Why has this fire touched me so much? In the middle of wars, famine and most of all, climate change, why should this cathedral mean so much to me? In a world in which, as my brother says, NOTHING is permanent, why should I care? It is not only because it is more than 850 years old. Not only because it resisted to the French Revolution, and two World Wars. It is not only because it was Victor Hugo’s love and the inspiration for a marvelous book. I think above all of the builders, carpenters, stone engravers and all of the humble people who dedicated their whole life and sometimes entire families for several generations to build something much more important, in their eyes, than themselves. For the faith these people had.
3
This remind me of the attack of 9/11 in United States and the old summer palace in China. The 9/11 event had grab world's attention to the Twin Towers in New York City. The attacked kill everyone board the planes and nearly 3,000 people on the ground. This attack not only collapse the two major towers in New York City and killed many innocent people. The damaged of the old summer palace was an imperial garden located in the capital of China. It’s structure mix with ideas from different cultures and combine with artificial features. The old summer palace contains many Chinese cultural relics, gold, silver and so on. Although, it was destroyed in 1860 and most of civilizations were burn and stole. But, it still left with some historical and architectural relics. The ruin of the old summer palace was still a very sensitive event for Chinese people because it’s a lose for China and the entire world. Therefore, we need to protect and our respect to the cultural relics because it was a gift from our ancestors.
This remind me of the attack of 9/11 in United States and the old summer palace in China. The 9/11 event had grab world's attention to the Twin Towers in New York City. The attacked kill everyone board the planes and nearly 3,000 people on the ground. This attack not only collapse the two major towers in New York City and killed many innocent people. The damaged of the old summer palace was an imperial garden located in the capital of China. It’s structure mix with ideas from different cultures and combine with artificial features. The old summer palace contains many Chinese cultural relics, gold, silver and so on. Although, it was destroyed in 1860 and most of civilizations were burn and stole. But, it still left with some historical and architectural relics. The ruin of the old summer palace was still a very sensitive event for Chinese people because it’s a lose for China and the entire world. Therefore, we need to protect and our respect to the cultural relics because it was hand down by our ancestors.
Reading the news from another website, I found more specific information about Notre Dame. The cathedral is located on an island in the center of Paris. It is medieval architecture, begin in 1163 and completed in 1345. It received about 13 million visitors a year and about 30,000 people a day. This cathedral contains nearly 800 years of history and tied up with many memories in it. However, Notre Dame was suffer from the damage and deterioration through the centuries. After the French Revolution, Notre Dame underwent a major reconstruction by the French architect Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-19th century. In this century, Notre Dame undergo a major blaze that damage the spire of the cathedral. The devastating fire on Notre Dame had caught world's attention and about 500 firefighters were trying to save it. However, the location of Notre Dame made firefighter hard to reach into the cathedral. Thousand of Parisians were gathered nearby to prey and sung the religion song. The cathedral was built with massive timber structure which made it easily to burn and hard to stop the fire. This sudden fire not only torched the landmark in France, but also triggered people around the world to deplore and regret the neglect of security.
Reading the news from another website, I found more specific information about Notre Dame. The cathedral is located on an island in the center of Paris. It is medieval architecture, begin in 1163 and completed in 1345. It received about 13 million visitors a year and about 30,000 people a day. This cathedral contains nearly 800 years of history and tied up with many memories in it. However, Notre Dame was suffer from the damage and deterioration through the centuries. After the French Revolution, Notre Dame underwent a major reconstruction by the French architect Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-19th century. In this century, Notre Dame undergo a major blaze that damage the spire of the cathedral. The devastating fire on Notre Dame had caught world's attention and about 500 firefighters were trying to save it. However, the location of Notre Dame made firefighter hard to reach into the cathedral. Thousand of Parisians were gathered nearby to prey and sung the religion song. The cathedral was built with massive timber structure which made it easily to burn and hard to stop the fire. This sudden fire not only torched the landmark in France, but also triggered people around the world to deplore and regret the neglect of security.
Reading the news from another website, I found more specific information about Notre Dame. The cathedral is located on an island in the center of Paris. It is medieval architecture, begin in 1163 and completed in 1345. It received about 13 million visitors a year and about 30,000 people a day. This cathedral contains nearly 800 years of history and tied up with many memories in it. However, Notre Dame was suffer from the damage and deterioration through the centuries. After the French Revolution, Notre Dame underwent a major reconstruction by the French architect Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-19th century. In this century, Notre Dame undergo a major blaze that damage the spire of the cathedral. The devastating fire on Notre Dame had caught world's attention and about 500 firefighters were trying to save it. However, the location of Notre Dame made firefighter hard to reach into the cathedral. Thousand of Parisians were gathered nearby to prey and sung the religion song. The cathedral was built with massive timber structure which made it easily to burn and hard to stop the fire. This sudden fire not only torched the landmark in France, but also triggered people around the world to deplore and regret the neglect of security.
Reading the news from another website, I found more specific information about Notre Dame. The cathedral is located on an island in the center of Paris. It is medieval architecture, begin in 1163 and completed in 1345. It received about 13 million visitors a year and about 30,000 people a day. This cathedral contains nearly 800 years of history and tied up with many memories in it. However, Notre Dame was suffer from the damage and deterioration through the centuries. After the French Revolution, Notre Dame underwent a major reconstruction by the French architect Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-19th century. In this century, Notre Dame undergo a major blaze that damage the spire of the cathedral. The devastating fire on Notre Dame had caught world's attention and about 500 firefighters were trying to save it. However, the location of Notre Dame made firefighter hard to reach into the cathedral. Thousand of Parisians were gathered nearby to prey and sung the religion song. The cathedral was built with massive timber structure which made it easily to burn and hard to stop the fire. This sudden fire not only torched the landmark in France, but also triggered people around the world to deplore and regret the neglect of security.
What must take priority over everything is a thorough, honest and transparent investigation. There was an immediate rush to dismiss arson, which is unprofessional. Arson may be unlikely, but investigators investigating an air crash would never dismiss deliberate sabotage so swiftly, unless they were some working for some tin pot regime. Negligence, incompetence and human error are the most likely culprits and if they turn out to be to blame, I fear some sort of cover up for political reasons as France is not known for its transparency and political reputations are at stake.
Whoever was responsible for not dealing with the first alarm is the person responsible for this. The fire could have been put out in that 20 something minutes between the first and second alarms. Much, much less damage would have occurred.
I wonder, really, if it shouldn't just be left as it is, rather like the old Coventry cathedral. Let's face it: religion is on its way out. This is a chance to acknowledge that, and not waste a billion dollars on a restoration. Can't we put our efforts into something with real value?
Leave it as it stands: a monument to the past, and now irrelevant beliefs. The future might thank us.
14
It is not the place of Americans to decide what this cathedral means to the French, and it is presumptuous for any to say what they " should" do.
We need to be sensitive to their feelings and respect the goal they set after the disaster.
