieroquefort, Paris skyline has been changed and feels terribly empty without Notre Dame elegant spire. President Macron has immediately promised the damaged part will be rebuilt. After years of terrorist attacks (nothing is known yet about the origin of the fire, don't misunderstand me), I believe I can talk on behalf of all Parisians and say Paris appreciates your support and your ongoing appreciation.
20
@Sophie Roquefort You have our solidarity, Sophie. This was truly a blow to the heart, not only of Paris, but of anyone whoever took time to rest in its beautiful shade. It is odd, but suddenly I find myself longing for its particular fragrance of age and incense that always made time seem inconsequential, but it is the bitter smell of charcoal I am left with.
1
As usual our President makes a fool of himself (and us) during a time of tragedy. similar nonsense came out of his mouth during the California fires. Sigh....
35
@cort
Perhaps he was being misguided, but right or wrong Trump was trying to be helpful, which I certainly appreciate more. As for the technical merit of his suggestion, it may not be the best solution, but not as crazy as the French made it out to be. A 1,000 gallon tanker will hold water that weighs 7,500 pounds, and sprayed over a 50 ft by 100 ft area (spreading outward as it reaches ground) only comes to 1.5 lb per sq ft. I have been to Notre Dame, and it has system of columns and buttressed walls. If it falls straight down through roof opening, it will not affect the structure, and if it falls on roof similar to rain condition the buttressed walls will hold. The only scenario of walls imploding is if water were to hit enmass without spreading on outer wall edge going inward, which can be controlled. Fire engines are better because of greater control, of course, but they had only 7 because of traffic conditions at the time when fire was raging. Greater concern would be for protection of artifacts inside if water were to rain down in an untargeted manner. But, all in all, it's very disappointing to see people trying to politicize even tragedies.
3
@Robby Don't miss the point here. Wouldn't an expression of heartfelt solidarity with our oldest ally would have gone over better than unsolicited and wrongheaded technical advice? Hélas, this is the diplomatic savoir faire of man we have representing us before the world.
9
@Robby Don't miss the point here. Wouldn't an expression of heartfelt solidarity with our oldest ally have gone over better than unsolicited and wrongheaded technical advice? Hélas, this is the diplomatic savoir faire of the man we have representing us before the world.
2
"President Trump had a suggestion for the French authorities, saying in a tweet that they could perhaps use “flying water tankers” to stop the fire."
Seriously now, did that comment REALLY need to be in this article?
19
@bobyoung Yes. Europe has given up on Trump regarding *everything*. The world needs to be reminded over and over again how counterproductive trump is. Europe will release a huge sigh of relief once he’s gone.
8
@bobyoung
President Trump was trying to be helpful and hopeful in a desperate situation.
His tweet was the reaction of a normal human being.
1
T S Elliott was right after all--April is the cruelest month. The Notre Dame fire ranks up there with other horrors that occurred in April such as the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the sinking of the Titanic.
Adding insult to injury was that this tragedy coincided with the start of the Christian Holy Week.
7
Notre Dame is beyond France and She belongs to Patrimony of Humanity, whether believer or not believer. When I visit a such monument. I can not prevent to think about masons, carpenters, all profesional bodies, craftmen, architects who strived to conceive and build such masterpieces. And mainly at a era when there were not as many techniques as today.
This evening, if I had their talent, to rebuild that it has been destroyed, I would be volunteer to participate. But fault of talent, I will send my financial contribution.
21
My heart is broken...
5
Notre Dame will rise again
And when she does
We will love her a tad more
Hold her close - just a tad tight
Remembering what we lost - beauty, glory, and hope
Realizing that we take so much for granted
That our fondest memories are tied to the grandeur
Beyond words
For only the soul sees what words cannot describe
Rise again, Oh! Notre Dame! Rise, for we need you, now and forever
For the sake unborn generations, rise again
11
The world stands aghast and the president once again is the village idiot shouting out idiotic suggestions while our collective hearts are breaking.
17
I know that although this wonderful Cathedral maybe scared and damaged that great French and Gaelic spirit ,which has for centuries so inspired mankind's love of freedom and democracy, will not be broken. And I know that this once towering and holy edifice will be rebuilt by the French people to again astonish and rouse our collective imagination. Viva la France!
4
Clearly, this is a tragedy for all who have been to or plan to visit Notre-Dame. and those who care about preserving history. When in Paris in 2016, we visited Notre-Dame on the same day we saw the bomberos from all over France demonstration for better wages and working conditions. Today, they proved their worth. Let's not second-guess their dedication and skills. Let's not listen to those who think they know better about fire-fighting.
5
Reading all the sorrow here simply begs the question "was this a deliberate act"? If so, by whom and for what purpose? Should this fire be a result of an intentional act by a radical group, the response of the French government could be equally as devastating. This was the cultural icon of France; hence an attack upon the cathedral would equate to an attack upon the citizens of France.
9
@Mike at this time, that is an inappropriate comment. We have to wait for the facts to be developed and not engage in speculation.
9
Planes flying into a building looks like a ‘deliberate attack’. A fire can just as easily be started on accident. This speculation if of the worst kind. More information, please.
4
As mentioned in the article, this would not be the first time a fire was accidentally started by construction work.
Editor’s note: This comment has been anonymized in accordance with applicable law(s).
2
Thirty-eight paragraphs in this main Times article on the Notre Dame fire and details of the structure's history and not once is there any mention that the Cathedral is Catholic. C'mon.
23
@EC So?
6
@EC, those who live elsewhere in the universe may not realize that the Cathedral of Notre-Dame belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. However, a majority of humans here on earth (that is, nearly every adult human) does. No need, then, for stating the obvious.
17
@EC
There was no mention that it was gray either. I'd hope and expect that at this moment, it's not only considered a matter of interest to Catholics.
7
How do you write an article about the tragedy of Notre Dame burning down and not use the word "Catholic" even once?
38
This is the 9/11 of Paris. The world has suffered an
unbelievable loss of history, art and beauty. My profound
sadness for Paris and all who have always loved and treasured it. So much more care must be given to
these beloved icons. . Renovations are not being monitored as carefully as they should be. t
54
@gahanpj
I think that's a bit of a tonedeaf comparison. There are no injuries here that we know of. 9/11 killed almost 3000 innocent people.
Paris has had terrorist massacres though. This isn't one of them.
49
@gahanpj Very poor taste. While the loss of art is a tragedy to be sure, reporting suggest there were not orphaned children and shattered families from the fire today.
Lets please mourn the loss of history without disrespecting the lives of civilians lost in more terrible disasters.
27
@gahanpj I respectfully disagree. I also mourn the damage of such a treasure as Notre Dame but 9/11 included the loss of many, many lives to which no building loss can compare.
19
We lived in the 12th for four years, and every time we had friends visiting, the first thing we did was take them for a walk to the island and Notre Dame before they succumbed to sleep. A walk we often took on a cool summer evening was across the Point d'Austerlitz to view the majestic structure.
We weep with all the Parisians for your loss.
4
Yellow vests? just curious.
I had a twinge of dismay on seeing and reading about the Notre Dame fire. As I did when that archeological museum in Brazil with centuries of cultural artifacts burned down. As I did when the giant Buddha's somewhere in the Middle East were blown up.
Sic transit gloria mundi - thus passes the glory of the world.
Yet these saccharine, overwrought and Facebook like expressions of grief deserve disdain. Thousand are dying around the world every day and yet we keep going on, but we'll bemoan the roof of an old church burning up! And the lead headline of the NYTs!
The whole cheap sentimentality just speaks to how so many of us are using these comments and other forms of social media to express pseudo-grief (or any number of pseudo-feelings) that are really more about assuaging our own disconnection from the world than having any heartfelt meaning.
Spare me the crocodile tears - especially from first world people who will have to look at a scarred cultural artifact on their next visit to Paris.
3
@Common Sense
Democrat?
1
@Common Sense Thousands have always died. What of it? And the Buddhas were in Central Asia. If the fire had been started by arsonists, would you still say that expressions of grief are "overwrought" and we should remember suffering humanity? People said the same thing when those idiots blew up the Buddhas of Bamyan. Such aren't splendid times to get me to feel sympathy for my species.
