CC#35--Notre Dame's Journey from Ruin to Redemption

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One week ago, we celebrated the rebirth of one of the most important Catholic cathedrals in all of Christendom from a devastating fire five years ago.

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Let's talk about it on this Catholic Corner.

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Welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life.

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Now here's your host, David Kaiser.

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Hello, I am David and welcome back to another Catholic Corner.

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We are just one week away, a little over one week, from the second holiest day in all of Christianity, the nativity of our Lord, jesus Christ becoming man.

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So I thought it appropriate that we would show our appreciation for the French government for their splendid work on the rebuilding and refurbishment of Notre Dame de Paris Notre Dame, our mother of Paris.

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Now let's go back to understand what happened just a short five years ago.

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On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire broke out at the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, causing extensive damage to the 850-year-old landmark.

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The blaze began around 6.18 pm local time when the first fire alarm sounded.

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However, due to a series of unfortunate errors, the fire was not discovered until nearly 30 minutes later.

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The fire started in the cathedral's attic, quickly spreading to the wooden framework known as the forest.

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By 7.50 pm, the roof that forest of the wooden framework of the roof and the cathedral's famous spire had collapsed.

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It had punched holes in the vaulted ceiling, and over 400 firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night, finally bringing it under control by 4 am the next morning.

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Now the fire's impact most of the roof was damaged and destroyed.

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The upper walls were severely damaged.

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The wooden spire had collapsed entirely.

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Now, remarkably, many of the cathedral's priceless artworks and relics were saved, including the crown of thorns.

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The stone structure, including the two iconic twin towers, were preserved thanks to the firefighters' efforts.

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Now the fire was ruled accidental, with investigators focusing on two main theories an improperly extinguished cigarettes or an electrical short circuit of some type.

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The cathedral's fire safety system had critical flaws in it, including a lack of firewalls in the attic and there were no automatic sprinklers.

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Coupled with that, confusion among the staff and a series of errors delayed the fire's discovery and reporting.

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Now, in the aftermath, french President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild Notre Dame within five years, a daunting goal when set.

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At the time, the tragedy sparked an outpouring of support from around the world, with donations for restoration quickly surpassing over 846 million euros.

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How impactful and tragic the fire was is to understand the history of the cathedral and its place in just under a half of a century, or rather a half of a millennium, a half of a millennium of Christianity's experience.

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Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has a long and rich history that goes all the way back 850 years.

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When you think of Christianity and Europe, one of the certain icons that immediately comes to mind is the Notre Dame Cathedral.

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It has been at the center of numerous significant historical events throughout its long history.

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The construction of Notre Dame began in 1818,.

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In 1163, under the reign of King Louis VII, pope Alexander III laid the cornerstone.

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The project was initiated by Maurice de Salis, the Bishop of Paris at the time, who envisioned a grander cathedral to replace the older Saint-É Etienne Cathedral.

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Construction was lengthy, though.

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The high altar was consecrated in 1182, just some 19 years after the first cornerstone was laid.

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The choir in the western facade and the nave were completed in 1250.

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By 1345, the cathedral was largely completed, taking some 182 years in total.

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Now, in terms of a timeline of the most notable events 1239, st Louis this is Louis IX brought the crown of thorns, believed to be worn by Christ, to Notre Dame for safekeeping.

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Keep in mind, the church was not yet complete by then.

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In 1302, the first meeting of the Estates General of the Kingdom of France was initiated by Philip the Fair at Notre Dame Again, the church was not completed yet in 1302.

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Then the opening of Joan of Arc's rehabilitation trial took place at the cathedral.

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That happened in 1431.

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Finally, the cathedral had been completed.

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And then, in 1572, just at the tail end of the beginning of the Reformation, the Protestant Reformation, the marriage of Margaret of Valois, queen Margaret, to Henry of Navarre, the future king Henry IV of France, was celebrated at Notre Dame.

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1793, during the French Revolution, notre Dame was converted into unbelievably a temple of reason as part of the new revolutionary cult.

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And finally, in 1804, napoleon Bonaparte's coronation as Emperor of France was held at Notre Dame with Pope Pius VII officiating.

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Then Victor Hugo, the famous novelist, in 1831 published his again famous novel, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, which renewed interest in the cathedral and led to a major restoration effort.

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And then, in 1944, among the tail end of World War II, on August 25th, the bells of Notre Dame rang again to celebrate the liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation.

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The following day, a Magnificat was sung in the presence of General Charles de Gaulle.

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Now, if I may, I'd like to share three thoughts about the restoration and the rededication of Notre Dame de Paris.

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First, a huge and heartfelt thank you for the restoration of this incredible cathedral.

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Major kudos to the French government for honoring tradition by using some of the same materials and preserving the original artwork of this 850-year-old masterpiece of a structure and thank goodness they didn't go with some of the wild and wacky modern ideas that were being suggested.

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Some of those sounded like they came straight out of the French Revolution's Temple of Reason.

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It was truly bizarre stuff, considering that France as a nation, as a country, has long drifted away from its Christian roots.