62
@Jack Lee
What would you Americans do, if the Statue of Liberty broke down and fell into the sea?
Don't forget that the cathedral of Notre Dame is historically and culturally a national symbol of an enormous importance to all French inhabitants, be they catholic or not.
Let the French decide whether they will repair the damage.
17
@Jack Lee
Do you approve of the billions of dollars half of America would like to waste on the useless wall of Trump's ego? Have you no appreciation for history, art, or architecture of humankind? Anger at religion should not affect one's perceptions of medieval achievements that are much more than merely a symbol of the religious intolerance that angers you.
14
France is not merely aggressively secular. It oppresses Muslims, disdains Christians, and tolerates violence against Jews. Who can forget the terrible incident in the summer of 2016 of French police pulling the "burkini" off a Muslim woman at the beach.
And all the while, France provides all or most of the funding for Catholic churches to remain open. These buildings are hulking ghosts all over Paris, a nostalgic reminder of a time when white Catholics ruled the day. France's hypocritical stance toward Notre Dame and other churches is unlikely to get much review in the wake of this terrible fire.
Remember, France has no First Amendment. It has no right to "freedom of expression", or "separation of church and state". Even with all its problems, the US will always be a beacon of liberty compared to France.
7
@Cousy
But this is also just an expression of cultural values. And separation of church and state is still much more evident in France than it is in America. How many politicians have to say, "God Bless You" at the end of their speeches? How often do people take the oath with their hand on the Bible or occasionally, the Koran or the Torah? Even our dollar bills say "under God." As for the Catholic churches France supports, they are the legacy of cultural and artistic history--of value not only to the religious, but also to the secular.
The French motto is "liberté, égalité, fraternité". And secularism is a way of showing that. They see "freedom" as not as the freedom of expressing your individual religious preferences in public, but the freedom from having to see any markers of religious expression in public. Religion is something private and to be practiced at home.
I'm not necessarily arguing for French secularism versus our freedom of religious expression, but these things are deeply embedded into the cultural history of a nation. Their secularism (really, a stand-in for equality) comes out of a history of the French Revolution just as our religious freedom comes out of our history of the American Revolution.
35
@Cousy Incorrect. Franch does indeed have a separation of church and state.
Laïcité ([la.i.si.te]), literally "secularity", is a French concept of secularism. ... For the last century, the French government policy has been based on the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State.
The 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and State (French: loi du 9 décembre 1905 concernant la séparation des Églises et de l'État) was passed by the Chamber of Deputies on 9 December 1905. Enacted during the Third Republic, it established state secularism in France.
Notre Dame is part of the cultural heritage of France and as such will be cared for by the state.
17
@g
There are many people, Muslims especially, who do not feel equal. Secularism is really a stand-in for white male oppression.
4
It hasn’t raised questions about any of these things. If I burn some toast does it raise existential issues about my life. Editorialising.
7
What would the world look like if polar ice melt was able to inspire this kind of emotional outpouring and fundraising? Is an Arctic glacier any less majestic, or sacred, or relevant than a human-made structure? Where will our sadness be directed when sea level rise causes the Seine to flood its banks and reshape an entire city?
3
When I saw the news of the fire on Notre Dame, I was shocked and deplored. For many people in this world, European is not only an European country, but also symbol of openness, freedom, romance, delicacy, elegance, and so on. In the recent years, there are many cultural heritages were damage or lose. Notre Dame is a sacred place that was exist for many generations. For many people Notre Dame is more than a cathedral. It's loss for entire world. I saw many people were prey with tears in their eyes and bless. Hope Notre Dame will be fine. I believe the Banks of the Seine must be flowing with sadness.
4
The Soul of France is so much more than this fire. It’s a tragedy for Catholics, and man’s ability to build great works of art for that matter, but they will over come it. Faith comes in many forms. Lack of donations won’t be one of them.
3
On monday evening my wife and I were drinking a coffee in the terrace of a brasserie, waiting to attend a conference. A firetruck, blocked in the street, made a lot of noise with its siren. When at the conference, we discovered the reason on Twitter : Notre Dame est en feu ! It was not true, and I refused to learn about it, see a photo or watch a video. But it must be reality. Living in Paris or beside since 4 decades, a lot of courage will be necessary to go and see Notre Dame blessée. No doubt It will be prettier than before.
3
If Macron can now get on with his pro business tax reforms, Arnault and Pinault will be able to donate several hundred million more to restoration.
1
It's a movingly beautiful building, even in the photos. Like a strong and vibrant person she will survive. If this structure had to suffer this heartbreaking damage I hope she will come out more elegant and attractive than ever. She need not be the very same, she'll be Notre Dame Plus, so to say.
Still looking at photos I shudder at the immensity and delicacy of the project. I don't envy those who will be charged to operate on this patient. Just defining the work is a mind-boggling prospect.
The five-year repair horizon may not be realistic. There are reasons why cathedral building work is such a historically lengthy process. Few craftsmen with track record of successful gargoyle maintenance and flying buttress repair are waiting in line to expertly do the work, even in Europe.
4
My Condolence to all French People !
The world is in shock of what has happen this week in Paris.
We all are morning with you for the partial loss of the most
beautiful Cathedral of Notre Dame.
Times like this remind us, to reflect on what life is all about and
for what reason we are here on earth.
No finger pointing has it’s place at such a moment.
We have forgotten, what maybe our forefathers of long ago, still knew deep in their souls, to build that most beautiful house of worship.
Let us all get together to rebuild, for the people of all Nations and Religions, to give praise and gratitude to our one Father we all come from.
7
I read $8B (not $250B) over decades to rebuild. Similar to the renovation of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster. I’m glad I got to see Notre Dame 50 years ago and I’m sorry it was damaged. But it’s still there and the renewal effort should be a positive thing for the people of France. Vive Notre Dame.
5
@Doug Lowenthal:
Notre Dame is located in France, both as a Catholic Church, and as a an old, beautiful piece of art that has been here for hundreds of years. It is a tremendous loss of an historic blessing, whether you are Catholic or not. It will never be the same as we remember it. It is a familiar treasure which has brought us to its tremendous beauty and site of peace and prayer for centuries. I feel a hole in my heart at this tremendous loss. I hope I will live long enough to see its beauty again before I die.
2
Such contradictions. On the one hand the loss of an impressive ancient architectural monument, yet all the commentary ignores that it was built by bonded labor of serfs as a monument to a religion that slaughtered and burned hundreds of thousands in Europe and millions across the world. France, like the UK etc. is full of artistic and historic treasures stolen from the third world. All the hypocrisy of the French state, proclaiming secularism while massively subsidizing the Catholic Church, enforcing laicité against Muslims, while proclaiming the Catholic character of the French nation. Surely millions of French Muslims have no doubt that no such statements would be made for them. Trump and his ilk are already insinuating that it was the Muslims or immigrants behind the fire. It would be good for the French to match their reconstruction fund with an equal one for all their cultural destruction in Africa and Asia.
