Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and Other Catholic Churches

[loreta]

What can you expect about a man like Macron? He has no soul. He is made in plastic. Repugnant plastic. He does not know what is beauty and beauty for French people. What a man! He decided that the cathedral will take 5 years to be constructed, it is an order! We are seeing how he deal with the GJ. He does not care about people, what people need and wanted. wow. What a President.

Something made with love and patience, with time and thinking, with understanding how things can not be made like marshmallow, a Catedral is not a candy! Macron thinks that the ND is just a building and as a building it can be restore in 5 years. What a macabre joke!

 

[angelburst29]

The Paris health authorities have urged children and pregnant women living around Notre-Dame cathedral to have the levels of lead in their blood checked amid concerns over the impact of the fire.

Young, pregnant urged to take blood tests for lead after Notre-Dame fire
Young, pregnant urged to take blood tests for lead after Notre-Dame fire

Paris’ regional health agency is recommending that children under seven and pregnant women who live near Notre Dame Cathedral take a blood test over concerns that the fire may have caused lead pollution in the area. (File/AP)

The appeal comes after a child living on the Ile de la Cite island in central Paris where Notre-Dame stands was found to have high levels of lead in a blood test.

Some of the hundreds of tons of lead in the spire and the roof melted in the extreme heat from the spectacular blaze.

An investigation has been launched to check if the causes of the child’s high lead levels could be other than the April 15 fire, the Paris regional health authority said in a statement late Monday.

The child showed a level above the regulatory limit level of 50 microgrammes per liter of blood.

The authority said that “as a precaution” it was asking families with children aged under seven and pregnant women living on the Ile de la Cite to “consult their GP so they can be prescribed a blood test for lead levels.”

Authorities acknowledge that the Notre-Dame fire caused lead to seep into the air and ground around the cathedral.
They say there is no general risk to the public but certain areas have been closed off while people with apartments close to the cathedral are being given specific advice on how to clean up.

Paris remains shaken by the consequences of the damage to one of the city’s best known and loved edifices.

 

[loreta]

Very suspicious, under my humble point of vue. It looks like they want to start to scare, a little bit, the people who live near ND. They said it is not dangerous but... why you will not go to check your blood? So maybe is there something more in this situation?

 

[angelburst29]

Very suspicious, under my humble point of vue. It looks like they want to start to scare, a little bit, the people who live near ND. They said it is not dangerous but... why you will not go to check your blood? So maybe is there something more in this situation?

This warning was given after the fire. I don't know, if the health officials are just being cautious in asking "the young and pregnant" to have their blood tested for lead?

There was also the thought - maybe it's part of a scare tactic - that people living near Notre Dame might think their residences and the surrounding environment are no longer "safe" and would begin moving out of the area? A kind of depopulation tactic - that might benefit Macron's plans "to rebuild the cathedral" and revitalize the area (with his revitalization plans still on the drawing board) plus or minus the Spiral?

April 27, 2019 - Clean your homes: Police warn Notre-Dame neighbours over lead risk
Clean your homes: Police warn Notre-Dame neighbours over lead risk

Investigators found lead in areas near the church, "very localized", and "notably on premises that may have been standing open at the time of the fire, and where dust had settled."

The threat was limited, the police noted, as lead poisoning usually builds up over years of exposure.

There have been no reports of acute lead poisoning since the inferno that destroyed the roof of the 850-year-old landmark.

"With regard to homes or private premises, it is recommended that residents in the immediate vicinity of the Notre Dame proceed to clean their home or premises and their furniture and other items, using wet wipes to eliminate any dust," the statement said.

Public areas that may pose a lead exposure risk, such as the gardens around the cathedral, have been closed and will not be reopened until lead levels are back to normal, the police added.

Airparif, which monitors air quality in Paris, said pollution levels did not exceed normal levels the day after the fire.

 

[loreta]

This warning was given after the fire. I don't know, if the health officials are just being cautious in asking "the young and pregnant" to have their blood tested for lead?

There was also the thought - maybe it's part of a scare tactic - that people living near Notre Dame might think their residences and the surrounding environment are no longer "safe" and would begin moving out of the area? A kind of depopulation tactic - that might benefit Macron's plans "to rebuild the cathedral" and revitalize the area (with his revitalization plans still on the drawing board) plus or minus the Spiral?

