Notre Dame cathedral is on fire!

[ithinkmycatistryingtokillme]

It's breaking on bbc news, from the pictures it's a major blaze!

@Toddlerteaplease

I think it would be nice if the Vatican contributed. But I don't think they 'have a moral duty'. To do so.

Why not? They are the top level of leadership in the Catholic church and the people who visit and worship at Notre Dame contribute to the coffers of the RC church so now it's time for the Chutch to give something back.

I think it would be nice if the Vatican contributed. But I don't think they 'have a moral duty'

Please tell me you're joking? I realise they're not always big on discharging their duty, but surely you can't really mean this?

As of this morning, it looks as if the fire might even be rejuvenating for the Cathedral in the medium term - the historic wood is an irreplaceable and distressing loss, but yesterday the building was suffering from chronic under-funding for maintenance and repair and today money is pouring in from across the world (albeit with a bigger job to do) and everybody loves it. Amazingly, no-one was killed and the key art/relics and main structure were saved.

Apparantly it gets 35,000 visitors a day! Amazing.

yesterday the building was suffering from chronic under-funding for maintenance and repair and today money is pouring in from across the world

No, not suggesting that someone might have bene more than a tad careless with a portabe blowlamp are we;?.

Or all the workers may have knocked off a bit early?.

Humm..

Nobody is suggesting anything, that's one heck of accusation you are hinting at there Justaboy

My DF is in the building trade and runs a business. He won't allow any of the lads working for him to use blowlaps in attic spaces for precisely this reason. A stray spark in a old building, and whoosh that's it. Old, dry wood burns like hell.

Over 300 million pledged already...not sure if Euros or £.

I've just read that the beams of the roof were replaced 160 years ago. When they were, oak trees were planted at Versailles so that oak would be ready for when they were needed. They are now of the right age.

justaboy that’s a ridiculous accusation.

That's wonderful about the oak trees planted for such an occurrence.

I've just read that all three rose windows have survived. Not sure if this is confirmed.

One rose window definitely intact, much to my relief. The opposite one I'm not sure of; couldn't see it this morning.

Still, security around the whole island is insane, i wonder if they're concerned it's arson. I had to go home and get my passport before they'd even let me into the hospital (admittedly next door to ND but I clearly had a badge saying I work there)

Hats off to the firemen though. No serious injuries and they've done an incredible job

the people who visit and worship at Notre Dame contribute to the coffers of the RC church so now it's time for the Chutch to give something back

There's a lot of misinformation on this thread. Since the early 20thc, Notre Dame has been owned by the French state. The Church doesn't own it. It's free entry to the entire building (unlike, say Westminster Abbey or St Paul's which charge apart, from people attending services, or praying in a little side room) apart from the crypt and the towers, and the money goes towards the upkeep of the building, not to the Catholic church.

I haven't found any reports about how the firefighter that was injured is doing. I hope he is okay.

Do RC churches not have to pay a contribution to the mother church like C of E churches do?

I'm surprised that the state owns the churches in France, unlike in the UK I thought that church and state were separate in France.

I'm surprised that the state owns the churches in France, unlike in the UK I thought that church and state were separate in France.

They are -- this is why the state, or the municipal government, owns all church buildings, and has since 1905.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La%C3%AFcit%C3%A9

Do RC churches not have to pay a contribution to the mother church like C of E churches do?

Once a year, all Catholic churches take up a collection known as Peter's Pence -- each diocese then forwards the total sum to the Vatican. Otherwise, no. My mother is involved in her (tiny, dwindling, rural) parish in my home country, and informed me that the last time she was involved in the counting of the PP collection, it came to the equivalent of £100.

I can’t see anything about the injured people either.

I’ve also been wondering how the injured firefighter was doing. Obviously we don’t have a right to know but I’m genuinely concerned.

The windows have made it!

Over 300 million pledged already

I could be wrong, but isn't most of this from a couple of big donors? Certainly I saw something about a £200 million donation and another huge one

I think the 300 million figure was before the 200 million pledge from one person. Now over 600 million.

Which is a mind boggling figure. Has anyone given a rough figure of how much it might be? 600 million, 800 million,?

The windows have survived
twitter.com/MaryMcAuliffe4/status/1118064241397968896

I am astounded. I thought we might have woken up this morning and the whole church would have been gone.

Oh thank goodness for that - I was sure they'd have gone!

Hundreds of millions of euros/pounds to restore a Catholic house of prayer, when there are people starving, dying of curable diseases, fleeing war and terror, all around the world. In countries where the Catholic Church is active.

WTF is wrong with people???