Not all inanimate things are equal. If the cathedral was trivial, why was it built with such care? Why not build a big box and be done with it? One can perform the same rites in a box. Or is Notre-Dame de Paris, like Notre-Dame de Reims, like Chartres, more than an object?
It was a connecting thread with our past, an heirloom awaiting the future. It was our heritage, a symbol of who we are and who we were. Love and devotion were put into this building, century after century. It was far more difficult than making a baby. It is itself the offspring of our great civilization, an expression of the human spirit.
"The sense of beauty puts a brake upon destruction, by representing its object as irreplaceable. When the world looks back at me with my eyes, as it does in aesthetic experience, it is also addressing me in another way. Something is being revealed to me, and I am being made to stand still and absorb it. ... What is revealed to me in the experience of beauty is a fundamental truth about being -- the truth that being is a gift, and receiving it is a task."
-- Roger Scruton, "The Face of God"
4
@Common Sense, and what makes you think that those here who weep for this loss weep not also for the destruction of lives across the world? For the never-ending stream of sorrow that only seems to grow larger with each passing day? Grief is not singular, and the heart not a lens only capable of focusing its love on one point at a time.
I see no cheap sentimentality here, only your cheap, misguided cynicism disguised as pseudo-intellectualism. While hundreds gather here in solidarity from hundreds of miles apart, some pledging to help rebuild this transcendent icon of humanity that has the ability to unite us, your crude, broad brush of a mind paints us as a thoughtless multitude escaping reality. How ironic from someone whose comment quickly devolved into a rant asserting to know what is going on through the hearts and minds of people you've never met.
The only crocodile tears you've recently seen come from your own reflection. Please, continue to tell us how we should actually mourn for humanity's errors. In the meantime, we'll be healing from our grief and taking action, whether it be rebuilding a cultural treasure, sending aid to those in dire need, or, one day, dismantling the systems that make such misery possible.
3
When did it start
This is truly heartbreaking. I was lucky enough to have seen the cathedral in person years ago. An amazing experience just standing inside. Watching the spire fall today was gut wrenching. Can’t imagine what Parisians are feeling right now. Glad no one was hurt, and so very sad for the loss.
5
I have been privileged to visit the Cathedral many times over my life, and also as a family. Whenever I would travel to Paris on business I was drawn again to the Cathedral. Who would not? It will be restored. There is no question about that. None.
My hope is that it’s reincarnation will be more fireproof and less susceptible to the ineptness of contractors who do not take sufficient precautions when working in old structures.
2
Amidst this awful event, the American president offers up his [ignorant] advice on how to fight the fire but offers no condolences or thoughts to those affected by the event.
9
Terrible loss for France and for the entire world!
Just heart-breaking to see such magnificent piece of architecture go to waste.
3
I’m French and I’ve been listening to the news all day long - in FRENCH. So let me clarify a few things: - the planes are too dangerous for the PEOPLE on the ground. The chief fireman rightfully so was concerned for loss of lives - the weight of preserving historical monuments of not of THIS administration it is of ALL administrations. Last, let’s be clear. It is a disaster and I am re-living my 911 trauma (I was in TriBeCa when the towers collapsed) but everyone also mentioned that Notre Dame has been built and rebuilt many times over. For example the Flèche that collapsed is not original. So there is hope for the future. We will rebuild!
32
My understanding is that not only would the planes have been dangerous to people, they would have been devastating to the building itself.
7
Helicopters should have been used instantly to dose the fires - poor planning.
1
So you know more than the experts.
7
Looking at videos taken from the Left Bank I was very surprised and puzzled as to why there appeared to be only one aerial ladder deployed to wet down the portion of the structure to the right of the two towers. This is one of the better ways to prevent or limit fire spread in such a situation. This is after the roof had at least partially collapsed and fire was engulfing the interior.
Absolutely unbelievable how many fire fighting experts there are espousing how they should have fought the fire.
3
@Pat Conroy
And I presume you know the direction of the wind, the placement of all 500 firefighters, the plan of attack from the fire chief, right?
2
The destruction of Notre Dame, a place of Christian worship for almost 1,000 years, is all the more tragic because it is also a picture of the slow death in Europe of western civilization and the Christian message that made it great.
7
@ehillesum The « Christian » history of Europe also includes religious wars or the Inquisition, whose perpetrators were convinced they were applying the Christian message.
Notre Dame Cathedral is not completely lost. St. Paul's Cathedral was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666 (The Church of England’s director of cathedrals and church buildings, Becky Clark).
Macron has announced an international fundraising effort.
BBC last week presented a documentary on the astronomical cost of the restorative - Notre Dame.
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190404-the-massive-cost-of-saving-notre-dame
6
This is not the time for disrespectful comments about God and faith. Could we please have one time where people do not express their hatred of religion. The fire of Notre Dame Cathedral is tragic and it is in very bad taste to write nasty and mean spirited comments. Also this is Holy Week for over one billion Catholics and Christians around the world. Please be respectful.
23
There really are no words for our mourning hearts. Notre Dame, Our Lady, a soaring, wondrous work of Art, calling to the heavens, to The Mother for hope, celebrating the beauty of Creation, the love of the Divine Feminine, a simple woman, Mary. The fact that this merges in my heart with the pain I feel for a soon-to-be burning Mother Earth, these two irreplaceable wonders mirroring each other in loss, has made me heartsick. My deepest condolences to the people of Paris and France and around the world who love her- O humbling Beauty.
8
Oh, my God. I sit here in tears at the devastation to a monument that reminds me of the years I lived in Paris and of a visit a few years ago. I was happy to wait in a long line to go inside this elegant structure for what I was sure, given my age, would be the last time. I am sick at heart that the structure I have loved since studying history in high school and college may never be experienced by anyone. I hope they can save some of it, but it will never be the same. My sympathies to everyone who has loved this cathedral as I have.
9
A thousand years of history up in smoke, apparently because the construction company(s) working on the church started the fire. Victor Hugo just stirred.
1
Unclear to me why you quote an academic speculating on restorations and fires when a month ago police concluded that arson was committed at the St Sulpice fire in Paris and Newsweek and others have documented a series of attacks against French churches. The destruction of this historic monument is devastating, the loss is incalcuable, but it also calls for contextualization by by in-depth reporting.
4
After over twelve visits to Paris, last year, walking past Notre Dame, at the last light of day, I heard a man calling, “Les dernières, vit, vit, s’il vous plaît” and I told my friend let’s go, let’s join the last, without any idea where the line was leading.
As it turned out, it was to climb up to the main facade’s towering top from where I beheld my most beloved muse and lover, Paris.
I walked the entire roof, just beside the gargoyles, and joined them overlooking the city. My friend, a Parisian, Monsieur Pensier, was mesmerized; I spied him entranced by the great beauty of the sudden dusk, lost in love and enchantment. Even a native such as he is, he had never ventured up to the roof to gaze upon his city of lights; he was lost in reverie, as was I, as I romantically remembered my love affair with Paris since my father had brought me to it in my thirteenth year, on a business trip.
Ever since, Paris has been my sanctuary and the place my old veins of French blood feels most at home, and in a perpetual state of grace and belonging.
Today I am heartbroken, but I am with you my love, my dear, dear Paris. Today I weep with my French family. Today I am as sad as when I arrived but days after the terrorist attacks at Le Bataclan.
Today, my heart is heavy. Beloved Notre Dame, we will not abandon you. You will rise from the ashes to mesmerize us once more.
France will save their blessed, holy, center of religious and communal love. Je t’aime ma belle. Toujours.
24
President Trump’s concern for the Cathedral does him credit, but he could do much better.
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, with aid from Joseph Pulitzer the newspaper publisher and contributions from New York schoolchildren gave America the Statue of Liberty.
The President could now return this great favor by helping France to repair the Cathedral.
How?
By cutting down on his unnecessary and wasteful air travel to Mar-a-Lago, his golf clubs and other political destinations and
by arranging with Congress to have the funds thereby saved better deployed in France.
14
@A. Stanton - He could do much better, but he won’t.
Why do people keep expecting manners and decency from this cretin?
2
Obviously this is extremely sad but no surprise. The current French government and public agencies are an inefficient and corrupt mess. How could the Paris Fire Department be so slow and incompetent to let this fire spread as it did.