That's what I thought when I first read the news. And frankly, since when the State is worried about their citizens and if they are in danger or whatever.

 

[angelburst29]

A small group, about 30 people are attending a Special Mass today - "to commemorate the Cathedral's consecration as a place of worship."

No list is given - naming the attendees but in my humble opinion, considering Notre Dame Cathedral is a historical landmark and part of the deep heritage of the French culture, and a special "consecration Mass" is to be officiated, Macron should (rightfully) be in attendance.

Worshippers in hard hats to attend Notre-Dame's first mass since fire June 15, 2019

A small congregation wearing hard hats will attend mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday, the first service to be held since fire devastated the Gothic landmark two months ago.

Church leaders are keen to show life goes on at the cathedral as donations to help rebuild it trickle in. Less than 10% of the 850 million euros pledged by billionaires, business leaders and others has been received so far, the French government said.

Saturday's Mass, which commemorates the Cathedral's consecration as a place of worship, is due to be held at 1600 GMT in a side-chapel, with attendance limited to about 30 people who will wear the protective headgear for safety reasons.

“It is a nice symbol. A very small group of people will attend and one can understand why as there are still major safety issues,” Culture Minister Franck Riester told Europe 1 radio.

He told France 2 television on Friday the cathedral was still “in a fragile state, namely the vault, which has not yet been secured. It can still collapse”.

The April 15 blaze caused the roof and spire of the architectural masterpiece to collapse, triggering a worldwide outpouring of sadness as well as the multi-million-euro pledges for reconstruction work.

Among the high-profile people who promised to donate to the rebuilding effort were luxury goods tycoons Bernard Arnault and François-Henri Pinault.

“There could be people who promised to donate then in the end did not,” Riester said, without giving further details. “But more importantly, and this is normal, the donations will be paid as restoration work progresses.”

The Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit will lead Saturday's service, which will be broadcast live on a religious TV channel.

 

[angelburst29]

Worshippers in safety hats attend Notre-Dame's first mass since fire

The Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit leads the first mass in a side chapel two months to the day after a devastating fire engulfed the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, in Paris, France June 15, 2019. Karine Perret/Pool via REUTERS

A small congregation in white hard hats attended mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday, the first service since fire devastated the Gothic landmark two months ago.

Less than 10% of the 850 million euros ($953 million) pledged by billionaires, business leaders and others has been received so far, the French government said.

The mass, which commemorates the cathedral’s consecration as a place of worship, was held in a side-chapel left undamaged by the April 15 fire, with attendance limited to about 30 people wearing protective headgear.

Priests in ceremonial garb of white robes and yellow stoles briefly parted with their hard hats during the communion.

“It is with much emotion that we are here to celebrate the consecration of the cathedral,” said Paris’s archbishop Michel Aupetit, who led the service.

“It is a message of hope and thanks to all those who were moved by what happened to this cathedral,” he added, acknowledging afterwards it was “a bit strange” to celebrate mass with a helmet.

The service was broadcast live on a religious TV channel that showed poignant images of the blue sky through the collapsed roof and the black rubble still clogging the building.

 

[angelburst29]

I have a feeling, the authorities are going to keep using this bogus mantra to explain the fire, so it doesn't hinder Macron's plans at reconstruction?

Notre Dame fire may have been caused by power fault or cigarette: prosecutors

An electrical fault or a burning cigarette may have been responsible for the fire that gutted Notre-Dame Cathedral, French authorities investigating the cause of April's blaze said on Wednesday.

Paris prosecutors said that, while they were investigating the possibility of negligence, they currently had no reason to believe the fire was started deliberately. (Comment: Notice that they select their words carefully - so as not to hint "to arson"?)

It ripped through the mediaeval cathedral on April 15, destroying the roof, toppling the spire and almost bringing down the main bell towers and outer walls before firefighters brought it under control.

“If certain failings, which may explain the scale of the fire, have been brought to light, the investigations carried out to this date have not yet been able to determine the causes of the fire,” said a statement from Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz.

"For now, there are no indications of a criminal origin", he added. However, nothing had been ruled out, with an electrical fault and a cigarette that was not properly extinguished two of several possible causes being investigated, he said.