8
The French are mourning.
6
@Garry:
People around the world mourn with them.
3
excellent piece and well chosen photographs with illuminate much better than the repetive tv images than have no context of place......endless shots of spire coming down.....and no mention of trump wanting to sends cargo places full of water.....
2
Now ND will become Sagrada#2.
2
It reveals nothing about the soul of France.
3
@Alix Hoquet:
It reveals much to souls around the world.
2
What it should reveal is the soul of mankind.
How can that be replaced.
It can not.
We must all contribute selflessly to its reconstruction.
This is not only a French boat, but one of humanity.
F3
5
The courage and fortitude of the French in the face of such tragedy, the incredible fire figters, the people and their President, have helped the entire world cope with the burning of Notre Dame de Paris. Yes, we will miss how this magnificent monument to faith, art and architecture was - but let us take joy in what it will become for the present and the future. We must say to the French nation, "merci mille fois!" Je suis Paris!
8
The destruction at Notre Dame has shaken me deeply. But the meanspiritedness of some commenters dismays me even more. Almost gleefully, they seize the opportunity to belittle the destruction of a monument to faith, because they do not share that faith and because they resent what that faith has accomplished for humanity - yes, despite its many failings. If they could, they would dance on the grave of people more sensible than they of humankind's saving graces, despite all our vices.
19
There are two entirely different and basically unconnected stories reported in this article: (1) the damage to a great cathedral and the not surprising French resolve to rebuild it, and (2) the current political and social turmoil in France. Leave it to the NYT, and the sensationalistic media in general, to attempt to yoke these disparate stories by violence together. The story of Notre Dame has nothing to do with current political or social unrest. It is, quite to the contrary, the story of a great nation's abiding love for its history. But I guess that doesn't make for a good story.
11
I went to Paris once and I will never forget that magical city . It is as if it exists in a world in its own ; blessed with beauty , soulfulness and such elevated charm .
I stll remember looking at this most magnificent church and was in complete awe . It hurts my heart to see this .
My heartfelt sympathies go out to all the French people who have suffered this loss and it is indeed a loss for the entire world.
Macron brings hope on this sad day.
22
It saddens me that people feel the need to be so spiteful in other people expressing their sorrow. It's not right to measure how one loss is greater than another, there is no comparison. Losses hurt and the destruction to Notre Dame really hurts. Many Parisians adore this monument, on our way to work, we pause at its magnificence. It makes you think about time passing and how our lives are a blink of an eye in the lifetime of this cathedral which has stood for more than 850 years. It reminded us how it could outlive visitors who wandered past, in wonder of its beauty. We have the right to grieve, yes there are countless causes and tragedies that I feel passionate about but we cannot measure them against another. It's unfair and hurtful to tell someone their pain is petty. Notre Dame is many symbols. This gothic architectural masterpiece is a testament of human ingenuity, the toils of labor over centuries, art, a heritage, religion, a place people found sanctuary and inspiration. I'm still in awe as I was an art history student in my teens. Paris is my adopted hometown- to see Notre Dame and its glory after receiving my french citizenship (the ceremony is just next door) was magical and you could see Quasimodo cheering us new citizens on. So now we have the right to hope for our Notre Dame and it doesn't belittle any other cause that we care for her, no shame but pride in our aspirations and beliefs. I'm optimistic and in my heart I'll be able to visit her soon.
31
I am a secular humanist, but as a non-believer, I feel profound sadness because I love history, architecture and beauty, all the things that the Cathedral of Notre-Dame represented. I also empathize with the people of France, religious and non-religious, who are feeling such a profound loss.
29
It also represents Catholicism.
5
$235 Billion?
Imagine...if we put that much emotion, energy, and true treasure into something that actually serves people?
Oh, I don't know, a system to clean up the Seine? A way to grow food in city center with minimal carbon input? A place for the homeless to thrive?
No, let's glorify some magical in-the-sky 2000 year dead carpenter...Humans, we deserve what we do to ourselves!
12
Amen.
2
It is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris. It is not the cathedral of France. All the cultural accretions are as nothing before the faith. France must renew its devotion to the Blessed Mother to find its soul again.
13
I see this as a metaphor for Christianity. I hate to see such a long-standing archetype to Christianity go up in smoke. But I feel reassured that countries are ready to spend BILLIONS to restore it, while millions are still stranded in poverty. (Statement made with dripping sarcasm.)
8
i was in a group hiking down into the Grand Canyon as the building initially caught fire. It was a great topic of concern to our whole group and we were without any news for the next 36 hours. As we headed out today and different hiking groups started gaining internet access word quickly spread about the outcome. It feels like a tragedy clear across the world.
12
Someone tell Tucker Carlson to read this. Lovely piece.
5
France is France and the Cathedral will be refurbished perfectly and this terrible fire will be part of the history. The masterpiece stands and firefighters of note worked their magic and the citizens will raise the funds to repair the Cathedral. I'm buying a ticket to Paris now to support France but I'll avoid visiting the neighborhood because I could not bear viewing the wounded site.
10
'...Notre Dame “is much more than a cathedral.'
Perhaps. But in its essence, it remains a Roman Catholic cathedral. Perhaps the most luminous physical object, but only one among innumerable contributed by that religion to humanity. Genuine tolerance is the ability to be thankful for the contributions even of those with whom we otherwise disagree vehemently
21
I think Jean Claude Van-Dame is Belgian with French ancestry. Here it is from the Horses mouth.
youtu.be/M7FIvfx5J10
When you own the Transcendental Plane. Causal, Astral, and Physical plane are your Toys. AS per a French Idiom, "The person with most Toys Wins"
1
We must be thankful to Arnault, Pinault and others in the 0.1% who step forward with donations at time like these. But I would like to know where they were when plans for the renovations of Notre Dame were being made. Had there been more money available at the beginning, could this accident have been averted?
11
So much for all the tears and histrionics and personal recollections by American tourists and religious conservatives. One day later, this monument to medieval mysticism, official state religion and the divine rights of monarchs to rule over their subjects with an iron fist still stands. Hallelujah.
11
@Ed,
You do realize that Christianity in France is no longer a state religion, but that there are nations where state religion exists? Dare you take that on? Perhaps, but so far, not.
20
@AR,
You have only partial information which has led you to an incorrect conclusion. The French government owns all church building constructed before 1905*. Therefor, the cost of reconstruction of Notre Dame, inter alia, is the responsibility of the owners of the property, ie; the French government. Macron's statement no more reinstates Roman Catholicism as a state religion than any of Trump's statements reinstate racism as state policy in America. Since Europe and Western Civilization as we know it exists thanks to Charles Martel's victory in 732 A.D. at Tours over the Umayyad Caliphate**, the impossiblity of revising French history without the Roman Catholic church does not imply a lack of change in that relationship.
