Notre Dame

I'm very sad about it. Thoughts with the French people, and indeed with people everywhere because this history is valuable to us all.

 

Same. Hit me hard. My heart goes out especially to the French and Christians. But, like you said, this is a loss for the whole world. I woke up on the couch this morning with the coverage playing on the TV (Mom had it on). I couldn't believe it. Still can't.

 

Yeah, this is bad. It's one of those places I always wanted to see. At least there's no loss of life, last I heard.

 

The horror.

 

Update from CNN:

Both towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral “are safe,” said Laurent Nunez, secretary to the interior minister, hours after a massive fire toppled its spire, burned most of its roof and threatened the centuries-old art and architecture inside.

“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," Nunez told reporters at the scene.
One firefighter has been seriously injured, said Paris Fire Brigade commander general Jean-Claude Gallet. Gallet said that two-thirds of the roof has been destroyed.

 

This is so bad. As a lover of history this makes me so sad. My heart goes out to the French people.
But also to the choir of my alma mater, Lycoming College. It's a small college in Pennsylvania, USA. The Tour Choir- an audition-only choir- does an international tour every 2 years. They were so flipping excited about this year because they were going to France- and passed whatever requirements necessary to be invited to sing at the Notre Dame Cathedral. In May 2019. Can you imagine having that opportunity and then this happening just a month prior to the trip? I bet they are devastated. It takes a lot of hard work to make it into the choir. I know- it took me 3 years of auditioning before I made it in as a senior. I feel so bad for them.

 

Am I the only one wondering how a national treasure like the Notre Dame Cathedral is without a modern fire sprinkler system?

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/europe/notre-dame-cathedral-paris-engulfed-flames-n994646?fbclid=IwAR3tDDZm24FjFpupGYXvWN7wLKzU0BFn5ectV1knWswtnqUN7bAurWG9NTE

So from what I'm gathering, it's gonna be OK. Notre Dame still stands and most of the historical artifacts are safe.

 

I hope the choir will still get to go, and sing in an alternate venue. Les Invalides? Monmartre? Somewhere.

 

For me, this photo is one of the most terrifying of all.

 

That's so sad. That cathedral was stunning, with a fascinating history, not to mention Disney made an animated movie. I feel sorry for the French people. I hope things will turn alright.

 

Between the help from the French government, the resources of the Roman Catholic Church, and donations from people around the world, I suspect that Notre Dame will be rebuilt even better than before, with a sprinkler system, a roof that won't burn, and other improvements that weren't possible when it was originally built.

But it was, after all, just a church. There were three African-American churches that fell to an arsonist's torch in the last month, and they deserve to be rebuilt as much as Notre Dame is. If you send ten dollars for the restoration of Notre Dame, you might also send a dollar or two to those congregations, as well.

 

Just a church? No more than the White House is just a mansion. Notre Dame is a historical treasure. The architecture alone is incomparable. The art treasures contained within are irreplaceable artifacts as well. As a religious structure, all of it is a tangible reminder of the role of the Church in the time of its construction, for good or ill. It reaches skyward, and yet represents so much labor and sacrifice.

I hear what you are saying about the arson of the churches in the American South. Those burnings are not to be dismissed as trivial either. The hate represented is both despicable and sobering. I am not religious in any conventional sense, but what all these events and structures signify in terms of humanity is highly significant. I agree we should care less about structures than about people, but what of all the labors and devoted service represented in these structures and the artistry displayed in them?

We need not only rebuild all these churches, but also repair the flaws in ourselves, individually and collectively. But in rebuilding the pieces of history, we should preserve as much as possible of the history, and try to keep the improvements as inconspicuous as we can.

 

I read somewhere that some were happy that " a symbol of Catholic oppression" is destroyed.

 

Like fetishes, you can point to anything and find someone who thinks they have a reason to hate it. I fall very far on the atheistic end of the spectrum, but I'm still sad that an artistic, architectural, and historical treasure like Notre Dame has been damaged.

However, like its much older brother (sister?), the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, whose predecessors both burned to the ground, and whose first dome was destroyed by an earthquake within thirty years of its completion, I believe that the cathedral will be rebuilt and stand for whatever values one chooses to apply for centuries to come.

Edit: typo

 

Apparently the structure underwent thrice-daily fire inspections and had an on-site dedicated fire marshal, but it wasn't enough. I'm sure the rebuilding will incorporate the best that modern technology has to offer.

 

I have no doubt. The Catholic Church has a long and bloody history. But the Catholic religion has also done much to promote peace and humanitarianism over the centuries. Nothing is universally beneficial or universally destructive.

I choose how I will interpret history and social movements. I choose to focus more on the positive aspects. Everyone else is also capable of choosing how they will live, emphasizing misery or hope.

 

Nah, nah, I have a better idea. We, as in, the good old US of A, should've use our water bomb drones to save the building. The water explosion would've helped! Honest! Believe me!

Least no one died, so that's good news.

 

*Gasp* The Space Force! We should've sent in the Space Force to use those teleportation mirrors on the fire. So, so sad!

 

what is equal in stature in America? the churches wouldnt be nearly as old.