President Emmanuel Macron has set a target of five years for restoring Notre-Dame, which dates back to the 12th century and is one of Europe’s most iconic landmarks.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1148816628446105600

 

[angelburst29]

Notre-Dame toxic fallout lawsuit turns heat on Paris authorities

An environmental protection group has filed a suit alleging lives were deliberately endangered after the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, saying authorities failed to protect people from lead that spewed into the area.

The April 15 inferno melted hundreds of tonnes of lead in the cathedral’s spire and roof. Unusually high levels of lead were later detected in the air and nearby buildings, including primary schools.

Campaign group Robin des Bois filed a lawsuit dated July 26 against unknown persons, alleging that authorities in Paris were aware the fire had dispersed large quantities of lead into the air and that lead is toxic.

Authorities failed to provide adequate warnings of potential lead poisoning to local residents, tourists and workers on the site before and after the blaze, the suit says.

The authorities’ actions meant there was exposure to toxic fallout and that “lives were deliberately endangered”, Robin des Bois said in its complaint, filed with the Paris prosecutor. Paris City Hall declined to comment.

The prosecutor will next determine whether the complaint merits deeper investigation.

Health officials have said people living and working in the vicinity of the cathedral were kept informed of risks and safety measures. Nearby residents were advised to wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth.

In June, after unusually high lead levels were detected in a child, pregnant women and young children were invited to get tested for lead levels in their blood.

More than three months after the fire, the Paris prefect suspended restoration work on the cathedral on July 25 until more robust decontamination measures have been put in place. The same day, the mayor’s office temporarily closed a nursery and primary school that were hosting a holiday club for a “deep clean” after high lead levels were detected.

The cathedral’s spire and roof, which collapsed in the fire, contained more than 450 tonnes of lead.

 

[Chad]

So it seems that, following the abominable proposals for Notre Dame's restoration, France's officials have finally agreed that they're going to attempt to restore it to its former glory. Although, as noted in the article below, there isn't an company in France that's really capable of doing this. Most worrying of all, Macron is apparently heading up a newly created agency and will be in full control of the project. Notably this is "an operation that would normally be the remit of the ministry of culture."

For previous examples of 'French culture' during Macron's reign we've seen transvestites voguing at the Elysee for France's annual Fete de la Musique, and, at the 350th Opera gala, a similar afterparty was held on the premises with a DJ and scantily clad men dancing to American rap...


Article from SOTT:

It's official: New Notre Dame will look like the old Notre Dame - Macron will oversee new agency responsible


Francesco Bandarin
The Arts Newspaper
Fri, 02 Aug 2019 14:12 UTC







© Nivenn Lanos
Notre Dame cathedral was engulfed by fire in April
The dozens of designs submitted in response to the competition run by the French government for creative proposals — the greenhouse roof, the stained-glass roof, the beam of light spire and the crystal spire — will remain just designs.

On 16 July, 95 days after the fire that destroyed the cathedral's roof and flèche (central spire), the law that will govern the restoration of the cathedral was finally approved by the French parliament. It explicitly states that the cathedral must be rebuilt as it looked before the fire. It recognises its Unesco World Heritage status and the need to respect existing international charters and practices, and it limits derogations to the existing heritage, planning, environmental and construction codes to the minimum.

In the new power map, there will be one master-mind only, French president Emmanuel Macron, who will directly and indirectly control all phases of an operation that would normally be the remit of the ministry of culture.


Comment: Macron in charge of France's cultural heritage? What could possibly go wrong...


The law has created a new agency with vast and wide-ranging powers to be in charge of coordinating and managing the entire operation. It will also receive all the funds raised by national and international subscriptions; manage all work to the immediate surroundings of the cathedral; establish training programmes for the restorers; implement information programmes to educate the public about the conservation process, and establish a scientific council to advise on the key choices that will have to be made.

Half of the new agency's board will be representatives of the French government, but the City of Paris and the Church will also be represented. The main decision-making figure will be its chairman, appointed by decree, who is most likely to be General Jean-Louis Georgelin, a battle-hardened veteran, former head of the joint chiefs of staff of the French armies, and, until 2016, in the powerful position of chancellor of the order of the Légion d'Honneur, the top French order of merit. General Georgelin will report directly to the president and supervise the entire operation.



