By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--April 19, 2019
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But Christians worldwide are prayerfully remembering that it was just about this time almost 2000 years ago that the Crown of Thorns was placed on their Savior Jesus Christ’s Head during His Passion.
What took place on the original Good Friday is real and nothing can ever change it.“UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday that the cathedral is a UNESCO world heritage site "so I know our colleagues there will do whatever they can" following Monday's fire.” “He said Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres, who tweeted Monday that he was "horrified" at the blaze at the landmark cathedral, "will fully support UNESCO's efforts.”
“Francis sent an official message of condolences to Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit, in which he called Notre Dame the "architectural gem of a collective memory.” (CTV)Notre Dame is firstly a Catholic Cathedral dedicated to Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and a Temple of God where untold millions fled to worship over the centuries, much more than an "architectural gem of a collective memory.”
“Pope Francis has phoned French President Emmanuel Macron to express his solidarity over the fire at Notre Dame, hours after the Vatican culture minister offered art experts who could possibly advise on reconstruction efforts. (CTV)President Macron says he will make Notre Dame “more beautiful than ever”, and that his rebuilding will be complete within five years.
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“The Archbishop of Turin says that the Notre Dame fire brought back painful memories of the 1997 blaze that tore through the chapel built to house the Shroud of Turin. (CTV) “Monsignor Cesara Nosiglia on Tuesday recalled the dramatic events of April 11, 1997, when firefighters rescued the shroud -- venerated as the holy cloth in which Jesus was wrapped after his crucifixion -- from its bulletproof, climate-controlled glass case. The shroud was not in the chapel itself, which was nearly destroyed, but in another area of the Duomo cathedral where it had been relocated years earlier during renovation work. “Nosiglia said "our suffering has been renewed, because Notre Dame, like the Duomo complex, doesn't just mean history, art and stone. These monuments are living treasures of the churches and of the people. They have universal value.” “Restoration on the chapel was completed only last September, after being closed for 28 years. “The cause of the blaze was never determined.”Neither has the cause of the Notre Dame Cathedral been determined.
“A “computer glitch” may have been behind the fast-spreading fire that ravaged Notre Dame, the cathedral’s rector said Friday, as architects and construction workers tried to figure out how to stabilize the damaged structure and protect it from the elements. (AP) “The fire burned through the lattice of enormous oak beams supporting the monument’s vaulted stone ceiling, dangerously weakening the building. The surrounding neighborhood has been blocked off, and stones have continued to tumble off the sides of the cathedral since Monday evening’s devastating blaze. “Speaking during a meeting of local business owners, rector Patrick Chauvet did not elaborate on the exact nature of the glitch, adding that “we may find out what happened in two or three months.”
“The Notre Dame fire delayed Macron’s long-awaited plans to quell anti-government protests that have marred his presidency.(AP) “The French leader abandoned a planned TV address to the nation on the evening of the fire, heading to the scene instead and declaring: “We will rebuild Notre Dame.” “According to an opinion poll by BVA institute published Friday — the first carried out since the fire — Macron has gained three points in popularity in the past month with an approval rating of 32%. That advance puts him back at the support level of September, before the yellow vest crisis, BVA said. “Although all French polls show that Macron’s popularity has remain depressed since a tax increase on retirees last year, they suggest his party may be ahead in France’s May 26 European Parliament election, with Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, the National Rally, close behind. “Macron is now expected to detail his new measures next week. Macron earlier was planning to respond to demonstrators’ concerns over their loss of purchasing power with tax cuts for lower-income households and measures to boost pensions and help single parents.
“Despite the destruction of Notre Dame dominating the news in France, a new round of yellow vest protests is planned on Saturday across the country, including in Paris.” (AP) “Macron is moving quickly on the fire-ravaged monument’s reconstruction, which is being viewed both as a push to make it part of his legacy and a way to move past “Notre Dame’s reconstruction is prompting widespread debate across France, with differing views emerging over whether it should involve new technologies and designs. Macron’s office has, for example, said the president wants a “contemporary architectural gesture to be considered” for the collapsed spire, which wasn’t part of the original cathedral. “Macron hasn’t offered any specifics on his vision for the roof or whether the frame should be wood, metal or concrete, according to his cultural heritage envoy, Stephane Bern. He has named a general, Jean-Louis Georgelin, former chief of staff of the armed forces, to lead the reconstruction effort.”Can there be any doubt that Macron and UNESCO owe the people from all walks of life around the world who have already poured $1 billion into the restoration of the Cathedral that it will at least look like Notre Dame when complete? Meanwhile, there are double tragedies now overshadowing the fire-ravaged Notre Dame. We do not know how the fire started, and maybe never will, and an agnostic, politically bent president and Green Religion UNESCO are heading up the rebuilding project.
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