In brief, your position projects a past that no longer exists onto the present.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1905_French_law_on_the_Separation_of_the_Churches_and_the_State
** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours
1
You are mistaken. While not "official" the French state massively subsidizes the Catholic Church, its schools, it's buildings, retirement homes, hospitals, etc. aside from tax shelters, etc. Macron's statement made it clear that the reactionary Catholic Church is indeed the state church. The so-called "laïcité" of today is just a cudgel against Moslems.
2
One of the greatest masterpiece's created in our great Western Civilization! Excellence!
21
i was in a group hiking down into the Grand Canyon as the Cathedral initially caught fire. It was a great topic of concern to our whole group and we were without any news for the next 36 hours. As we headed out today and different hiking groups started gaining internet access word quickly spread about the outcome. It feels like a tragedy clear across the world.
10
@Tammy'
How appropriate to hear from someone who has just experienced one of our natural wonders now threatened by the monument building hubris of the same kinds of folks that brought us ND. If we can't build human monuments that last forever, we can destroy natural ones that do.
3
I am mindful of the archetypal myth of the Phoenix, which shows up in Egyptian, Islamic, Hindu, Greek, Jewish, and Christian sources: the fabulous bird that self-immolates and rises from its own ashes. Christianity is like that. As a Catholic Priest and student of history, when I look at all the attempts in history to destroy Christianity, and all the attempts it has made to destroy itself from within, and see that it is still alive in the human condition, I take hope that a Higher Power is involved. I have no doubt that Notre Dame, so often in the center of the destructive forces that have swirled around the religion it enshrines, will rise from its Lenten ashes and continue to thrive as a symbol of humankind reaching for a good beyond itself. Heaven knows, with the state of the world today, we need that affirmation.
30
This story was a reminder of a fact I had forgotten: literally everything else in Paris, and beyond, is measured by its distance from Notre Dame.
20
It is always sad when a beautiful object is damaged or destroyed. Naturally, almost all of us will mourn. A beautiful ancient building can be a religious icon to some, a cultural icon to others, and a monument to history for others. The proportion of people that have each reason for admiration will continue to change but even the darkest interpretations of history must not stop us from treasuring these icons of the past.
22
It reveals that sometime in my lifetime, probably, I can look forward to taking off my shoes, and settling in for a lovely afternoon prayer, as the call echoes from the minarets of the Great Mosque of Paris, as it has been Hagia Sofia'd.
3
Thank you for you love and support. It means a lot and I feel better reading you.
23
@Philippe You definitely have that love and support, you and all your countrymen, whether born in France or hailing from a former colony, whether Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu or atheist. You are all French, and Notre Dame belonged and belongs to all of you, transcending creed, class and color. Our hearts go out to you all, monsieur. 😇
7
"Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries." From The Hunchback of Notre Dame
15
This building should have had its own fire suppression team trained in all the what if’s of this structure. This priceless jewel also should have its own armed police . There should be a state of the art sprinkler system throughout and a halon system for the roof. No expense should be spared. Now let’s get to the bottom of who started this fire right before Holy Week. The media is pushing the accident theme which tells me it isn’t.
12
@Bill Lombard Agreed indeed! They don’t know what caused the fire, but they know it wasn’t arson! It’ll take months to investigate to determine a cause, but they know it wasn’t arson!
To the author of this article: we Catholics still believe in heaven and hell. We believe Our Lady/Notre Dame is appearing in Medjugorje. We are educated, rational beings that recognize the economy of faith, not as a foolish act, but of the greatest logic: beauty and love.
19
Well, that's sad to hear. Ancient superstition has no place in the 21st century. But Notre Dame is a precious icon and of enormous historical value. There is good reason to see that it's restored.
7
@Diana thank you for saying this! I hate how the media is treating the faith as if it’s in the past tense. It’s really disrespectful and shows a lack of understanding of what Notre Dame represents to so many.
10
@DianaEducated yes. Rational, no.
2
I visited Paris last Summer and besides ND there are lots of other very interesting cathedrals and places of worship there. We visited one dedicated to St. Augustine that was very interesting, so the French need not worry, they have back ups to ND. Since I had seen ND many times before we visited other places that spoke to the heritage of the French.
What I found curious was a report that the original crown of thorns worn by Christ were in ND. This is where I begin to get uncomfortable. This kind of marketing that cannot be scientifically verified is what gives religion a bad name. Scientist have looked at such artifact (pieces of the cross Christ died on) and found them to be fakes. It's that kind of thing that I am sure the French have moved beyond.
6
@G. Harris Mr. Harris, I take your remarks to be well-intentioned, and certainly, throughout Christendom, there is a regrettable history of peddling relics, but Notre Dame is not analogous to a cell phone or a debit card, a thing for which one can easily substitute another of its like. I mean, I'm going to cry when I have to sell my car in ten years or so. 😂 How much more traumatic is the violent loss of a cathedral built over decades and even centuries, and felt to hold the heart of the nation, and even of Western Civilization? Again, I know you meant no harm. And you're clearly articulate and reasonable. That being said: rhetorical situation--learn it, live it, love it! 😸
1
This is such a tragic loss. On the bright side, I felt as if this terrible event brought us human beings all around the globe closer together, even if only briefly.
Were that we could put aside our differences and see that we are all human beings, the one species that could actually save the earth from massive destruction and global warming.
No matter what God you pray to, no matter your country, your identity, we are all one - we human beings have an opportunity, an extraordinary opportunity to save the planet. If we can just put aside our differences before it is too late.
10
@Lotus Blossom
Bright side? Are you kidding?
There are not very many man-made places on this Earth that have the ability to unfailingly evoke a sense of awe and wonder, that can make one feel as if a divine presence is not a fantasy but perhaps, a tangible reality. Notre Dame was (and hopefully will again be) one of those places. The shock and grief felt by so many - of all faiths and beliefs - after this devastating fire attests to our wonderfully human desire that there be places where that connection can be accessed.
Even for those who have never visited but only saw an image, or for those who passed it by every day without a second glance, its presence made itself felt, like a beating heart which, though invisible, does its work tirelessly and selflessly in the background.
Ultimately, Notre Dame is not the the stones, the pews, the artwork or the wooden beams. It is not the paintings, the relics, the stained glass, the flying buttresses or the arches. It's not even the blood, sweat and tears of the workers, the architects, the congregants, the patrons, the artists, the faithful, the unfaithful, everyone who ever took a photograph, climbed the tower, or lit a candle. It's not the city it's in, the kings, the wars, or the coronations. It's all of that and none of that, completely indescribable. And so necessary. Reaching backwards and forwards in time, many will come together again to rebuild and remake, and enter into history as it continues to unfold....
38
@Laura. Thank you for your beautifully expressed thoughts.
2
I am French and feel comfortable with my European identity. I do not understand the story and meaning of Easter. Luckily for me, France chose 230 years ago not to be a fundamentally Roman Catholic country. Steven Erlanger's article is about a country different from mine, whose history of religious persecutions and crimes I may not wish to visit.
