Paris, 15 April 2019 — The heart of France is on fire. An inferno rocked France. Notre Dame, cultural icon of France and UNESCO declared World Heritage, was burning. The flames devastated the wooden roof and the spire. They caused, at first sight, only light damage on the 12th century cathedral’s structure and historic treasures, as most of the latter were either removed for the ongoing renovation, or were removed just in time by firefighters.
The terrorist attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka were absolutely horrendous. The death-toll has been enormous. And the fact that the attacks occurred on Easter Sunday specifically – and were primarily targeting innocent Christian worshippers – was clearly intended to spell out what these acts of mass murder were about. At least, that’s […]
As the 300-foot spire of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris tragically came tumbling down on live television, my thoughts ventured to Nuseirat Refugee Camp, my childhood home in the Gaza Strip.
I admit to feeling a slight sense of sadness watching the images of flames soaring from the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral, but once it was reported that no one had been seriously hurt, my slight sense of sadness quickly gave way to a feeling of pleasure. My slight sadness was because part of me appreciates the considerable amount of quality craftsmanship that went into constructing the thing, and it saddens me to see some of that beautiful work destroyed. But when weighed against the symbolism of a major institution of oppression engulfed in fire, it’s hard not to feel happy.
But no matter the destruction, the spirit of what it means to be a cathedral can and does survive such catastrophes.
— Becky Clark, Church of England director of cathedrals and church buildings, April 17, 2019
