Ode to Esmeralda …
A few places of worship transcend religion. Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris is one. Indeed, it speaks volumes that it was a must-see even for a convicted apostate like me. As the opening line of this commentary indicates, Victor Hugo’s classic The Hunchback of Notre-Dame inspired my pilgrimage in 1983.
Yet I cannot put into words the emotions I’m feeling as I watch (helplessly, hopelessly) this devastation unfold:
A fire has broken out at the famous Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris and has spread rapidly across the building.
The cause is not yet clear, but officials say that it could be linked to renovation work.
A major operation to tackle the blaze is under way at the 850-year-old Gothic building, but the cathedral’s spire and roof have collapsed.
(BBC, April 15, 2019)
This damage cannot be repaired; nor can it be measured in euros. And I’m not even thinking of all the iconic art and religious relics Notre-Dame housed. Besides, if you’re concerned about such artifacts, you’re probably still bemoaning the far more consequential damage the US invasion of Iraq triggered. No?
Reports are that the fire broke out after closing. This made it easy to evacuate staff and others who remained in the cathedral. Therefore, as of now, there are no fatalities.
Even so, I cannot escape flashes of the Twin Towers in New York City burning to the ground. And I’ve had cause to comment too often in recent years on the way disillusioned immigrants and aggrieved workers alike were setting so much of Paris alight. Those commentaries range from “World Beware: French Riots Affect Us All,” November 8, 2005, to “The Yellow Vests: Paris Is Burning … Again,” December 6, 2018.
Accordingly, the only possible consolation in this case is that restoration efforts, not arson or terrorism, appear to have sparked this fire. But oh! the irony, especially unfolding as it is during this Holy Week of Easter …
In any event, like so much of Notre-Dame right now, I stand utterly gutted.
Related commentaries:
yellow vests…
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