9
@PF
I would like to share with you what Easter is about. Easter is about Jesus Christ, a man who is also the Eternal God. It is about his death as an eternal sacrifice for our sins, to atone for those who put their faith in him, and his resurrection to eternal life. It’s about the Creator of life laying down his life in order to give us life. He rose from the dead because death could not contain him. That is what Christians celebrate at Easter. I hope you don’t mind my sharing.
5
My favorite verse from a poem - "Morte D'Arthur" by Alfred Lord Tennyson
"The old order changeth
Yielding place to the new
And God fulfills Himself in many ways
Lest one good custom should so corrupt the world."
There is much symbolism of Notre Dame and it's partial destruction. Arthur as he lay dying was comforting Merlin on what would become of the Knights of the Round table. They knights were scattered, their leader dying and yet something new was emerging as Arthur tried to console Merlin, but it is hard in the moment to see what is emerging. It is a paradox that what can inspire and lift our spirits can also hold the power to stiffle that which is new, that which is different. Merlin was fearful of the new and the new strangers he would encounter, and in his wisdom Sir Arthur tried to comfort him and spoke those words.
There are many things changing in life, old institutions are collapsing - causing us to run to our secluded corners in the boxing ring, fearful of the new and fearful of the stranger. My hope is that we honor what Notre Dame represented in the past and present and yet be brave enough build something that will embrace past, present and future. One of the messages of the cathedral is that it welcomed all regardless of skin colour, religious belief or place in society.
Those walls and gargoyles could teach us much if only walls could talk.
21
Ah yes, art and religious inspiration. The architecture of Notre-Dame is divinely inspired.
In North America, we are so utilitarian in our architecture. Some cities please (Quebec City, for example) but often for us any interesting architecture exists among a rabble of commercial buildings.
Many people say that Vancouver (the Canadian one) is a beautiful city. But it's not. It's in beautiful surroundings, but the city itself is quite prosaic.
8
Actually, with Queen Elizabeth Park, Stanley Park, all the many harbors, some lovely buildings and very, very lovely people, Vancouver BC is a stunningly beautiful city.
7
@Ambrose
Absolutely! If only we could return to the days of yore, when the church and state levied vast taxes on the peasant class to build grand edifices to themselves and their gods. Perhaps we could speed things up by enlisting some of the new-breed of slaves. What? Oh of course; sorry. I meant to say unpaid interns, side-gig professionals and a teeming mass of undocumented immigrants.
3
@Ambrose Victoria, BC is truly beautiful.
2
From this University of Notre Dame grad, sympathy and love for all in a Paris, France and the world who honor Our Lady.
15
As a New Yorker living in Paris I question the accuracy of the first sentence of this article. In my experience the French are very insistent that they are a secular nation. Any display of religion is banned in schools (you are not allowed to wear a cross visibly around your neck in a public school). Secularism is written into their government and their law in a way much more direct than any notion of separation of church and state in the US. Not sure how that makes them a Roman Catholic nation.
37
Although what you state is mostly right, it is true that a majority of French people have a Catholic background and culture. For example, a lot of Catholic celebrations are public holidays. Easter Monday is a day off, and a lot of cities organize Easter eggs hunts.
I think Americans draw the 'lay' line differently, we do not object to Christmas trees in public places, while Americans do, but our everyday language does not resort to such words as 'blessed' or 'faith.'
Still, because of our history, literature, and monuments, we are still a very Catholic country. Also, do not forget that pretty much every Catholic celebration is associated with special dishes: epiphany, or King's cake day, is a very good example of a tradition upheld by most civil servants. We celebrate the New Year at work by eating galette: the best of both worlds.
11
@American in Paris
That is the difference between an active religion, and cultural heritage.
The French are no longer actively religious, but recognize that their culture originated in and is incomprehensible without its Catholic foundation.
French art, architecture, history, literature, can only be understood through understanding its Catholic origins.
8
@American in Paris Have you heard of the national holidays Toussaint, Fete de l'assomption or Pentecote? Have you wondered why the French word for rock is pierre? Chrisitianity is embedded into the French culture and language in many ways.
2
In 1962 as a child, visiting from the US, Notre Dame was the most memorable thing in all of Europe to me. It brought to life the immensity and gravity of human history and endeavor; and an expansive space to know an unlimited God, a God of more gravitas than I knew on the open prairie in small, simple churches.
Through centuries of tumult, Notre Dame has stood reliably. We need an anchor to something of consequence for reassurance in uncertain times. If it survives, we survive. If we die, we leave behind something of permanence, anchoring our presence in the past. We and our history are not lost.
I will be donating to its reconstruction. I will help it stand for permanence, sacredness, and continuity forward and backwards in time. I will be a part of it into the future, joining in a small way, the original builders of this great structure, and a magnificent civilization.
This cathedral makes you think of great things, and reassess your complacency. Maybe if you come from a great civilization, you should conduct yourself accordingly. Maybe we can lay up the stones of our lives with more care and design. Maybe we aren't insignificant.
32
@Summer Beautiful. That is what I wish I'd been able to say myself. Thank you.
6
One thousand oaks now there is the real tragedy... Yes, it was the beginning of the end.
7
Unlike Americans, Europeans take their religion with enough salt to know it shouldn't be taken seriously as a moral authority. It is all pageant and history. French Muslims have more in common with real Catholicism than 90 percent of Frenchmen. I don't think it is difficult to reconcile a respect for religious symbols in history along with a healthy contempt for religion itself. Perhaps the same sort of logic could be applied to Civil War memorials in the Southern U.S. states.
19
The Ave Maria sung by young people outside the church gave me hope that young French will rediscover their Catholic heritage.
31
I must have been dreaming last night because I believed something terrible happened yesterday, something so profound and murderous and divisive that I could barely imagine the scope of the loss. The World Trade Center towers had crumbled to the Earth, attacked by an unknown enemy coming out of the clear blue sky on a perfect morning early in September. That was my morning today, the day after Notre-Dame burned to the ground. My feelings were confused, oblique, familiar. Wait a moment I'm not dreaming, the World Trade Center really did collapse and fire consumed France's most precious cathedral.
"Are there not some places where we seem to breathe sadness? — why, we cannot tell. It is a chain of recollections — an idea which carries you back to other times, to other places — which, very likely, have no connection with the present time and place." Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo.
10
The world entrusted the French People with a precious treasure, Notre-Dame.
Oops.
7
Tragedies happen. Let's not blame the people who protected Notre Dame for 8 centuries.
16
@Tom Mariner
The world doesn't own that pile. The world has its own concerns.
4
@Tom Mariner Yes indeed. Especially the French State which has custody of Notre Dame. IMO the fire represents the incompetence of a custodian too disinterested to properly care for such a priceless object!!
It boggles my mind that craftsmen had left their signatures in the rafters "forest" 800 years ago! Oh, to have seen that! The anonymous creators who graced the world with such tremendous art in praise and worship are worthy of gratitude forever too. Reminds me of "Joan of Arcadia" - https://youtu.be/VRQWY2kEJLk
Your work blesses us. The Lord knows your name.