I’m sure you know so much more about fighting fires than firemen. You and Donald Trump.
6
Maybe now those yellojackets can get some well-paying jobs fixing the thing?
1
I hope beyond hope that this wasn't arson by the yellow jackets, or worse yet, an effort to frame them. Tragedies happen, but we can only hope that this one is just that, not a deliberate man-made action.
1
Thank you all for caring. My city is heartbroken but, as President Macron said, we will rebuild. Notre Dame is part of our civilization and its beauty lives in our memories and our hearts.
33
I used to pick up my son, most evenings, in front of the Hotel de Ville, so that we could walk home in front of Notre-Dame, the center of Paris and of the hexagon and of our sense of French history. I wrote a sonnet about it after the news today:
Most evenings I’d meet Thomas right in front
Ot City Hall, to walk home for our meal
On Rue Domat just westward of Rue Dante.
We’d stroll across the bridges, always steal
A glance at militaires patrolling there
In threes (In Charlie Hebdo days), while high
Above the gardens and above the square —
Irregularity inverting sky
And Place and Ile and river to a shape
Which hovered round -- the building’s lofty stance,
Defined both space and time, which formed a drape
To soften Notre Dame’s indifference.
It made us feel rock solid, think we knew
A way of being centered, staying true.
7
Now Trump is a fire fighting expert? So good to see him use his beautiful genius intelligence for good.
4
@Bags Perhaps Trump will travel to Paris and provide them with paper towels along with thoughts and prayers and they knew what they were getting into. Oops, too much Trump expressions....
10
@Bags
President Trump was trying to be hopeful and helpful in a desperate situation.
His tweet was the reaction of a normal human being.
No it wasn’t, it was the reaction of an ignorant know-it-all narcissist who’s simplistic thought process can’t grasp anything beyond the moment.
I hope I took your bait, and you can’t possibly believe what you wrote.
2
This is beyond tragic. Such sublime beauty in flames. I have had the privilege of visiting Notre Dame more than once and it is truly incomparable. Everything that can be done to rebuild it, must be done. We are all citizens of Paris tonight.
8
I am heading to Paris in one week. The cathedral was on my short list of must see landmarks. I have been to St. Patrick's in NY many times, which always takes my breath away. I was so looking forward to seeing how much more incredible stepping into Notre Dame would be.
7
@Jane
Do go see the incredible Sainte Genevieve du Mont across from the Pantheon. The interior is absolutely sublime. And the trip to Chartres is worth the 45 minute train ride.
5
@Jane A place I did not get to see during my trip to Paris and which is often neglected but just as historical/ beautiful as Notre Dame is the Basilica of St. Denis.
http://www.saint-denis-basilique.fr/en
4
I've been to Paris three times and each time visited the cathedral. My future wife when she first visited in 2004 started to cry for no reason other than witnessing the majesty of that beautiful building. It is awe inspiring inside and outside.
13
I share with Parisians and the world the great relief that no one was killed or injured in this blaze; the light relief that the structure has been saved; and the great sense of sadness at what has been lost.
Fire is cleansing and perhaps this tragedy to this world landmark can help the French find their common ground again as they’ve struggled with their differences of late.
17
The world mourns.
21
I’m hearing today of the enormous importance of Notre Dame de Paris to the France and Parisian identities.
Checking Wikipedia in French and in English as the fire is consuming the cathedral, I’m discovering that these four sites have no pictures of it.
In text:
Paris EN mentions Notre Dame 9 times.
Paris FR mentions it only once, in the Source List.
France EN mentions Notre Dame only once.
France FR does not mention it at all.
@Spensky
Because when Notre Dame hasn't even stopped burning, and the French are mourning en masse, that is the exact time to slam the French and pretend like the writers of Wikipedia (who do an excellent job) represent all French people.
10
With the aid of digital blueprints and other architectural and archival resources, Notre Dame can be rebuilt and restored to it's former glory; perhaps not in absolute minutiae but certainly to a very appreciable extent.
Highly skilled architects, craftsmen and artisans can recreate the fabled stained glass windows and other treasures.
Notre Dame can rise again, now in the 21st century, even better today than if this tragedy had struck a mere few decades earlier.
We have state of the art digital technology, superior building materials and dedicated artisans.
The only hurdle is money and bearing that in mind the U.N. should generously allocate funds.
14
And everyone who ever visited this beautiful and awe inspiring cathedral should contribute to its rebuilding. I’m in for a donation as soon as I find a reputable site calling for contributions. I am visiting Paris again in the fall and my heart breaks at the sight of these photos.
4
Sad, great sadness to the whole world. My first visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral was in November, 1968. More than fifty years ago. I took a lot photos and I still pasted them in my travel album. As a kid I watched many times of the Charles Laughton movie the Hunchback of the Notre Dame in 1939. It was more than 80 years and I am still here making stupid comments. I hope the damage is not too serious.
8
I do not know if there are any living beings with the talent and skill to rebuild Notre Dame du Paris. Therefore, we will get a "version" of what was.
1
@bob
Of course there are - and many who could do even better. It's a matter of the time given to the craftsmen, this is reality, not mythology, there are no secret technologies, wisdom of the ancients - just different priorities between building an office building and an iconic church, between a time where human life and labor were cheap, and when people are valued.
3
Beyond stupid the restoration was....Heads must roll.
How do you know?
2
Heads rolled after Bastille Day. LOL.
Leave it to our Tweeter in Chief to put his foot in his mouth and make a ridiculous spectacle of himself in the midst of this cultural tragedy. To France we Americans say, he is not us.
32
Not even a cathedral that went through a thousand years of wars and revolutions can survive a construction contractor.
14
Yes Notre Dame Cathedral was a beautiful piece of architecture but what was even more significant was it was a very important religious structure for Catholics. It was where we went to worship and pray in silence. Some were even fortunate enough to attend a Mass while visiting.
I always visited this at least once when in Paris and usually more. Every time I visited there were always many worshippers praying intently around the Cathedral. This is how Catholics will remember this very important religious site. It was one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in the world. Hopefully they will rebuild and it will be as beautiful and reverent as ever.
10
Seeing the Notre Dame on fire makes me very sad. I spent 26 months in France during my military tour but I never went in. I viewed it from the outside while sitting at a restaurant on the left bank and also viewed it from the right bank. Hopefully it will be restored and survive for many more centuries.
3
This building represents both side of human genius. One the amazing creativity and sense of beauty. The outer the crazyness of thinking there is god...
Let's rebuild as a proof of our genius and resilience. And as it will be a french endeavour, there will be complaint and rebellion on the way!
Vive la France!
5
No matter what your religion or your country, this is a sacrilege.
8
The Donald Trump who tweeted instructions about putting out the fire is the same "developer" Donald Trump who purchased the art deco building at 5th avenue & 56th Street in 1979 to build Trump Tower. According to the NYT, Trump promised the art deco friezes and grillwork on the outside of the Bonwit building would be donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art if the Met wanted them. The Met said it would be happy to have the friezes & would install them in the Department of 20th C. Art.
It was not to be. Shortly after Trump began destruction of the Bonwit building, workmen began sawing up the friezes & smashing them with jack hammers, shocking those who saw them.
Robert D. McFadden, NYT June 6, 1980: "John Baron, a vice president of the Trump organization, said after the demolition yesterday that the company had decided not to preserve the sculptures because 'the merit of these stones was not great enough to justify the effort to save." (We know 'John Baron' was Trump's fabricated PR identity he used to call gossip columnists to talk about himself.)
'Baron' claimed 3 independent appraisers found the friezes to be "without artistic merit" & worth less than $9,000 in 'resale value.' He said it would have cost $32,000 to 'carefully remove & preserve them'. Ashton Hawkins, V.P. of the Met, said he was surprised and disappointed.
Donald J. Trump/John Baron: knows the price of everything ('resale value') & the value of nothing.
66
For those wondering what this Holy Roman Catholic cathedral is all about, it is to glorify Jesus Christ, the resurrected son of a living God. A key word in all this is Emmanuel, or ''God with us.''
The ''Our Lady'' you get from ''Notre Dame'' is Mary the earthly mother of Jesus. That's where you get ''God with us'' since Jesus Christ existed before all creation - the Big Bang, the first joining of electrons and protons, and all that followed.