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I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

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So thank you to the French government, its people and for President Macron for leading the way and ensuring the restoration stayed true to the original design, with just a few minor tweaks.

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Overall they really got it right and we should applaud them for that.

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Now on to a bit of disappointment.

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The Diocese of Paris really missed the mark with the new altar, tabernacle and pulpit design.

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Honestly, it looks like something out of Star Wars, not even close to what a Catholic altar should be.

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It's completely out of place and, frankly, just looks plain ugly, ugly as sin.

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Let's hope and pray they reconsider and replace it with something more traditional and reverent.

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Let's hope and pray they reconsider and replace it with something more traditional and reverent, something that truly matches the grandeur and sacredness of the cathedral.

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And lastly, a quick plea for protecting your ears.

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You might laugh, as I am, but trust me, after hearing the music chosen for the Notre Dame organ dedication, you will want to be protecting your ears.

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So here's the backstory.

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The grand organ of Notre Dame was completely restored following the fire.

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It was a massive job, since lead dust had collapsed from the collapsed roof, had gotten in and settled inside the organ.

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The restoration process of the organ alone was intense cleaning and decontaminating some 8,000 pipes, replacing the leather components that handled the airflow in the pipes, repairing and refurbishing the mechanical and electrical systems and then turning the whole thing.

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A painstaking process, or rather, tuning in the whole thing, tuning in the actual organ.

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That was a painstaking process that took some six months.

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Now you fast forward to the rededication ceremony on December 8th, which is a meaningful date for Catholics.

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December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a day honoring the Virgin Mary to whom Notre Dame, our Lady, is dedicated.

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It was also the second Sunday of Advent in 2024, a significant time in the Catholic calendar leading up to Christmas and the Catholic calendar leading up to Christmas Plus.

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The restoration's completion fulfilled President Macron's promise to reopen the cathedral, like we said earlier, for that timeline of five years after the fire.

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So, with all that significance, you would think that the Diocese of Paris would choose, I don't know, something timeless and fitting, perhaps the Ave Maria or the Salve Regina, but nope, they went with wasn't even to be a song.

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Here's what happened the first piece played on the newly restored organ wasn't a pre-composed piece.

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Instead it was improvisation.

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I'm sorry.

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Archbishop of Paris Lut Aldrich led a call and response ritual with the organ.

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He recited eight invocations in Latin, to quote awaken the organ, and after each one the organist responded with an improvised passage.

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Oliver Lottree, notre Dame's longest serving organist, performed the first two improvisations.

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The first was a crescendo symbolizing the organ's revival, and the second represented a transition from death to resurrection.

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Other organists, philip Lafebvre and Vincent Dubois, also joined in for the remaining improvisations.

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While the idea of this musical dialogue sounds creative, the result, well, let's just say it wasn't what everyone expected.

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The sounds were how do we say jarring, painful?

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Even.

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How do we say jarring painful?

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Even watching world leaders and attendees visibly cringe made it even harder to listen to.

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If you're curious or you just want to test your ears, I've linked the performance here at the YouTube link and I'll put it in the show notes.

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And, to cleanse your palate, I've also included a link to a beautiful traditional marrying hymn so you can really feel the difference between the two songs.

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I suggest you listen to both and let me know what you think With this improvised dedication music.

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Was it way off the mark, or do you think it's just me off the mark, or do you think it's just me?

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The recent musical performance at the dedication of the rebuilt Notre Dame organ certainly caught many of us off guard.

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While the improvisations didn't land as expected, it's also a good reminder of why beauty, goodness and truth are so important, not just in art but in life.

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The sacred traditions have been a blessing for centuries and it's worth reflecting on how we can continue to honor and preserve them.

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Let's pray for stronger Catholic leadership in Paris, and especially in France, and a revival of the transcendentals, the good, the true and the beautiful.

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By focusing on those virtues the true, the good and the beautiful we can create a space where sacred music and the arts continue to be inspired and continue to be appreciated, and will absolutely continue to uplift us, touching hearts and souls in a much more powerful way.

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The revival of Notre Dame is a powerful story of resilience and teamwork, symbolizing hope and, in the enduring spirit, human spirit.

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This five-year restoration brings history back to life.

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This five-year restoration brings history back to life.

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We celebrate our shared heritage with it and we restore a major Catholic cathedral to its former glory.

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It's a project that unites all of us under the care of Our Lady of Notre Dame.

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Our mother will intercede for us and inspire future generations through this incredible restoration.

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May she continue to bless us and may her son, our Lord Jesus Christ, bless this church, this beautiful church, notre Dame de Paris, as he has for some 850 years since the first cornerstone was laid.

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And he will so until the end of time.

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Thank you for joining us.

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We hope you enjoyed this Theory to Action podcast.

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Be sure to check out our show page at teammojoacademycom, where we have everything we discussed in this podcast, as well as other great resources.

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Until next time, keep getting your mojo on.

CC#35--Notre Dame's Journey from Ruin to Redemption

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