24
Notre Dame used to be used as a market place and had livestock in it before the brilliant Victor Hugo radicalized France to restore it. It will be restored again.
I am not Catholic, but I visit the Cathedral every single time I go to Paris (many times over my life). And I have a deeply spiritual experience every time. But it is not rooted in worship of a white male god, it is rooted in the sheer amazement of what everyday humans can accomplish when united in a single purpose.
It is truly a beautiful and a sacred place that folds us all into her arms.
And you don't have to be catholic or Christian or even 'religious' to connect with that healing spirit.
131
Notre Dame is irreplaceable and yes, I agree it is magnificent and does symbolize our perfection that is not expressed in the world of language, of sometimes hatred, and fear. Yet Notre Dame was created at a different time in history, when there was also a great gap between the rich and the poor. The re-building of the cathedral, while it is difficult to bring this issue to the forefront, is happening through the generosity of many. Yet, I can't help but wonder how many poor people there are, immigrants, and those needing more opportunities in the world, that would be more served if those millions improved their lives, and that Notre Dame could be more modestly re-built, for instance, with steel supports instead of the wood from many old-growth forests.
10
@K.M. “ The poor will be with us always.”
6
A good metaphor. The religion is burnt around its edges and for the world to see. But inside the structure remains intact and the sanctuary viable. Looking forward to the rebuild when France and the world can put this episode behind them and move forward, together.
11
As a twenty-three-year-old, I entered the ancient Cathedral with a sense of historic wonder. The cathedral was empty, as I remember, and ethereal choral music was playing from the Notre Dame boys choir.
I felt one of those transcendent moments that one never forgets.
The French have given us one of the most iconic and proud achievements of the medieval world. Let us believe that it will be repaired so that future generations can experience the wonder and beauty of the best of human endeavor.
76
It will be rebuilt and it will be successful. Look no further than the Frauenkirche in Dresden for an example.
23
@LeftCoastReader I thought of the Frauenkirche as well. It was almost totally destroyed in the February 1945 bombing. It is also a much smaller church.
5
@LeftCoastReader and how long did that take? I'm 59 and a Paris resident; not sure I'll make it to 119. (Not to mention that the Frauenkirche is tiny in comparison to Notre Dame.)
2
@Michael Ashworth
As long as the communists governed Dresden (1945 - 1989), no attempts were made to rebuild the Frauenkirche.
After the decline of commuism, the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche took ca. 10 years (1994 - 2005). President Macron's announcement to manage the repair within five years is not completely unrealistic, but - on the other hand - very optimistic.
7
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Matthew 18:20
53
So there was that first fire alarm and nothing found?? There's a story there.
11
Macron at last seems to have found his job !
10
In addition to history, belief, effort, survival, Notre Dame is our mother’s womb and the maternal body, with its incandescent beauty and its scars. We cannot look at it objectively. We cannot distance ourselves and we feel that we have failed to protect it, honor it. So we weep when we see it today.
13
Countless commenters - people from all walks of life - report having experienced their own inner peace under the roof of this "living sacred space."
Maybe this blaze - the light of the ancient trees - is an alarm - calling on all of us to reflect on why spaces of solace, love and brotherhood -churches, temples, mosques, museums, schools, meeting places, natural settings are under siege in our time.
May we turn back the fires that threaten all we hold dear.
62
April 16, 2019
The soul being alive and well will be shocked at times and be must respect this our universal mystery / mysteries of faith that is right and universal yet local when we believe it is the center of my life....
4
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was banged up pretty badly yesterday with the fire, smoke and heat damage. A percentage of things will not be fixable. But the spirit and soul of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame will survive, as will the spirit and souls of every person in Paris and throughout France. They will rebuild and restore together. There will be strength and hope through out the process.
I have incredible faith and love for the citizens of Paris and France.
Stay strong and never waver your resolve.
23
Thank you for this perceptive and gracious piece.
17
It is a terrible thing to know our own place in this world is so brief, when we love our world so dearly.
And so we are driven to create, to build a monument worthy of our heart's longing---a monument that is vast and beautiful and as tall as possible, and that evokes our love of this life and our longing for more of it. France poured the wealth of a nation, their greatest creative skills, and the labor of hundreds for over a hundred years to make Notre Dame, a place to evoke wonder, beauty, and the longing of our hearts for more of this sweet world.
Everyone can feel this, even if you have no religion.
40
As imp[ortant as this cathedral was to France and to Catholics was there prevention measures taken toprotect the most important partsof this building, or was it left to chance? I hope they do a thorough investigation into the causes and find out what really happened. If there were perpetrators in this fire then they need to be caught and punished. but the renovation, if done needs protection for more of its assets in the future.
7
This is a tragedy for all human kind.
There is a great book by Ken Follett called "The Two Pillars." While fiction, it gives a brilliant explanation of how the great cathedrals were built. It also discusses how fire was a constant fear. In the book, a cathedral burns down exactly as described in the Notre Dame fire - fire in the attic in which the wood beams ignite.
I think this tragedy has less to say about Europe than it does about the Roman Catholic Church and the sex abuse scandal. A fire raging from within, threatening to destroy the whole structure. The difference of course is that Notre Dame appears to be the result of an accident.
In the case of the sex abuse scandal, it would be like if the fire department was called and the firemen responded, "No, there is no fire."
But with some tragedies, there is great opportunity. This indeed may be one. Notre Dame will be rebuilt. And maybe, mankind will rediscover its humanity.
13
@Al Miller
I believe the English version of the Ken Follett book is called "The Pillars of the Earth".
2
Well, trying to look on the bright side, dim though it may be, at least this is not as bad as the sacking of the library at Alexandria, of which nothing was left. Now, at least there are substantial remains on which to rebuild. We should do that, as a tribute to the original builders and because the cathedral is a touchstone of Western civilization which is under serious threat from many directions today. Okay, lamentation time is over. Grab a broom. Let's get to work.
31
In the midst of yellow jacket turmoils in France seemingly to the bursting point of destroying it, the burning of Notre Dame is an act of God. And His message is to remind all of France of how its people came together many times in history to build this priceless treasure to God for mankind.
Once again a conflagration from the Il'e de City a soulful call is made to each boy and girl, man and woman, immigrants and lifelong citizens of France to come together once again and remind the world why there is only one Notre Dame and it is in Frace.
13
As Rick said to Ilsa in some gin joint awhile back
"We'll always have Paris"
... in our hearts.
16
I loved this quote from the Muslim political scientist at the Sorbonne: "These days it’s the morons who dictate what we should debate.” And watch, and read, ad infinitum... The French still have a strong cultural propensity for telling it like it is, always in a charming and thought-provoking fashion. Long live France!
61
Il sera reconstruit. La civilisation n'abandonne pas facilement.
Avoir du courage toute la France.