Emmanuel - it had to happen that way.
2
A believer or non-believer, it matters not. We all have lost a monument to our civilization. A sign? Some may say it is, others that it is not. What I believe is of no consequence to this enormous and unspeakable catastrophe. Beauty wears no identification tags and whether you behold it as a great accomplishment of craftsmen, engineers, artists, and religious fervor or just a monument to doctrinal zeal, it was, and perhaps will again, remind us that our comprehension of beauty is limited to our brief spans on this planet. A sign for our times? I do not know.
8
As New Yorkers, we know what it is like to live in a city that is an emblem to the world. Paris is such an emblem. It has broken my heart to see all Paris has suffered in the past several years. To watch multiple horrific terrorist attacks and the violent defacement of the Arc de Triomphe. Paris will always be the most beautiful and romantic city in the world; the center of democratic, philosophical and artistic movements that have shaped all of us. We all feel bereft at the burning of such a beloved cathedral and will cheer on its rebuilding.
23
I admit. I'm afraid of what this could tun into.
With all the current social and economic unrest and anti-immigrant sentiments, not only in France -- but around the world this is something that has far-reaching effects if not determined to be anything than the carelessness of a restoration project.
Nevertheless, this is a historical loss and shame, regardless of one's religious or cultural affiliation.
2
Sad. So far no casualties? Good sign. After all is said and done, this building will probably be rebuilt and restored.
2
There was a tattered old book among the many novels on tall bookcase in my grandfather's study. Placed slightly slanted against a thicker book, I had not noticed it before. Curious, I slid the old book out cautiously, because I didn't have permission to "borrow" it. My grandfather would be upset if I damaged it. Therefore, I took care to handle the book carefully because the spine was soft and loose, and the cover and edges frayed. Yet, I was excited with anticipation knowing that many old books often had pretty pictures plates! I was not disappointed.
How thrilled I was to discover several pages of colorful artist illustrations of a grand cathedral with two tall majestic bell towers reaching high in the Paris sky. Immediately, I was engrossed. I sat quietly on the floor and began reading. The book was Victor Hugo's, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I was six years old.
It would be a few years later when I saw the 1939 classic film adaptation of Hugo's famous novel on television. Yet, it was the gorgeous illustrations in that old tattered book on my grandfather's bookshelf that will forever remain in my mind whenever I think about Paris and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
The fire at Notre-Dame is a horrible tragedy for France and the world. But also, for the young "colored girl" who, in 1955, first discovered this grand cathedral in Victor Hugo's novel. I grieve ...
The memory of the cathedral can never be extinguished in the hearts and mind for ALL.
39
13 million visitors a year at a reasonable entry fee of $14 would have yielded in one year the $180 million said to be needed to modernize the cathedral. What were the French waiting for?
2
@Conservative Democrat The French Government owns all the churches in France and it is against the law to charge an admissions fee.
7
Money may be their idol, their Golden Calf.
1
Laws can be changed. Maybe this event can result in a reconsideration.
2
We were at Notre Dame today with visiting friends, devout Catholics, who lit a candle. Now, an angry fire has consumed and displaced the love of that candle. Our hearts are broken and our lips silent.
10
"Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, 'Notre-Dame of Paris,' noted even then that 'one cannot but regret, cannot but feel indignant at the innumerable degradations and mutilations inflicted on the venerable pile, both by the action of time and the hand of man.'
Perfect quote for this sad tragedy on April 15, 2019.
I had two instant thoughts when I first heard about the Notre Dame fire on NPR:
1. As a disappointed and lapsed Catholic on rational grounds due to the child sex scandals and coverup by the church hierarchy--suddenly I was for an instant emotionally a Catholic again. And this during Holy Week too.
2. Is this collapse of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris a metaphor for for the 21st century right-wing fires of rage and collapse of enlightenment values in the United States under Trumpism--which are also under threat in several European nations as well?
Or maybe it is that nothing lasts forever or very long in our fast-paced, rapidly changing 21st century world and planet.
Still feeling a great sadness at the loss(es)
16
I just read that not all is lost. I sigh a huge sigh of relief. The spire always struck me as a tacky nineteenth century addition anyway. The towers are what Notre Dame is about, and from what I understand, those are here to stay.
6
I note some commenters referencing this as a bad omen for Holy Week.
To the contrary. I'm sure there will be a turnout that hasn't been seen in decades - we value what is at threat, what we almost lose. I'm an atheist, no dog in this race, and it's just human nature.
And it will take a bit of time, but with the towers saved, Notre Dame will be back soon enough, better than ever - as the roof and spire are rebuilt with all new, rather than attempts to merge the original materials with new (much harder than building all new).
6
@SusanStoHelit
Let's hope the same applies to the planet.
2
Ouch. Truly a shame.
But I do have to wonder if DJT will bloviate soon about how "it's their own fault" for not raking properly.
9
@YikeGrymon": One can only hope he remains silent...right. However, he did weigh in tweeting about how to fight the fire early in the event as it unfolded. Something about dropping water from the sky. What a disgrace. Because he knows more than the fire suppression experts.
7
Not being religious, this is not a loss for me. Religion generally has been a negative for the world. I hope no one is hurt.
@Hah! Do you also not value history, architecture, beauty, peace, ambiance, the love of others?
15
It should be s loss for you at least if you care about the best of humanity’s art and symbols of spiritual values.
13
@Muleman - All of those things exist without the symbols of religion, such as Note Dame.
A tragedy for sure. For God's sake, don't ask Trump what to do about it.
3
My feelings about its owners set well aside, this is a terrible loss to our history and architectural achievement, even if no lives suffered for it. Today is a sad day, for Paris and all.
It sounds like the renovations could've made it happen. I hope what- and who-ever did lived through it, and can explain. I hope too it can rise again anew, and stronger.
Alas, of *course* that fool had to make his suggestion on the matter, without—or more likely deliberately against—good advice. Actual presidents of our country had great teams of good-faith advisors and assistants, what he'd dismiss as the "deep state", to inform them and else check their impulses; and those presidents, in turn, at least took respectful note.
2
I had an epiphany in that church on Palm Sunday, 1998. I felt like I had touched the soul of France and my heritage, and felt like I was home for the first time. This church has survived wars, pestilence, revolutions, even 19th century threats of demolition. Yet she will come back. I may not be alive to see the final stone put in place, but I have great faith that it will happen. Notre Dame de Paris belongs to the world. It is up to us, citizens of the world, to help resurrect her.
10
In the months ahead, as church and government officials in France lay plans for rebuilding, they would do well to consult with the people in Dresden responsible for the restoration of the Frauenkirche — a twelve-year, painstaking, stone-by-stone, no-expense-spared reconstruction out of the rubble of WWII.
6
sad man
i don't think people would well, rest unsaid.
no sense comparing cathedrals and churches.
few hundred years old and devout
:) was going to say, rome. but it makes no sense.
question only why notre dame.
I am absoutely gutted. My heart is in Paris and this was always my first stop when in this gorgeous city. I would be remiss, if I did not mention the churches in Louisiana who were burned down by a white supremacist. Let us think of them, as well.
5
The whole of the short span of our lifetimes, that of our parents and grandparents, 1000-year old Notre Dame has stood, a paean for the deep creative past of Europe and its role in our personal and collective history, of our our place in the world and how we, humanity itself,, came to be where we are is today.
Our parents read us books illustrated with this ancient, enduring, cathedral, we have sent postcards to parents, friends, lovers, children, illustrated with its majestic facades, buttresses, spires.
Its destruction seemed inconceivable. It has stood for so long, since humanity's adolescence and witnessed how we've grown up. It is no modern building, they come and go, but our own living past made present.
We have not been able to protect it, and falling to pieces in a few hours before our eyes, pictures of the silent flames and frozen cascading stones send a shudder of fear for our own mortality as a species. If the old, grand, Dame may so easily fall s what protects us moderns from the night and abyss.
7
I am not a religious person, but Notre Dame Cathedral was the first place I visited when I went to Paris so very many years ago. Viewing the magnificent architecture and north rose window for the first time was in and of itself a spiritual experience. I was looking at history that spanned centuries. An edifice can be restored, but the historical artifacts cannot.