General Jean-Louis Georgelin
The design aspects of the job will be managed according to the existing heritage code under the chief architect of the cathedral, Philippe Villeneuve. He belongs to a venerable professional organisation, the Compagnie des Architectes-en Chef, which has played a key role in the conservation of French historic monuments since 1907. Given the complexity of the task, Villeneuve has asked for the support of two other chief architects, Rémi Fromont and Pascal Prunet. Together, they will report to, and be authorised by, the minister of culture Franck Riester, while the City of Paris will also be a key partner, at the forceful insistence of mayor Anne Hidalgo.

The Parisian Church has quickly reorganised its ranks in order to manage the collection of funds and control the entire process — always in strict coordination with President Macron, of course. The archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Michel Aupetit, leads, but has delegated management of operations to Patrick Chauvet, the rector archpriest of Notre Dame, and Monsignor Benoist de Sinety, the vicar general, who will represent the Church on the board of the new agency.

Following the fire, the sums pledged by individuals, companies and public bodies reached an astonishing €1bn. The three richest families of France, headed by François Pinault (of the construction giant Bouygues, Christie's, Gucci, Sanofi and others), Bernard Arnault (of the luxury group LVMH, Christian Dior and others) and Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers (owners of L'Oreal) promised €500m, while Patrick Pouyanné, the CEO of the French oil giant Total, pledged €100m. According to the press office of Notre Dame, by 17 July none of these had paid over any money yet, but given the high public exposure of the donors it is very unlikely that the pledges will be not be honoured.

Three foundations that have so far received funds are mentioned in the new law: the Fondation de France; the Fondation du patrimoine, and the Fondation Notre Dame under the cardinal of Paris. Other organisations have also played an important role in fund-raising. The Centre des Monuments Nationaux, an agency of the ministry of culture that manages over 100 monuments in France, has been very active right from the start, as well as the Friends of Notre Dame, a US charitable association, and there have been other foreign donors as well.

To coordinate the flow of international support, the ministry of foreign affairs has appointed Stanislas de Laboulaye as ambassador for the reconstruction of Notre Dame. The new law has also authorised a national fund-raising campaign and confirmed the previous public financial commitments to the restoration of Notre Dame, including the cost of the studies and project design.

Three months after the fire that almost destroyed one of France's most famous buildings, the management structure for the titanic task of its reconstruction is now in place, so what will the next steps be? So far, only urgent consolidation and protective work has been carried out and the cathedral is not yet out of danger, as the chief architect Philippe Villeneuve keeps warning. The recent heat wave has brought additional risk because it has dried out the already weakened vaults, which could collapse at any moment; at present, only robots are allowed to work under them to remove the debris.

The key question is, who will actually carry out this huge reconstruction and restoration? Numerous specialist enterprises are currently being employed, many transferred from other restoration sites, but none of them is capable of managing the complexity involved in rebuilding Notre Dame. They are geared to relatively small restoration projects, rarely worth more than €10m, so a major construction firm is needed, capable of acting as general contractor to provide overall coordination. The problem is that none of the large construction firms in France has the necessary skills in the field of restoration, so they will have to rely on the specialised firms.This public tender will therefore be of the utmost complexity and vital to the success of the whole project — a daunting task even for the seasoned professionals now in command of the reconstruction of Notre Dame.

- Francesco Bandarin is an architect and former senior official at Unesco, director of its World Heritage Centre (2000- 2010) and assistant director-general for culture (2010-2018)

 

[angelburst29]

French billionaire gives $109m to rebuild Notre Dame
French billionaire gives $109m to rebuild Notre Dame

Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of French luxury group Kering (L), his father Francois Pinault (R), and Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit (C), sign an agreement to raise money for the rebuild of Notre-Dame cathedral, in Paris. (AP)

October 01, 2019 - PARIS: French billionaire Francois Pinault and son Francois-Henri Pinault have officially signed documents setting aside 100 million euros ($109 million) toward rebuilding Notre Dame Cathedral, following months of delay that left officials largely reliant on small charity donations to fund the first phase of repairs.

Surrounded by portraits of former cardinals, the Pinaults signed the donation agreement at the Archdiocese of Paris Tuesday. The money will give the Notre Dame Foundation a much-awaited financial boost as authorities draw up plans for the cathedral’s reconstruction, following the devastating fire on April 15.

Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit says “everyone gives what he can according to his needs, but the big donors give us breathing room.”

