Notre Dame cathedral is on fire!

[ithinkmycatistryingtokillme]

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

Bravo, Auld, there's an even funnier one in AIBU. Apparently it should just be made safe and then left as a ruin and it will still be a 'tourist attraction' because people shouldn't be able to elect how they spend their personal monies (such as donating what they wish to the restoration of ND) because there's cancer in the world and poverty and no whirled peas (rolls eyes).

Ever heard of the Gedächtniskirche in Berlin?

Brilliant post Auld

The Gedächtniskirche was built in the late 19C and bombed 50 years later.
The decision to maintain it in its bombed-out state was perfectly apt in it context, and carries a very clear message.
I believe, though am happy to be corrected, that there was significant disagreement as to how it should be rebuilt.
Whether that can be applied to an 850-year-old building on the Île Saint Louis, damaged by fire, is debatable.

Yes, TaMere. It's um, in Berlin. It was bombed during WWII. What's your point?

Sure. Just pointing out that there is precedent for ruins to be kept as they are deliberately and still be a successful symbol and a tourist attraction.

Um, I somehow doubt the one in Berlin gets nearly the number of tourists, visitors and pilgrims as ND but I see you have some short straws to grasp so by all means, here is some more rope (although it appears you have very little need of it).

And again, ND has never been 'just' a tourist attraction . . .

I can’t believe people are arguing about this.

All French churches are owned by the state.

All French churches built before 1905 are owned by the state (ie, most of them).

an 850-year-old building on the Île Saint Louis

It's on Île-de--la-cité. St Louis is next door (used to be Île des vaches)

**But I can't see how the AIDS epidemic can be laid at the feet of the Church.

That's very naive. You really need to do some reading about the AIDS pandemic (way beyond epidemic!) in Africa and the Catholic Church. It's truly criminal. And yes it is all about condoms.

I won't comment again on this as it's off-topic.

Bravo @AuldAlliance

Wish I had your eloquence.

Travelling home on the Paris metro on the evening of the fire was haunting. Everyone was silent and many people had tears in their eyes. DH is a born and bred Parisian and I really felt for him that evening. He always said how he would take our children to notre dame one day like his father took him when he was younger. As a Parisian we take the Eiffel tour and notre dame for granted, it really reminded us all that nothing is permanent. I hope that they can restore the damage but I know it is something that will hang over us for a long time.

LittleAndOften can I suggest that you read The Ukimwi Road by Dervla Murphy. Although it is an account of her travels through Africa she gives a really interesting account of how the Catholic church "dealt" with the AIDS epidemic there. I found it very educational.

What’s the point of having children when we’re all going to be dead anyway because of climate change?

Oh, that's the inconvenient truth I've yet to hear any of these Extinction Rebellion and climate change people express, the biggest threat to the climate is overpopulation. Care about the climate, don't have kids! You don't need to replace yourself, even in a place with falling birth rate, enough people in the world are reproducing and can be re-located via immigration. We don't need more people in the world. But nope, it's easier to beat bongos and cry about 'my children's future!'

Actually my Extinction Rebellion friend currently in London adopted a child from care rather than have her own. So there's that.

This map indicates the attacks on churches in France over the last 4 years, and the globalist controlled news media is trying to convince us that somehow, magically Notre Dame was just an accident.

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10218628308594833&set=a.4826660420327&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Good for her, TaMere, maybe they should use her as a spokesperson rather than the one who was sobbing away on ITV yesterday about her 3 kids.

@Justaboy excellent. What with David Owens Jeffcoat being known for his reasoned and balanced thinking.

Nice bit of vid here re the statues that were saved although they were in need if a bit of repair anyway!.

www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/arts/notre-dame-statues.html

I’ve been surprised how upset I’ve been this fire. To hear how close the entire structure came to being lost is very sobering.

Was reading today about the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche in Dresden after it was bombed in WW2. It made me hopeful that Notre Dame can also be restored to its former glory. The five year target may be a just a tad ambitious though.

Ooh, a Catholic-bashing thread on Mumsnet? Well, that’s novel.

Yep- because any thread questioning the Catholic Church is instantly characterised as “Catholic bashing”.
The Catholic Church most certainly carries responsibility for the spread of HIV/AIDS particularly in Sub Saharan Africa.

Exactly, escapade. It makes a change from American-bashing ones.

(I'm not Catholic or American)

TBF there are aspects of the CC that kinda lay it wide open to being bashed...