Notre Dame is burning.

[Crumpets]

This is absolutely gut-wrenching. They can and will rebuild. Notre Dame has many scars from throughout its history and it has survived a lot. I truly hope and believe this won't be the end of Notre Dame as we know it, even if it takes decades to rebuild.

[Crumpets]

It looks like the fire is going down, at least modestly. I'm no engineer, but it looks like the stone frame, and hopefully some of the windows will stay intact. The bronze statues on the roof definitely were saved. The biggest question marks are the religious relics inside.

[Crumpets]

It looks like the fire is going down, at least modestly. I'm no engineer, but it looks like the stone frame, and hopefully some of the windows will stay intact. The bronze statues on the roof definitely were saved. The biggest question marks are the religious relics inside.

According to Australian TV news.

Crown of Thorns is gone.

Wood from the Crucifixion Cross is gone.

I find it hard to believe they would keep this stuff in the attic of a wooden building, but who knows.

It was reported earlier that they were saved, but there could be conflicting reports.

I know they reported earlier that recovering the artifacts was the top priority above containing the fire, and I have to imagine those had top priority unless they were kept in a particularly dangerous area.

[Crumpets]

This is absolutely terrible, but it looks like it won't be as catastrophic as originally predicted. They seemed to be indicating they thought the whole structure would be lost just two hours ago. Losing the spires and the stain-glassed windows is a huge blow, though. Very sad, but thankfully the structure as a whole has survived.

I wonder if wouldn't it be better, due to impossibility of reconstructing the interior without it reeking artificiality, to turn the renovated cathedral into some sort of museum. Just a thought.

Seeing from the TV images, it seems that the vaults of the cathedral have survived almost intact, although i'm not quite sure about that.    

Some parts of the vaults have colapsed, but the majority seems intact.
https://twitter.com/euronews/status/1117919759511826432

Wow. The altar survived? That's amazing! I'm not a religious person, but that absolutely warms my heart.

[Crumpets]

https://twitter.com/pegobry/status/1117930698567032832

^^^Hero

[Crumpets]

Told you the stone vaulted ceiling would offer protection The fire was clearly ripping through the ceiling void and the wood. The fire service doused it with the right intensity to not bring it down further but no doubt the whole stone vault will need to be secured internally if it's been warped by the heat.

It's still a five year plus restoration at least but much less damage than was feared.

Those 13th century stonemasons who designed and built that vault deserve a sainthood, and I'm only barely joking. Their work has saved so much for their church, country, and God.

[Crumpets]

I reject the notion that cosmopolitcan secularism would want to ruin Notre Dame by building some IM Pei-style monstrosity. I really don't know if that trend really has a demographic supporting it beyond architects who want to make a name for themselves.

[Crumpets]

https://www.thelocal.fr/20190528/french-senate-says-notre-dame-must-be-restored-exactly-to-how-it-was?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&fbclid=IwAR2aFFGIb_O1rjm5Lv9kBbmzI4MxbFg41O0HcYs29j8MnTdYf71jDhrSg8E

The French Senate says Notre Dame must be restored exactly how it was

Good. I'm fine with some internal structural updates, since it's not like we have a lot of enormous 800 year old oak trees laying around, but the restoration should be as close to original as possible.

[Crumpets]

AP: Notre Dame celebrates 1st Mass since devastating April fire

PARIS — The archbishop wore a hard-hat helmet, burnt wood debris was still visible and only about 30 people were let inside, but Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday held its first Mass since the devastating April 15th fire that ravaged its roof and toppled its masterpiece spire.

Exactly two months after the blaze engulfed the landmark Gothic building in the French capital, the service was celebrated by Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit in a chapel behind the choir, a place confirmed by construction experts as safe.

French Culture Minister Franck Riester said this week the cathedral remains in a "fragile" state, especially its vaulted ceiling, which is still at risk of collapsing.

For security reasons, only about 30 people — mainly priests, canons and church employees — were admitted inside the cathedral for the service, while Aupetit and others wore construction worker's helmets. Some of the workers rebuilding the church were also invited.

[Crumpets]

Great write-up from NYT on the fire and the firefighters who saved the bell towers:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/07/16/world/europe/notre-dame.html

[Crumpets]

.