Francois Pinault, whose international luxury group Kering owns Gucci and Saint Laurent, pledged the money directly after the fire. His rival, French billionaire Bernard Arnault of luxury goods group LVMH, soon followed suit, pledging 200 million euros ($218 million). The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation of the L’Oreal fortune also promised 200 million euros. Arnault finalized his donation agreement with the Notre Dame Foundation last week.

Francois Pinault said that they hoped announcing their donation publicly would motivate others to chip in as well. “It is certainly vulgar to make a gesture and then promote it, but the idea was to generate others,” he said.

A groundswell of support quickly materialized in the hours and days after the blaze ravaged the monument. “It came spontaneously during that evening, when we didn’t yet know whether the cathedral could be saved,” Aupetit said of the Pinault family’s pledge. “It launched a movement that is still ongoing, because we still have 140 donations a week.”

The foundation received 36 million euros ($39 million) from 46,000 individuals, 60 businesses and 29 municipalities between April 15 and the end of September, according to a statement. Aupetit said he’s received donations as small as one euro. But big donations, like the Pinaults’, have taken months to materialize. Meanwhile, the foundation has relied mainly on small, individual donors from France and the US to pay the salaries of workers still laboring to clean up the site and contain the damage from the blaze.

Dimitri Besse, a public relations representative for the Pinault family, noted that the Pinaults donated more than 10 million euros in emergency funds in June at the request of the Notre Dame Foundation.

Aupetit said authorities won’t know the total duration and cost of the project until the spring. President Emmanuel Macron has said he hopes to complete the restoration within five years, but some experts say that timeline is overly ambitious.

For now, Aupetit said, workers remain focused on clean-up and safety measures, like removing scaffolding that melted in the fire. Simply preserving the damaged building in its current state costs 31 million euros ($33.8 million), he said.

 

[angelburst29]

Notre-Dame restoration yet to start six months after the blaze

October 15, 2019 - Six months after the massive fire that almost razed Paris' Notre-Dame, the restoration work at the iconic cathedral has not started in earnest and the official reopening date is yet to be determined, officials said on Tuesday.

“We’re still in the first phase, the phase of securing (the monument’s structure) which is lasting longer than initially planned,”
said Monsignor Patrick Chauvet, the top administrative cleric of Notre-Dame.

“Then there will be the second phase, dedicated to assessing the situation, we will work out how much the restoration will cost. The third phase, which will start in 2021, will be the restoration phase itself,” Chauvet told a news conference.

The April 15 fire caused the roof and spire of the Gothic landmark to collapse although the main bell towers and the outer walls were saved by firefighters, as well as religious relics and priceless artwork. An official cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.

French President Emmanuel Macron has set a target of five years for restoring the cathedral, which would coincide with the 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Paris. But French Culture Minister Franck Riester has said repeatedly that the work should not be rushed.

Slideshow (10 Images)
Notre-Dame restoration yet to start six months after the blaze

 

[angelburst29]

No Christmas mass at Notre-Dame for the first time since Napoleon

For the first time in more than 200 years, worshippers will not be able to attend Christmas mass at Notre-Dame cathedral, still being restored after a devastating fire.

 

[angelburst29]

The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile that there's a “50% chance” the structure might not be saved, because scaffolding installed before this year's fire is threatening the vaults of the Gothic monument.

Notre Dame rector: Fragile cathedral might not be saved
Notre Dame rector: Fragile cathedral might not be saved

Dec. 25, 2019 - Monsignor Patrick Chauvet said restoration work isn't likely to begin until 2021 — and described his “heartache” that Notre Dame couldn't hold Christmas services this year, for the first time since the French Revolution.

“Today it is not out of danger," he told The Associated Press on the sidelines of Christmas Eve midnight Mass in a nearby church. “It will be out of danger when we take out the remaining scaffolding.”

“Today we can say that there is maybe a 50% chance that it will be saved. There is also 50% chance of scaffolding falling onto the three vaults, so as you can see the building is still very fragile,” he said.

The 12th-century cathedral was under renovation at the time of the accidental April fire, which destroyed its roof and collapsed its spire. With no more roof to keep the massive stone structure stable, the cathedral's surviving vaults are crucial to keeping it standing, but they are vulnerable. (Article continues.)