The world watched and wept with the people of France and especially Paris as this great iconic piece of history was being consumed by flames. It is devastating.
7
I have been to Paris. I have seen it. A tragic loss for the whole world. This is a loss of a beautiful piece of intricate artistry that could have been lost forever.
2
I sold the New York Times in front of Notre Dame in 1964 at age 18 to earn money for cheese, bread and wine. "New York Times, New York Times, 20 centimes or a dime" was my call. It was wonderful to experience the cathedral's beauty each day. The flying buttresses reaching to the heavens and the terrifying gargoyles screaming "beware" were each awesome in their own way. What is lost will be missed.
22
My heart bleeds for Parisians. I am so very sorry this has happened. Even here on the edge of Pacific, so very far away from Paris, we feel this loss like a stab to the heart.
19
No fire suppression system in an 850-year old wood roof?
1
I, a total nobody, hereby call on every billionaire the world over, regardless of your particular religious affiliation or leaning, regardless of whether or not “God” is a word that means something to you, to reach into those very pockets and come up with a total of $1billion for the sole purpose of making Notre Dame whole again. I imagine we’re talking about quite a bit of research as well as quite a bit of craftsmanship, of a level of quality that will take many people years of serious training to attain. The process of getting there will result in far more than a beautifully repaired cathedral. It will touch people the world over in deep and inestimable ways.
21
As we look with shock and horror at the images from Paris, let’s not forget it’s been only seven decades since the end of WW2 when precious cathedrals, monuments and entire European cities were bombed and burned to the ground.
26
I sick to my stomach and unbelievably Hearybroken!
My mother is from France and I live din Paris in the 80’s and Paris has always been my second home.
My 19 year old son Dominique said he was so glad he got to see Notre Dame in his lifetime.
I hope its not a Terrorist attack on this most beautiful Catholic Church during the most holy time for the Christians. Lent and Holy Week.
I watched the Twin Towers go down from my window of my house.
Pray for France.
5
Well after 800 years some construction goofs finally burned down Notre Dame.
I was trained to work safely, so that if everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, at the same time, there is still no catastrophic failure.
No one will pay for that quality of construction work today. When we finally learn about the practices being used by the remodelers on the cathedral, we are going to learn that they failed to observe basic principles of safety.
4
Ask anyone who loves architecture and history about this (or many other) churches, mosques, synagogues, libraries, archives. Most will say "priceless and irreplaceable!. But ask them why no fire sprinklers are installed and the replies are "too expensive", "the deity of record will protect it" or some other reason why they will all eventually burn. Human nature.
3
This is a cultural tragedy. The world loses a jewel tonight. Yet it is but a reminder of the impermanence of all things. I never thought I'd see the World Trade Center be both built and destroyed in my lifetime ether. Whether Notre-Dame, the WTC, even the pyramids at Giza. Shelly's Ozymandias gives the long-term view:
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
7
Today we are all French.
9
Heartbreaking. Sadly symbolic of everything right now. I hope they can rebuild it and have the towers still standing. Rebuild, it's a kind of exercise in man's futility, I suppose, but I prefer that to succumbing to the despair of the devastation.
2
What we need here is a mega-gofundme! Perhaps after all the art the French have lent around the world, recipients will send funds to help rebuild the incomparable lady.
2
@M Le Figaro commenters noted there are reports a funding site is being set up but did not provide a link. I have been looking for one and asked Le Figaro in an email to post it.
Le Figaro did non stop live coverage from the onset of the fire. My French is iffy but it was live stream with sidebar commenters translating more complex terms.
This is devastating. I've spent many happy weeks in Paris, including a summer when I lived mere steps from Notre Dame and could see it from my window. I am so very sad for Paris and all of France, and France's many friends. There are no words to express this loss.
7
@Dean If humans rebuild reasonably, the rebuild would be 850 years old in year 2870. No rebuild could include a new-hand-built Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ.
This is a tragedy for Paris, for the French republic, for my Catholic friends, and for everyone who loves history, architecture, and beauty. Notre Dame de Paris is a magnificent structure, and as the article states, a jewel of Gothic architecture. Think of the countless worshippers and visitors over the centuries who have been inspired by the soaring heights in the sanctuary, the soft light streaming through its iconic Rose Window, the heart-stirring peals of its great bells. I am one of those people. I pray for Notre Dame tonight -- and I will add a special prayer for her and for all the people of Paris this weekend on Passover.
9
My thanks to the Times for including the instructional tweet by our president. I know that his timely opinion on the appropriate fire-fighting techniques to be used in gothic cathedral situations was appreciated by the Parisians suffering this latest tragedy.
35
Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all.
3
Nobody knows more about combating Gothic cathedral fires than the Clown, let me tell you. Many, many people tell me that.
10
Like his how to clean a forest advice was appreciated by the Camp Fire victims in CA last year. The man has no soul. No heart. No brain. He has no humanity.
11
It has just been reported on television that many Catholics are gathering near the Notre Dame Cathedral singing religious songs. This terrible tragedy may return Catholics to their faith which would be a beautiful thing to come out of this horrendous occurrence. Sometimes tragedies will result in positive things. This could be the beginning of a resurgence of Catholicism.
Maybe God is sending us a very important and powerful message. He maybe telling us to put those things like faith at the center of our lives. This is what truly matters in our world today. Material things come and go and our insignificant and false but faith lasts forever. It is the one sure thing in a turbulent world.
5
Correction: material things come and go and are insignificant and false but faith lasts forever. It is eternal.
I am utterly heartbroken for Parisians, for all of France, and for the world, a world wanting all historic structures to stand forever.
5
I hope we will be able to offer more than thoughts and prayers. Notre Dame is a treasure and a wonder of the medieval world. I hope that once the aftermath is under control the international public will be able to contribute to restoration.
In the meantime, sincere condolences from Boston.
10
Everyone who has visited Paris loves this great city and it is painful to watch the Notre-Dame cathedral burn so quickly and with no promise of fire being put off and prompt and complete restoration. How time changes the dynamics of a nation. Several months ago, when Macron became president of France, hope sprung for a bright future for France. After the violent protests, Macron became a Micron and with this fire burning and the inability to promptly contain it, the once powerful Macron seems like a nanocron. Viva La France, Viva Les etas Unis. Hope things will improve and France will return to its glory days.
2
This is such a terrible tragedy. It would probably be wise for Parisians to get out of town for a few days. Those fumes are toxic and full of lead and other toxins.
My heart goes out to the French people.
4
I'm so relieved that the structure has been saved and preserved. Am currently in France and watching the news was frightening. Thanks to all of the brave firefighters for saving Notre Dame. This fire has been tragic, but I've no doubt that the valiant people of France will restore the cathedral to all of its former glory, and that millions of people from around the world, who have been touched by this glorious place, will contribute generously to its restoration.
3
This is history playing out. Once the structure is saved and restored, people will remember the great fire of 2019 as part of Notre Dame’s legacy and timelessness.
2
This is so shocking! I can not imagine that there are people anywhere that are not feeling hearts torn with grief at the loss of this world renowned cathedral. I send my condolences to France and in particular, Parisians.
1
The interior of the building is not destroyed to the ground. Thankfully. Let us see the pictures of the inside tomorrow morning.
The roof is destroyed and the wood structure holding the bells in the two towers did not burn.
S
Look at drone pictures, most of the fire is on top of the vault except in the center.
Some hope.
7
Why are we surprised? Museu Nacional do Brasil Fire - September 2018, Notre Dame Fire - April 2019. The world had warning signs like it normally does, but with our normal 'us v them' arrogance, we wrote-off the fire in Brazil as 'Third World' incompetence and corruption.
It is also kind of eerie that most people are using these events to name-drop their vacation highlights, waxing poetic, or off designing an "I stand with Paris" avatar instead of finally demanding answers. All this technology and money and we more lost and vulnerable than ever.
3
My love to Parisians, to French speaking people everywhere, to the Roman Catholic community across the globe. I am heartbroken.
2
Grieving with all citizens of the world, with all who love history and memory and beauty and grace. May there be renewal and growth from this terrible darkness and loss.
3
So glad to hear the towers were saved - sounds like that means a lot has been preserved. Well done firefighters and all those helping and planning and responding to this emergency.
