A fire has broken out at the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
People have posted videos and pictures on Twitter of the horrific fire, which people can see from miles away. It seems like the fire continues to grow with every new posted picture.
*This is a breaking story. I will update as more information comes in…
*UPDAT 5:12PM ET
Both towers are safe at the cathedral, according to French Interior Secretary Laurent Nunez: “The fire is now weaker. We are now in a time of cooling but both towers of the cathedral are safe. We’re still working to save the cathedral’s work of arts.”
Parisians have come together and sang “Ave Maria” in the streets.
The fire seriously injured one firefighter. I haven’t seen reports of deaths or other injuries.
Thankfully, important artifacts like the Crown of Thorns believed worn by Jesus and a piece of the cross survived the fire.
Not only is it a Catholic church, but it has become regarded “as a feat of architecture” due to the stained glass and towers. Built in the 13th century, it has also become one of Paris’s top tourist attractions.
We do not know the cause, but it looks like it could have something to do with renovation. The Catholic Church in France asked for funds last year “to save the cathedral, which was starting to crumble.”
While they have tried to save the invaluable history inside the church, it’s unlikely “nothing will remain from the frame,” according to Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot:
A spokesman for the cathedral said the whole structure was “burning”.”There will be nothing left,” he said. “It remains to be seen whether the vault, which protects the cathedral, will be affected or not.”
The entire roof has collapsed.
I found a Newsweek article from March 21 about how people have desecrated Catholic churches in France. I really hope this is not the case at Notre Dame, but thought I should point this out:
Last Sunday, the historic Church of St. Sulpice in Paris was set on fire just after midday mass on Sunday, Le Parisien reported, although no one was injured. Police are still investigating the attack, which firefighters have confidently attributed to arson.Built in the 17th century, St. Sulpice houses three works by the Romantic painter Eugene de la Croix, and was used in the movie adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown.Last month, at the St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Houilles, in north-central France, a statue of the Virgin Mary was found smashed, and the altar cross had been thrown on the ground, according to La Croix International, a Catholic publication.Also in February, at Saint-Alain Cathedral in Lavaur, in south-central France, an altar cloth was burned and crosses and statues of saints were smashed. The attack prompted Lavaur Mayor Bernard Canyon to say in a statement: “God will forgive. Not me.”And in the southern city of Nimes, near the Spanish border, vandals looted the altar of the church of Notre-Dame des Enfants (Our Lady of the Children) and smeared a cross with human excrement.
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