It will be rebuilt. Civilization does not give up easily.
Have courage, all of France
39
On France 24 I saw an interview with a Jewish writer who said that the Cardinal of Paris (also Jewish) took him to visit the Cathedral when he arrived in Paris. He noted that the sculptures on the front of the cathedral were 13 Jewish Kings.
France has always been fairly secular but they know what to keep and what to let go of where the monuments to past religious eras are concerned.
7
@JFMACC
A Jewish cardinal?
3
The sheer beauty and wonder of the Cathedral Notre-Dame is testament to what Man can achieve on Earth. It forever stands as a beacon to Man's highest aspirations.
17
@marv c. It has a wee bit to do with God too.
2
@Diane We built Notre Dame, not God.
@Diane Touché!
"France has one unwavering goal: It will be rebuilt." A goal shared by all of France's friends throughout the world.
27
“I’m a Muslim but I’m still very moved when I see this place,” he said. “It represents something deep, it transcends us. It’s a loss, not only for France but for the entire world. It’s as if the pyramids in Egypt were destroyed.”
Mr. Mbowou, a muslim, so eloquently, poignantly, graciously and unselfishly celebrates not only the cathedral's structure but its spirit –– namely the deeply held traditions linked so closely to the je ne sai quoi that it inspires.
Traditions are held sacred because they have taken root in our spiritual bones and to honor them is also to honor the memories of our ancestors ... who may very well have been horribly flawed but who nevertheless evoke feelings of awe, respect and gratitude.
Progressives should take note that NOT all forward movement is necessarily just or inevitable and that traditionalists and their traditions have merit and are worthy of respect.
... Might win some elections, too, by genuinely honoring a civilization’s roots, while at the same time advocating for adaptations made indispensable by the present conditions.
59
I too was saddened to see the Notre-Dame fire take place.
At the same time, it is beyond belief that no one in France had the foresight years ago to install a state of the art water sprinkler system to preserve he structure and those "priceless works of art"....
Now that donations are pouring in, maybe someone might start looking into that as the rebuilding takes place.
12
@John
The building was badly in need of renovation, and there had been a good deal of bureaucratic nonsense between the State (which owns the building) and the Catholic Church (to which it is leased) over how the renovations were to be carried out. They were, of course, in progress when the fire occurred, and probably were connected in some way to its cause.
This is explored and explained in several other articles in the NYT today.
Very few first-class monuments, in France or anywhere else in the world, are protected at any given moment by state-of-the-art security systems. There is never enough money.
24
@John
I suppose the lack of a sprinkler system was from lack of funds. I visited the cathedral in 1962 when I was a child. It had an air of perpetual poverty, begging for donations, which seemed never enough for basic building maintenance. There was an air of doom and desperation. Many cathedrals throughout Europe were the same, following the devastation of WWII.
8
@herzliebster
You believe "there is never enough money" for places like the Cathedral of Notre Dame to be protected by up-to-date security systems. I don't know how you calculate, but I cite this from TIME MAGAZINE (2/26/65): "Bankers' best guesses about the Vatican's wealth put it at $10 billion to $15 billion. Of this wealth, Italian stockholdings alone run to $1.6 billion, 15% of the value of listed shares on the Italian market. The Vatican has big investments in banking, insurance, chemicals, steel, construction, real estate."
The article also noted that in its investment activity, the Church pays no taxes. Not bad for the largest landowner in Europe.
Now we learn that Notre Dame has 13 million visitors a year. And how many accountants, I wonder?
1
“I’m a Muslim but I’m still very moved when I see this place,” he said. “It represents something deep, it transcends us. It’s a loss, not only for France but for the entire world. It’s as if the pyramids in Egypt were destroyed.”
Mr. Mbowou, a muslim, so eloquently, poignantly, graciously and unselfishly celebrates not only the cathedral's structure but its spirit –– namely the deeply held traditions linked so closely to the je ne sai quoi that it inspires.
Traditions are held sacred because they have taken root in our spiritual bones and to honor them is also to honor the memories of our ancestors ... who may very well have been horribly flawed but who nevertheless evoke feelings of awe, respect and gratitude.
Progressives should take note that all forward movement is necessarily just or inevitable and that traditionalists and their traditions have merit and are worthy of respect.
... Might win some elections, too, by genuinely honoring a civilization’s roots, while at the same time advocating for adaptations made indispensable by the present conditions.
9
@Gluscabi.
Iwas with you until the penultimate and ultimate paragraphs.
The former is simply ridiculous on its face and the latter insults those of us grieving this, yes, tragic loss. Votes? For shame.
(From an atheist, historian, and humanitarian
2
Thank God we finally have something to come together over and to take our minds off of Tr--
NOPE! Not gonna say it.
We are with you France!
Let love and beauty shine this Spring and chase away the dark.
81
Easter is originally a pagan holiday co-opted by Christianity. It is a holiday to be grateful for the renewal of the natural world (in the northern hemisphere). The other association is less important.
Until human beings find beauty in the here and now, and in the natural world, the true meaning of a holiday in the Spring is lost. The belief in forgiveness for sins and a resurrection shows why many human beings have not considered themselves part of the very entity that gave them live. And why humanity continues to destroy the planet.
What happened here is just a small insight into the ruination Christians are propagating across the globe with their continual demand for growth at all costs and their focus on a capitalist system which seems to destroy much of what is in its path.
My tears are for the environment and the non-human species who suffer far greater tragedies every single day.
9
@Face Facts Says who? Easter is linked to Passover, which has no relation to spring festivals.
11
@Face Facts
Easter and Passover are both linked to spring festivals. Any human community is going to develop rituals to mark both the changing seasons and its communal history and founding stories. Cultures and religions invariably "co-opt" rituals and celebrations from each other; this is universal, and there is nothing about it that invalidates the observances that result.
If the religions themselves did not teach their adherents such simple-minded versions of the meaning of their celebrations, none of this would seem so threatening to the observant, and also none of it would lead the ignorant de-bunkers to act so smug.
5
@Face Facts
Why are you lecturing us all about pagan holidays and pointing the finger at all that is wrong with organized religion? Evidently you missed the point that this is a cultural monument of great meaning far beyond France and far beyond religion.
Your argument is also deeply flawed in that many of the thriving societies and countries in the world propagating ruinous growth today are hardly Christian. And the ones you're trying to shame, I guess, Western Europe for example, are more secular than they've ever been.
Get your facts straight.
17
I find this amazing. Yes it is an iconic building & people love it all over the world & yet so many deny the value of why it was built in the first place.
13
“So even in distant sections of America and the rest of the world, everyone knows this cathedral,” Mr. Heisbourg said.
Yes, monsieur, even here in the far reaches of the Pacific Northwest, we have heard of the great city of Paris and the Cathedral.
15
Notre Dame is Paris . And Paris is history , culture , enlightenment , war , fashion , revolution , sex , grace , pomposity , learning , serenity , vulgarity and faith . Civilisation and humanity does not want to lose such a list of accolades and vices . Therefore, we shall rebuild Notre Dame , to remind us what we are .
