Entire Frame of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is Engulfed In Flames After Spire Collapses

SkyNews via NBC...

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIXxTrAa9nc]

One of the world's greatest architectural landmarks is burning...and, apart from its world-renowned architecture (gargoyles, etc.), and the reality that the Cathedral, itself, was the primary subject of many famous works of art, this sad event will undoubtedly destroy/damage many well-known pieces contained within the building, too.

...Here's the slide show LINK via the Chicago Tribune.

Here's the link to the developing news via Associated Press...

Firefighters are battling a massive blaze at the French capital's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.

A church spokesman has told French media that all of the cathedral's frame is burning after its spire caught fire and collapsed.

The peak of the church had been undergoing a $6.8 million renovation project.

French media quoted the Paris fire brigade saying the fire is "potentially linked" to the renovation work. The cause remains unknown.

French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed a televised speech to the nation because of the fire...

A devastating day for France, and the entire world.


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WaterLily's picture

@The Liberal Moonbat @The Liberal Moonbat Who died that day, many of whom chose to leap to their own deaths rather than burn alive, may disagree with you.

Sorry not sorry if that's too graphic a statement. I'm horrified to read such a gross dismissal of human loss.

[Edited for a typo]

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The Liberal Moonbat's picture

@WaterLily 3000 dead is nobody's idea of a picnic, but there are parts of the world where that's called "a brisk Tuesday".

The world is too big, and the sweep of experience too vast, for any one person to internalize all the suffering - believe me, I know. I've done so much of that over the course of my own life that it's crippled me. If most Americans knew half as much about geography and world troubles as I did when I was 8 years old (the peak of my geography savant status), they would've had the sense of perspective not to surrender to fascism. You CANNOT weep for every sparrow that falls - and as Ward Churchill observed, not everyone in there was innocent. Everyone else was, had it happened anywhere else, what we'd call "collateral damage".

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In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

WaterLily's picture

@The Liberal Moonbat I agree with you about the Towers themselves. Also agree about the inadvisability of internalizing every person's suffering. Still, I felt the need to remember those who were lost, regardless of their innocence or culpability or complicity or whatever. They were still human beings with families and friends. That's all.

Wishing you a peaceful day.

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lotlizard's picture

@WaterLily @WaterLily  

They were still human beings with families and friends.

This comes up every d— time people in Germany try to commemorate their war dead and war-related catastrophes, such as silent vigils and marches on February 13, the anniversary of the firebombing of Dresden.

“F— ’em, they were all on the side of the Nazis, you have no right to mourn Nazis, if you want to mourn Nazis you must be a Nazi, so f— you too.”

How to win friends and influence people, according to what passes in Germany these days for left, progressive, and hip.

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The Liberal Moonbat's picture

So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!

- @realDonaldTrump

The Pillsbury Dotard actually made me laugh. Yes, Donnie; let's handle NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL with the same kind of finesse as the Fukushima reactors.

Digging that "desperate superhero inner monologue" bit at the end, too: "Must...act...QUICKLY! Fire...too...hot...must...put...out...! Hurry...Get...SANDWICH...!"

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In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

when I've traveled in Europe, I do go to see historical religious sites because I enjoy the architecture and the art. I appreciate the need for preservation, but it should not, I repeat, NOT be taken on by government in any way shape or form. And I am hoping that the laws in France preclude using any government taxes or funds to replace or repair this cathedral.

And THIS is why.....

“The Vatican has large investments with the Rothschilds of Britain, France and America, with the Hambros Bank, with the Credit Suisse in London and Zurich. In the United States it has large investments with the Morgan Bank, the Chase-Manhattan Bank, the First National Bank of New York, the Bankers Trust Company, and others.

“The Vatican has billions of shares in the most powerful international corporations such as Gulf Oil, Shell, General Motors, Bethlehem Steel, General Electric, International Business Machines, T.W.A., etc.” (...)

“Some idea of the real estate and other forms of wealth controlled by the Catholic church may be gathered by the remark of a member of the New York Catholic Conference, namely ‘that his church probably ranks second only to the United States Government in total annual purchase.’

“Another statement, made by a nationally syndicated Catholic priest, perhaps is even more telling. ‘The Catholic church,’ he said, ‘must be the biggest corporation in the United States. We have a branch office in every neighborhood. Our assets and real estate holdings must exceed those of Standard Oil, A.T.&T., and U.S. Steel combined. And our roster of dues-paying members must be second only to the tax rolls of the United States Government.’” (...)

“The Catholic church, once all her assets have been put together, is the most formidable stockbroker in the world. The Vatican, independently of each successive pope, has been increasingly orientated towards the U.S. The Wall Street Journal said that the Vatican’s financial deals in the U.S. alone were so big that very often it sold or bought gold in lots of a million or more dollars at one time.” (...)

“The Vatican’s treasure of solid gold has been estimated by the United Nations World Magazine to amount to several billion dollars. A large bulk of this is stored in gold ingots with the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, while banks in England and Switzerland hold the rest.

