Notre Dame Cathedral is on fire!

Exceptional work from the pompiers, no doubt.

It seems the interior may not have been completely devastated. Amazing.

Yes! That looks in a way better state than what I was anticipating- and apparently they managed to get a lot of the artworks and relics out too.

Is that a picture taken when the fire was starting, rather than now?

What? No, evacuating a large number of people in such a dire circumstance is admirable. There was legitimately a service on at the time 🤦*♀️

Mmmm no there wasn't, the English confessions period had finished and there were very few people left inside because admissions had closed already. Services at Notre Dame are very rare and only happen on special days (holy catholic days).

Quoi ?

So, from a Monday morning through to Saturday lunch time, the services are as follows..

8am - Mass conducted in the Choir
9am - Mass conducted in the Choir - except from the start of July through to the middles of September, when there is not service at this time
12 noon - Mass conducted at the Main Alter
5.45pm - Vespers Service, which is actually broadcast live on the KTO Catholic Television Channel
6.15pm - Mass conducted at the Main Alter

As mentioned above, the Sunday services start the evening before and therefore the later Saturday services are as follows..

5.45pm - the first Sunday Vespers Service
6.30pm - Sunday Mass conducted at the Main Alter

On a Sunday all of the services are held at the Main Altar of the Notre Dame Cathedral and are as follows:

8.30am - Mass
9.30am - Lauds service
10am - Gregorian Mass of the cathedral chapter
11.30am - International Mass with part of the readings and prayers in English
12.45pm - Mass
5.45pm - Vespers Service
6.30pm - Mass, which is usually conducted by the archbishop and is broadcast live on KTO Catholic TV and via the Notre Dame Radio.

In addition to these, after Mass on a Thursday at 6.15pm, the Eucharistic Adoration is conducted that runs through to 7.15pm, however, we would like to point out that this does not take place during July, August and the first half of September.

There is also a ceremony style service called the Veneration of the Crown of Thorns and the Relics, which is conducted at the Notre Dame de Paris every first Friday of the month and every Friday throughout Lent at 3pm. Plus this veneration is conducted all day long on Good Friday at Easter.

My point is the mass was over when they evacuated at 18.59 (as relayed by all the French news channels) most of those left inside were people inside confessionals.

the intricate wooden spire only dated back to 1860, so is not a major tragedy.

The spire was still iconic to many people- I understand it may not seem like a tragedy to you, but many of the people of Paris still feel that way. The spire collapsing was quite symbolic, too.

it will be quite easy to make a replacement spire.

I'm not sure easy is the right word- although I accept that it's much easier than rebuilding the whole cathedral. It possibly also depends on how much of the surrounding roof has been damaged.

From the pictures of the inside, I don't think even the clean up will be "easy".

For some people, the spire collapsing was a hugely distressing and emotional event, so it's probably kinder not to be dismissive about it.

i was devastated by the images from Paris yesterday. it was distressing and emotional for me as well as my fellow Catholics across the world.