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Tuesday, April 16, 2019

History, Faith, and Culture on Fire

 Isn't it incredible that a cathedral on fire can bring millions together in sorrow, in a country famous for its secular stance?

. Photograph: François Guillot/AFP/Getty Images
Aleteia has an article on the effect the burning of Notre Dame has on the French people, and Catholics, and the world.  I have never been to Notre Dame Cathedral and I felt a plethora of emotions watching the news clips of the fire.  I could feel my voice cry as we discussed what we saw:

People in the streets of Paris kneeling and singing Ave Maria. 
Firemen making a chain of hands to pass precious art, relics, vessels, sacred objects out to safety.
I could hear familiar Catholic hymns being sung in the background by the people.

The president of France, tweeted:  

Notre-Dame de Paris en proie aux flammes. Émotion de toute une nation. Pensée pour tous les catholiques et pour tous les Français. Comme tous nos compatriotes, je suis triste ce soir de voir brûler cette part de nous.

expressing heartfelt sorrow.  Even this worldly man understood the history and cultural significance of Notre Dame de Paris, if not what it meant to Catholic faithful worldwide.

But fear not!  The path to Easter has a cross.  And I've read the last chapter of the book of life.  God wins.

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