We love Notre Dame

The whole world watched in shock and sadness as the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in the heart of Paris was engulfed in smoke as flames of fire brightened and at the same time darkened the evening Paris sky. The fire started at around 18:30pm on Monday, April 15, and quickly reached the roof of the cathedral, destroying its stained-glass windows and the wooden interior before toppling the spire. Emergency teams managed to rescue valuable artwork and religious items, including what is said to be the crown of thorns worn by Jesus before his crucifixion, which were stored inside the cathedral built in the 12th and 13th centuries. A tunic, which the 13^th century King Louis IX is said to have worn when he brought the crown of thorns to Paris, was also saved.

The inferno destroyed the roof of the 850-year-old UNESCO world heritage landmark, whose spectacular Gothic spire collapsed as orange flames and clouds of grey smoke billowed into the sky. The fate of a great, recently restored 8,000 pipe, five-keyboard organ, is unknown. Experts will also be looking at what remains of the famous Rose Windows – three huge round stained-glass Rose windows over the cathedral's three main portals that date back to the 13th century.

The cathedral is located at the center of the French capital in the Middle Ages and its construction was completed in 1345 after some 200 years of work. During the French Revolution in the 18th century, the cathedral was vandalized in widespread anti-Catholic violence: its spire was dismantled, its treasures plundered and its large statues at the grand entrance doors destroyed. It would go on to feature as a central character in a Victor Hugo novel published in 1831, "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" and shortly afterward a restoration project lasting two decades got underway, led by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc. The building survived the devastation of two global conflicts in the 20th century and famously rang its bells on August 24, 1944, the day of the Liberation of Paris from German occupation at the end of the World War II.  President Macron promised to rebuild the cathedral. It is ironic that this accident happened at the start of Holy Week, and we find solace in the fact that after the sufferings and death of Jesus, he won the biggest victory over death by His Resurrection. So we hope and pray that the French and the world will be able to rise from the ashes and see Notre Dame in its full glory once again. As many have agreed, it could have been much worse. We love Notre Dame – we love Paris and we pray for them today. Je Suis Notre Dame.