4
The last time I visited the cathedral and went inside was with my mom who has since passed away. I last went to Paris 2 years ago for her birthday. I just found a picture of Notre Dame from her birthday in 2017. I just can’t stop crying. The last time I was there I chose not to go inside thinking there’s always next time. I just can’t stop crying. I feel like the world has lost so much! Mon coeur est brisé. We are with you in our hearts, Paris, France and the world!
3
And from the President of the American religious right . . . crickets.
2
@Indiana Joan What are you talking about? Donald, Mike Pence, and Melania have already tweeted about their sadness in this matter. Trump is already getting slammed because he suggested that maybe cargo planes dropping water could help.
Why is everything always about Trump? Even when its not?
2
Trump makes everything about trump. Not us, we are the victims of this narcissism.
4
@tom harrison Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence. A hymn set to Picardy, a 17th Century French melody. Why make everything about Trump, Tom?
1
Cathedrals are built by faith and inspiration. Notre Dame is not just stone, and it will rise again.
5
It is at least fortunate that the nave has not collapsed.
5
My spouse and I visited Notre Dame several times, the last a year ago when we went with one of our children on a short stay in this loveliest of all cities on earth. I cannot read the account of this tragedy without weeping.
3
If no person was hurt in any way, I can accept this loss.
1
@Mike what about the comunerty loss? what about the loss of this incredible monument? what about when our generation can go to the cathedral? please........ its not just about the people!
3
@Mike A firefighter was badly hurt according to French news. The crowd cheered him on his way to a ambulance to express their gratitude. His condition had not been updated last time I looked but he was injured recently around 5PM EDT.
1
This kind of coverage, within moments of a catastrophe, is why Im happy to pay for the NYT. Thank you!
4
The crowd photos included in this article are absolutely spectacular but also so heartbreaking.
3
Somehow seems like Western civilization is under threat. From the left, the PC brigade onslaught, the yellow vests, open door immigration, and the right from China and totalitarianism. We need to stop and think that mankind has not come up with anything better, and likely wont.
5
Your view of left and right and what constitutes western civilization is entertaining.
6
@Jeremy P.
Also, what's relevant to the story! Is the great God of fire now somehow political? Exceedingly weird.
Fire sprinklers are good insurance for historically significant buildings like this. Most churches that catch fire burn to the ground.
2
I am reminded of the photo " the weeping Frenchman" - Google it. Breaks my heart to see the flames.
4
So much more than a building. Paraphrasing Goethe, frozen music of immense quality, representing the best of us—not some of us, not “best” in the sense that one or some of us might be considered “best of the bunch” or anything like that, but best of us, of what a community is capable when its those who comprise it give 100% to something greater than self. Also a testament to a spiritual heritage (of Christian faith and longing) virtually unknown in America, ever.
4
Humans are good at making architectural atrocities out of quick-pour concrete, glass and steel. But this was different--so different we can barely comprehend the generations of thought, prayer, purpose and exacting hand-craftsmanship that went into the construction of the ineffably beautiful structure. It cannot be replaced because each carved or bent piece of ancient tree that went into its interlocking form has no duplicate; it cannot be replaced because the craftsmanship of working with delicate limestone is now known only to a few; it cannot be replaced because the innate inspiration of twinned faith and mission has vanished like morning dew. Look to your concrete boxes that reflect our meretricious age.
3
@dressmaker
I am sure that the extensive photographic and documentary record of Notre Dame will be preserved, along with models and whatever can be saved/restored on the site. One hopes that whatever rises from the ashes , it will not be monetized as if it were an American memorial.
This is a tragedy for all of the world. Humanity - not just French, or Europeans, or Catholics, or Christians - is losing a priceless piece of its heritage today.
However, I cannot help but contrast images of Notre Dame engulfed in flames with the recent image of a black hole, light years away from us. The human race is but a mere speck in a vast cosmos. Even our greatest, seemingly most enduring works are terribly fragile, temporary, and insignificant compared with the awesome forces which surround us.
Notre Dame represents one of a series of attempts by human beings throughout their history to reach for the heavens. I suspect we will continue to do so, despite our falling to earth nearly as often as we soar. But on a day like this, it is important to appreciate just how precarious our existence really is.
7
A terrible tragedy that affects as all, whether you have been to Paris in your lifetime or not. The cathedral has stood since 1345. I am not a religious crazy of any stripe, or indeed very religious at all. But the phrase, "End of Days" keeps going through my mind.
1
Oh I am SO stunned and sad, but thanks to the firefighters for all they are doing. Paris, we are all with you and we hope for the very best for you and Notre-Dame. Love to you. It shall be restored.
4
I mourn for all of the loss, particularly the grand pipe organ built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1868. Still in use today, the organ incorporated pipes from the original organ built in 1403. Lastly please pray for the rose windows, that they make it through the night.
15
@Joe Maliga No one is reporting on the windows but I could see spoke coming out of one. Not a good sign with all that lead (still lead isn't it, not sure what they did with some restorations?) holding the glass in place.
My condolences to the people of France and all Christians.
3
Surely this can't really be happening. It feels like a nightmare.
7
PARIS WITH OUT NOTRE DAME Is like New York without the Statue of Liberty, which, ironically, was a gift from the French, created by the artist Pierre Auguste Bartholdi. It's like someone cut out the heart of Paris. Notre Dame was a constant presence, night and day, providing a focal point for the center of the city. Now the unthinkable has happened. After the horrible blaze, the Notre Dame, which felt like the center of gravity in Paris and, indeed, for the entire nation, has fallen. By comparison with the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers in lower Manhattan, the spiritual loss is incalculably more profound. The soul of Notre Dame is as deep, as profound, and sacred as any of the greatest monuments in the world. By contrast, tho mighty, the WTC twin towers were a monument to financial prowess--to wealth and power. But on many levels, devoid of a profound animating spirit, though arguably the soul of the US expressed as a herald of Freedom, welcoming those who fled tyranny, oppression and persecution. The loss of Notre Dame is unutterably sad. A light has gone out in the world. It is a knife plunged viciously into the epicenter of the Ville Lumiere. Paris. The city of lights. Now, when we see Paris, her heart is crushed and gray.
7
Vive Paris!
3
It reminds me of seeing the twin towers fall: something you never imagined you would see happen.
6
Rush Limbaugh is claiming that firefighters were prevented from stopping the fire by climate change activists saying that fighting the fire would create too much soot so as to make climate change worse. Apparently nothing is too stupid for Rush and his stooges to believe.
29
@niucame on top of that, I have heard white supremacists espouse that this fire was likely caused by some Muslim terrorist(s), alluding to some story they like to spread around that Christian churches are under attack by Muslims & leftists. All of that is highly unlikely true & even if we grant them that some churches have been vandalized, it was likely a smaller amount than what they're claiming & many of them might not even be vandalism, but renovation & conversions due to low church attendance in France. Also, Mosque attendance is pretty low in France too.
To make this even more outrageous, some Yellow Vest apologists & anti Macron conspiracy theorists are claiming that this was started by the Macron gov't to discredit the Yellow Vest movement & for him to install a police state or an Islamic theocracy on the behalf of the Rothschilds.
None of these theories make any sense, but the most plausible theory is the renovation explanation & some shoddiness of the Notre Dame:
https://nypost.com/2019/04/15/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-may-have-been-caused-by-renovation/, https://heavy.com/news/2019/04/notre-dame-renovation/, https://nypost.com/2019/04/11/work-begins-on-notre-dame-cathedral-restoration/slide-16/
1
Expensive church to renovate, and I don’t know if the scandal plagued Catholic Church can afford to rebuild.
@Novak This is art and much bigger than any religion.
5
@Novak Notre Dame is owned by the French government.
2
The roof of the cathedral is built ABOVE the stone vault. I first feared that the heavy burning oak wood would crush the vault to the floor.
From drone pictures it is clear that the vault has resisted for most of the length, with fire contained above the stone vault except at some of the intersection. From outside, no fire was seen inside the cathedral except the very central part. Rebuilding the roof is much less complicated than rebuilding the beautiful vault. Of course there are no 12 century oak trees to be used anymore. I was lucky as a child to visit under the roof an above the vault.
Seeing the drone pictures is somehow reassuring in this disaster.