15
The United States of America likely would not exist if its revolution against British rule had not been supported monetarily and aided militarily by the French monarchy. As is often said, France is our oldest ally. I hope that the United States will continue to repay the debt to France that it can never fully repay by helping as much and in any way it can to restore Notre Dame Cathedral. To paraphrase Charles Stanton (not Gen. John Pershing): "Notre Dame, we are here."
25
@Horace
Wouldn't it be glorious to thank our oldest ally, in the spirit of France's support of us in revolutionary freedom and Liberty, with funds to rebuild the cathedral. Rather than asking Congress for money to build a wall, let this President make the noble gesture of aiding our ally in the rebuilding of Notre Dame.
33
@Michael Larice Amen!! Even if we paid for every single penny, that would not repay in full our debt to Lafayette and Admiral DeGrasse, especially DeGrasse, we would not exist as a country. What a great use of just a fraction of the money that would be rather than that loathsome and wasteful wall.
5
@Michael Larice
Your thoughts are a potent reminder of Trump and his followers and their pathetic anti-human values and priorities.
3
This cathedral was built when Paris was just a large town.
It is a physical testament to the belief in God that existed at that time.
Today we build skyscrapers whose purpose is to make money.
I think that pretty well sums up the difference between that age and now.
Or am I missing something here?
12
It is an extremely old building that somehow has survived. That is a valid reason to lament the severe damage from the fire. But I am unsympathetic to those who cry over a religious loss.
There is no religious loss. It was just a bunch of very old stone and wood. Even the religious believers do not claim that their god resides there. Therefore, even for the believers, it was just very old stone and wood.
It is a site of historical interest to believers and non-believers alike. As a site of historical interest, the damage is a loss. If you truly think it was beautiful, then there is a loss of its beauty in the world. But it was still only stone and wood.
5
@Errol
And the Pyramids of Giza are not even that, they're just stone. Who needs 'em, yeah?
9
@Errol
You have a shallow soul. Unfolding eons of human history are marked by wars and injustice but our history is imbued with the wonder of what humankind can and has achieved. To see these things in a ephemeral political viewpoint leaves our lives on earth barren and unlovely.
6
@Errol: You say "Even the religious believers do not claim that their god resides there." But the belief that God actually resides there is exactly and precisely why Notre Dame was built; the whole building is a focus on the tabernacle, which (to believers) contains God, physically.
1
What a breathtaking piece of writing. Thank you for saying what I did not have words for.
11
So glad I was able to see Norte Dame in 2016; even though I was scared to go to Paris because of the terrorist threat. I hope the restoration efforts are successful.
1
I agree with Mr. Mbowou. I'm not Catholic or even religious, but I felt myself tear up at the threat to this magnificent monument of *human* history.
18
More environmental protection of the cathedral is necessary. I hope all those 13 million visitors will take the train or new electric or hybrid buses in the future. China contributed to world heritage sites damage with its acid rain , nitic acid and sulfuric acid will erode limestone, (France uses nuclear power), and new cars must pass ozone and PM2 particulate matter emission tests. The summer heat waves also contribute to summer smog. Does France have congestion pricing? Regular maintenance with power washing a good idea perhaps.
1
The fire at Notre Dame is a tragedy. But even as I mourn I am fighting the urge to universalize the cathedral, as if it truly means similar things to all people. The reality is it doesn't - it carries very different meaning for Catholics, and very different meaning for the French and for Europe, than it does for someone who simply admires the cathedral for its external beauty and architectural achievements, for example. The near-loss of the cathedral is a reminder of our ongoing crisis of the spirit - something this article touched on in the claim that Parisians took Notre Dame "for granted."
So next time someone writes "it is always hard to get into the minds of those who lived 800 years ago": tell them to take a hard look at the cathedral as it now exists. The people who built Notre Dame lived in an era much more calamitous than ours, and yet they aspired to the heavens even with the knowledge that their creations could be destroyed. They never thought of themselves as citizens of the world, because they understood the fallen nature of all earthly things, the importance of the intense bonds developed through family and faith, and the need to reach beyond and commune with God. To get into their minds, all we have to do is pick up the chisels they dropped, the books they wrote, and the vitality they tried to pass on. It's time to stop paying lip service to our heritage and get to work as the curators and creators we were always meant to be.
54
The Cathedral will be rebuilt... and France as well will heal.
At this moment in time, we are ALL French in soul and spirit. Forever.
33
France is not a fundamentally Catholic country.
It was a fundamentally Catholic country.
That said, Notre-Dame cathedral occupies a very central part in the French "roman national", not least because of Victor Hugo's novel, and De Gaulle's coming on the 26th of August 1944. Yesterday's fire was a very sad event.
So, of course, I wish it rebuilt.
As a model of good architecture and as a "lieu de mémoire".
I thank all my many American friends who showered me with emails of support and empathy.
63
@nestor potkine
We love you.
We love Paris.
We love France.
We love Notre-Dame.
Most importantly, we love the 500+ firefighters who risked their lives yesterday to save the cathedral.
17
The bells of every French cathedral and church will ring at a designated time later this week in honor of Notre Dame Cathedral.
I hope many bells elsewhere in the world will join at that time.
79
I was raised Catholic and was, of course, horrified to see Notre Dame on fire yesterday. But I agree with Claude Mbowou that a place like that is more than Christian - it's human, and speaks to all of us. I'm no less upset by the fire at Al-Aqsa Mosque yesterday. Some things, though specific to one religion, belong to all of us because they express human passion in a universal way. The abiding faith that built Notre Dame is no different than the abiding faith that built Al-Aqsa, or Solomon's Temple, and it's something every human can relate to.
136
I traveled to the French embassy in Washington with my 9 year old granddaughter to make an in-person donation to the Notre Dame reconstruction fund and to express our sadness at their/our tradegy. I was turned away by an impersonal voice from the speakerphone at the front iron gate with the admonishment that we accept “only on-line payments”.
14
Please don't be offended. The embassy staff is overwhelmed by phone calls, emails and notes according to what the Ambassador has said. So I understand them taking donations only online.
62
@Jean
Still, what the granddaughter will remember, and maybe the grandfather as well, is that they got a dose of the famous French snottiness when they were only trying to help.
13
@Paul
This isn't about you or your 9 year old grandaughter.
For folks coordinating recovery from a disaster, one of the most vexing problems is people insisting on giving donations in a manner of their choosing, whether it is workable or not.
I remember vividly the frustration felt by 9/11 responders due to people all over the country sending pet food for the search dogs in Manhattan. Believe me, search dogs are well cared for. The pet food took up the better part of a whole warehouse. And the workers had better things to do than handle dog food.
So wait 24 hours to send your donation to whatever fund is established. Teach your granddaughter that true philanthropy is helping others, not making your self feel relevant to a news event.
100