PARIS, FRANCE (WKZO AM/FM) — The heart of Paris is burning. Thousands of Parisans can only stand and watch in shock as the Notre Dame Cathedral has been consumed by fire, its roof mostly gone, its spire fallen.
The Roman Catholic Church, one of the first great gothic cathedrals of Europe, is the most visited monument on the planet.
The fire spread quickly within the 850 year old structure of stone and wood fueled in part by priceless artifacts that may be lost forever. It’s not clear what they were able to save.
There are no reports of any deaths so far, but one firefighter was reportedly seriously injured battling the flames. .
Kalamazoo Bishop Paul J. Bradley released this statement: “During this holiest of all weeks of the year, we are shocked and saddened to witness the raging destructive fire consuming the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, one of Catholicism’s most ancient and treasured churches. While our hearts are breaking, we are united in our prayers for the people of Paris, as well as all people of Faith, for whom this tragedy is such a great loss. We also pray for the courageous firefighters and first responders who are battling the fire, that they may be protected. May our special Holy Week intentions include prayers of hope in the wake of this devastating loss.”
Ball State Historian Fred Suppe says the fire is devastating to France and to Christians around the world.
He says “For French people this is one of their national iconic buildings. It is in the center of Paris and was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. “For the French, this is going to be devastating from a cultural and religious standpoint, since France is very religious nation. To put it in perspective, this would be like an America watching the White House burn down.”