10
So, let's see,
If Disney would donate even half the hundreds of millions it made from it's Notre Dame features, what a beautiful legacy from a mighty corporation.
What an exhibition of the warm heart driving capitalism toward world domination. What a wonderful way to repay the French generosity that brought us our national symbol. the Statue of Liberty.
Plus, they'd reap years of free and exclusive content.
Certainly the building may be painstakingly resurrected. Just as certainly the irreplaceable artwork and documentary history it housed is gone forever.
But what a stage for a new flowing of inspiration and artistic excellence. It could spark a second renaissance, and that would be something.
Whatever is to come, we're sorry France. We feel your loss as if it is our own, as it is.
6
@oogada - I love your idea. But Disney won't put a monorail through Notre Dame, will they?
Oh my, I have been there and loved it. I guess some things just can't last forever. I wish things will turn out well.
2
My heart broke when I first saw the news that this symbol of beauty and human achievement was in flames, but a hole was ripped in my chest when I saw the footage of the spire coming down and the whole roof ablaze.
Irreparable damage has been done not just to this treasure, but to the people whose hearts it's touched, and to the tapestry of human culture. I'm still in tears, and my heart goes out to the people of France. As a child, I was inspired to study architecture after seeing pictures of this cathedral, and other magnificent structures that embodied the potential of collaboration and selfless aspiration. Having graduated with my degree last year, I planned on finally seeing it in person.
To have this symbol of my life's passion break apart strikes at my core. I truly hope it can be rebuilt in all its inspiring splendor.
12
How could this possibly have happened? No sprinkles or anything inside protecting the building from such a catastrophe? This sounds like the burning down of the Brazilian National Museum last year. Was this neglect? This is a heritage of humanity monument, not only a French or Parisian one. It looks like history going up in flames. I'm sure parts can be reconstructed, but this is an enormous loss of the original structure. Tremendous sadness.
4
It is truly a sad day for everyone everywhere. Unfortunately, this is the third church I've seen that was being renovated and burned down. The cause of the two previous fires was due to flammable materials being left out and igniting. Whatever the case here, it's hard to believe what has transpired.
4
What kind of dope do we have as president? Instead of just passing on condolences in some form or fashion, he has to tweet firefighting advice to French firemen, which is rather insulting. Ugh!
36
@Nick
President Trump was trying to be hopeful and helpful in a desperate situation.
His tweet was the reaction of a normal human being.
2
My heart cries for this monumental loss, for the French people, for the world, for cultural heritage.
But like the fire at National Museum in Rio di Janeiro in Sept, the chances of a tragedy like this, while not entirely avoidable, can be seriously mitigated with appropriate preventative restoration, upkeep, and conservation.
We cannot continue to gut our (collective local, national, and international) budgets for infrastructure and especially the humanities in the name of fiscal austerity. We will continue to destroy our own cultural and material heritage if we do, and cannot claim to be unaware of the consequences.
3
I dislike mentioning this here, but how many of us have recently changed the batteries in our smoke detectors or recharged our fire extinguishers?
8
@A. Stanton - Once a year, the fire marshall comes through and checks every apartment. And once a year, Section 8 comes to inspect my apartment and they check it. And on top of that, the apartment management comes through once a year to check the smoke detector. I feel like I should start charging rent:)
This is the first apartment I have lived in that used battery operated smoke detectors. All the other ones were hard wired and did not need replacing - nor could you just take out the battery so the thing would quit going off every time you stir-fry.
@tom harrison
If and when I ever move to Seattle, I'll be sure to check-in with you to see how things are done there.
But where I am living, things only get done when I do them.
1
Just to answer your implied comment, Parisian firefighters check ND structure every day according to the French news.
1
My heart and soul are devastated by this.
2
The crowds look exactly as my friends and I did as we watched the World Trade Towers fall on 9/11 from across the river. There are no words.
11
Something is very wrong when individual men can amass huge fortunes, but a world treasure like this cannot get the funding needed to preserve it.
21
From California to China, from Patagonia to Siberia, from all over the world: Paris, we will help you rebuild.
6
Perhaps now is the right time to recall and thereby acquire an existential understanding of the last words of the Buddha: “And now, O priests, I take my leave of you; all the constituents of being are transitory; work out your salvation with diligence.”
2
Where in the world are the water-dropping helicopters? They likely couldn't save the spire, but what about the rest of the cathedral? The photos I've seen show the responders' water cannons unable to reach the roof.
The sad loss of an iconic wonder...
2
Dropping water as you (and DJT) suggest could have resulted in the walls collapsing. These walls are now saved. Thanks God there are specialists !
1
Heart-breaking...
2
I am heart broken! I wrote this poem upon visiting Notre Dame in 1993
Notre Dame de Paris
Late afternoon, ahh!
What a welcome, peaceful reprieve.
I sit resting my weary feet
In this splendid silence.
I sit here blessedly “alone”
While my companions,
Among other tourists,
Wander around examining
Gargoyles and stained-glass art.
I hear muffled whispers
Echoing about lofty arches.
Voices of gargoyles, perhaps.
An aching longing grips my heart.
How I want to break my voice in
Chants of spectral tones,
To hear and feel the sound
Of my own unbridled adulation.
How much, I wonder, do the gargoyles
Yearn to release their constrained feeling?
Ah, well. Not today.
I listen to the whispers.
Then a baby, being strolled about,
Sings loudly and unconsciously
In wide-throated voice.
She cups her vowels
And tosses them above respectful murmurs.
Then catches them again
To harmonize with her next brazen shout.
My heart resonates with longing.
How many others, I wonder,
Yearn like stone gargoyles
To release their passions
In harmony with the Babe?
9
Last March my wife, daughter and I traveled to France for the first time to visit our other daughter, who met us in Paris during a semester of studies in Lyon. The very first place we visited was Notre Dame, and as it was a Friday evening during Lent, we happened to walk in during a service. The soaring, somber weight of history came down upon us as we walk along the chapel's periphery, listening to the liturgy in French, admiring the statues, just soaking in the grandeur of the place. We took many photos, of course, inside and out. It was dusk then, moving toward the cold dark of late winter. Now, as the flames die off and the hollowed husk emerges, the darkness is deep and black and, I pray, not permanent. My heart aches.
7
As so many are saying, in Paris, it wasn't just a building or tourist attraction. It was an orientation point in both time and space, marking the passage of the centuries and orienting one's circuit around Paris. It was always "there." I am so glad the structure will survive, but dreading to know what irreplaceable objects and relics have been lost inside. I almost hope this has some larger cosmic meaning and is not the result of some dreadful, banal act of carelessness. What a great waste.
4
In this decidedly secular age, the symbolism of an iconic religious cathedral engulfed in flames is chilling on many levels.
The cathedral was a symbol of a time when people's thoughts and dreams aspired to the heavens, metaphorically soaring up the flying buttresses to the vaulted heavenly ceiling of the church.
Now are lives, thoughts and dreams have been miniaturized and digitized to the level of smartphones and tablets, where a 140-word Tweet is the ultimate literary expression of our age.
For those who cherish the Notre Dame experience, the smaller scale replica of Notre Dame in Montreal is well worth the visit.
2
The young lady captured the moment in three short sentences: “We lose this, we lose Paris. It is apocalyptic. And this is the Holy Week.” In a way, it may be like the mood of New York after 9-11. The City had changed. Many people in France will ask, where were you on 4-15 when you heard the news.
10
Kudos to all the brave French firefighters!
14
I was watching this fire at Notre Dame Cathedral online before the French24 live TV was even covering it. Sadly, I did not see one single water stream going on the fire for easily 30 minutes. Mind boggling that there wasn't one fire hose of water for 30 minutes. I am shocked and very, very sad.
300 years hence a tourist will be told how the belfry was wrecked in a fire in 2019. It will be one of the many ancient structures that have suffered the ravages of time in the world. Not to minimize the trauma, but this is just how it is. What goes up must come down. If nobody was hurt and it was not an intentional act, we can just be thankful. After the mess is cleaned up we will get used to the new Notre Dame and move on. Maybe somebody will eventually repair the losses but even if not we can all survive this sadness.
6
The other comments have stated well our collective feelings of deep loss. Notre-Dame was such a stunning piece of art. It could calm one's soul the way Yosemite or the Grand Canyon does when viewed at dawn.
Having said that, I couldn't help but note the timing of this event during Holy Week. It is almost like we're being reminded that even the loss of an iconic treasure should NOT impact our faith. The principals of our faith live on, no matter how many icons we lose. In fact, the Christian faith has probably never been stronger than when it had no such icons - when Christians had to gather in secret to avoid persecution.
As big as this loss is to the world of art and architecture, it should mean little to us as Christians.
3
In appreciation for the French giving us the Statue of Liberty, our true national emblem, perhaps we could return the favor by offering substantial aid in rebuilding Notre-Dame which, in many ways, is a more meaningful national symbol of the French than even the Eiffel Tower.
Let us not just send prayers, condolences, and loving thoughts the way politicians do after every mass shooting. Let us do something meaningful and relevant. Perhaps the government could set up a donation website which would allow us not merely to contribute but to demonstrate to the French that (hopefully) many millions of Americans care, that the banning of French Fries in Congress under the Bush Administration did and does not represent the true soul of the American people.
18
And to add to the horror and almost terminal embarrassment, the cretin we have elected tweets advice on fire control.
28
The roof is thousands of kilos of lead. It has reached melting point and is on the floor of the cathedral spewing tons of lead emissions into the air. The heavy lead particles quickly drop to any surface. This could be serious.
3
@Rick It is unwise to breathe in these toxins. I hope Parisians are wearing masks. If they can get out of town for a few days, they really should. Let's not make a catastrophe worse with a health crisis.
@Rick Not lead but zinc.
So sad for those who love these historical structures , for those who study history to try to make our modern world a better place and for the French people. I apologize for our intellectually challenged US “. President “ who thinks he’s an expert on all things but is actually knowledge ,fact and truth challenged on most.
3
"The French authorities, in an apparent response a tweet by President Trump that suggested using “flying water tankers” to stop the fire, stressed that the use of firefighting planes was too dangerous for the cathedral."
The man's an idiot.
13
Why have we not heard a word from Pope Francis? Strange.
1
@Nightwood
Maybe you weren't listening? He commented awhile back, with support. He of course should not be the focus, and didn't try to be.
5
@SusanStoHelit My question was a simple question. I happen to like Pope Francis as much as i can like any religious figure. Jeeze....yeah, guess i turned into late to MSBC when watching the burning of that most beautiful building on planet earth.
many broken hearts around the globe today.
4
The world grieves for France.
3
The NYT photo of the interior is somewhat positive. The fire could be consuming the wood roof but if that doesn't fall through the vaulted stone ceiling below the roof, the nave could suffer less damage. Pray the medieval masons knew how to build a strong vaulted stone ceiling.
3
How tall and beautiful can we humans build a church in 200 years?
1
I am shocked and saddened to learn this. I have visited Notre Dame many times, most recently with my children last year. It is a true treasure. I can only hope that the damage can be repaired. My heart goes out to the French, in particular Parisians- what a blow to your beautiful city. I am so sorry.
5
I am in shock. My family and I have been lucky enough to visit Paris and beautiful Notre Dame several times over the years, and each time the cathedral has left me awestruck and humbled. My heart hurts for the people of Paris...
2
Heartbreaking
4
My husband and I visited Paris in early April 2009, almost exactly a decade ago. During our trip, I was reading Victor Hugo's "Notre Dame de Paris" where the main character was not the hunchback, but the cathedral itself. We chose to climb the bell tower for magnificent views of Paris, rather than going up the Eiffel tower which seemed trite in comparison. I still remember standing there in wonder, gargoyles at my elbows. Under the magnificent bell's clapper sat little chocolate Easter bunnies on a wood stool, a whimsical touch in an aged and splendid setting.
4
I used to live on Ile--St.-Louis, and a morning never passed when I didn't walk over to say a few prayers. I haven't lived there since 2006, but when I saw the spire burning, i started to sob uncontrollably. You never forget a Dame like her. Mon coeur est brise ce soir, je suis encore un Louisien! Bon courage, ma patrie!
15
I am glad that Victor Hugo is not alive to witness this terrible destruction of the cathedral which was the setting for his magnificent novel “Notre Dame de Paris.” The enduring story of Quasimodo and Esmeralda is so inextricably linked to Notre Dame and so much a part of French culture that I almost expected the two doomed characters to emerge from the flames.
1
So sad. This loss at Norte-Dame brings everything into focus. What counts on this earth are man’s artistic treasures and achievements, love and kindness, nature’s beauty, health and peace. Wars, conflict and hate are a total waste. Mankind should embrace goodness and excellence. Now.
12
Very, very sorry to see this happening. From Georgia, I stand in solidarity and mourning with Paris.
3
Our hearts go out to the people of FRANCE, whom had supported us while we suffered not that long ago. This
is just devastating during our most HOLIEST of weeks.
We pray for all of you.
4
Surely somewhere is an overlooked Nostradamus quatrain foretelling of this event and France's current troubles. Themn again, maybe not.
The loss of Notre Dame would be tragic under any circumstance; however, coming at a time when so much of the world is ugly with hatred and violence, I think the destruction of this extraordinarily beautiful cathedral, a symbol of France, of beauty, of history and civilization is unbearably heartbreaking.
14
Thanks for your hopeful words. You are perfectly right, life goes on and this is what christianity (I am not a fervent believer or friend of the ecclesiastical institutions) teaches us.
1
My heart is broken. As a Catholic and an art historian, I feel like a piece of France died today.
5
If governments all around the world weren't so engulfed and disheartened by America's political problems, maybe they would have time to give more attention to other things.
1
God did not care to protect it. Because God does not exist. Nevertheless, as a monument to man’s skill and creativity, it was singular and special. A sad day.
1
@Bret Bingen Or perhaps "God" let it burn because its time to build something even more glorious?
"Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
"Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand,
but we must build as if the sand were stone."
1
We lose too many structures to construction repairs..
4
One wonders whether the fire that is destroying the iconic structure and an important part of French history is linked to terrorism.
I recently watched the modern classic movie “Hotel Mumbai” depicting the gripping story of an organized terrorist attack to take down an Indian landmark. It brought back memories of terrorist attacks on Parisian landmarks in the past by a similar, organized and brain-washed thugs.
Notre Dame Cathedral itself had been the target for terror many times...
On June 6, 2017, is an Algerian-born journalist named Farid Ikken, who had won an award for his prize-winning human rights writing in Sweden, attempted to breach Notre Dame Cathedral to destroy it. He attacked a police officer shouting that he was "un soldat du califat" (a soldier of the caliphate). Ikken was pursuing a doctoral degree in, what else, Communications, at the University of Lorraine on student visa in France. He communicated alright; some 900 people were trapped inside the cathedral during the attack for hours.
My heart goes out to the French people who are enduring yet another tragic event.
1
I cannot help but agree with one commenter. This is the first day of Holy Week and this fire happens. Not a good sign on so many levels.
May all of the firefighters and those investigating this blaze continue to be safe and careful.
1
This takes a bit of time to absorb, but let us not forget that the faith that inspired this great church, as well as the smaller ones recently destroyed in the US by fire, will go on.
2
From the ashes of this tragedy, let rise a new, stronger edifice...one that echoes the past, but looks to the future. Notre Dame is timeless.
1
Many Americans feel deeply with the French this horrible loss. I believe that the creativity, ingenuity, and deep love that the French have for this icon of their history and culture, will restore Notre Dame, and she will live again. Vive la France!
4
Oh,no.
We can not lose this thing of absolute beauty .
I can’t help but notice that the brunt of the fire seems to happening where jeanne d’arc’s statue is.
The structure of the building has been saved. Two thirds of the roof have been destroyed.
1
At a moment like this I’m tearful and speechless, the only words I can remember at this moment are Henry Miller’s “But even if everything is demolished, even if every city of importance is destroyed, levelled to the ground, the France I speak of will live. If the great flame of the spirit be extinguished the little flames are unquenchable; they will burst through the earth in millions of tiny tongues. Another France will be born; another holy day will be added to the calendar. No, what I saw cannot be crushed under the heel of the conqueror. It is a libel against the human spirit to say that France will be no more. France lives. Vive la France!”
6
Horrifying. I fear a very bad omen for our world. Not good.