“But this is just a small portion of the wealth of the Vatican, which in the U.S. alone, is greater than that of the five wealthiest giant corporations of the country. When to that is added all the real estate, property, stocks and shares abroad, then the staggering accumulation of the wealth of the Catholic church becomes so formidable as to defy any rational assessment.” (...)

“The Catholic church is the biggest financial power, wealth accumulator and property owner in existence. She is a greater possessor of material riches than any other single institution, corporation, bank, giant trust, government or state of the whole globe.

“The pope, as the visible ruler of this immense amassment of wealth, is consequently the richest individual of the twentieth century. No one can realistically assess how much he is worth in terms of billions of dollars.” (...)

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"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

@Fishtroller 02
the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

The Liberal Moonbat's picture

@UntimelyRippd Seems a bit like the Church sticking France with the bill yet claiming the benefits for itself - which, when France is struggling like the rest of the world's nation-states, and the Church is the world's biggest wealth-holder, does sound like robbing the poor to give to the rich.

The Church should at least provide the lion's share.

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In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

@The Liberal Moonbat
Unsurprisingly, there has been vigorous debate over the funding of necessary repairs. While the Catholic Church may be seen to enjoy for free "the benefits" of the building, the greater reality is that the people enjoy for free the benefits of the building, which is open to the public without admission charges. Many millions of tourists wander through every year, and most are not there for religious services.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

The Liberal Moonbat's picture

@UntimelyRippd Still, it seems pretty reasonable for the richest entity in the world to at least help pay for repairing an explicitly Catholic building. It's not like the French state could realistically do things that property-owners could normally do with it, like evict the Church, and lease the Cathedral to a different organization that was willing to sign a contract promising to pay an upkeep deposit (Hey, I hear there are some MUSLIMS with a lot of money...!).

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In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

@UntimelyRippd

Under the 1905 law on the separation of Church and State, Notre-Dame de Paris is one of 70 churches in Paris built before that year which are owned by the French state. While the building itself is owned by the state, the Catholic Church is the designated beneficiary, having the exclusive right to use it for religious purposes in perpetuity. The archdiocese is responsible for paying the employees, for security, heating and cleaning, and for ensuring that the cathedral is open free to visitors. The archdiocese does not receive subsidies from the French state.[67]

So far the $ has been pouring in from private donations. It should stay that way.

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"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

Dawn's Meta's picture

@Fishtroller 02 @Fishtroller 02 @Fishtroller 02 The active churches are based on the local population, available priests and how they use them is divorced from the French state.

By owning the buildings, the French government keeps thousands of artisans employed: stonemasons, metal workers, architects/designers, builders, electricians and so on.

It maintains a workforce; preserves dying crafts and skills; preserves countless examples of buildings from various centuries.

There is nothing more beautiful than singing in a church begun in the 12th century, even a humble squat little church, which just happens to have a superb acoustic. Approaching the church from outside while the Petit Chœr is practising inside is unimaginable beauty.

Église de Viry

Google Images Viry

I might add, inspite of years of declining funding from the Prime ministers, the concept of taking care of French patramoine, and having no doubt about the separation of church and state, provides steady sources of funding for maintaining and restoring buildings throughout France.

The encroachment of corporate and individual foundation funding is occurring with all the haphazard rewards that brings.

The revolution overthrew both the king and church quite equally. They both taxed; they both raised armies; they both lived in splendor. The rabble eventually formed governments, although it took several attempts. But the idea of taking care of everyone and everything French, was imbedded.

It is sadly loosing its grip in the face of leaders (not) like Sarkozy, Hollande and Macron (the Reagan of France). They have ushered in the corporations and don't remind the people as they have in the past how each Franc/Euro is spent on their behalf.

Our yearly department (county) and regional (state) reports do have extensive reports on taxes received and projects undertaken. So well done.

The JiIllets Jaunes protests are essentially the average people saying, why are you the heads of our elected government choosing to have us pay for removing fossil fuels from our lives (autos) while giving tax breaks to corporations and the rich? And, supporting fossil fuel industries? Punishing the everyday people while encouraging and rewarding the already powerful and rich.

The reaction to the desctruction of Notre Dame Cathedral is one quick reminder in a big way what is being lost centimeter by centimeter every day across France.

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A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.

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lotlizard's picture

@Dawn's Meta  
“Your two euros can feed this child” — that sort of thing.

But the churches also support, for example, groups and actions that interfere with the deportations of people whose request for asylum has been denied.

These disruptions mean that people can no longer be deported using regular commercial flights. Charter or military flights, sometimes just to transport one single person, incur hundreds of thousands of euros in additional costs.

You would think the churches would put two and two together and advocate for money and resources being used to feed people in their own countries, instead of declaring it a moral imperative that everyone seeking a better life should be allowed — at enormous cost, borne primarily by the little people, not the rich — to come to Europe.

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Dawn's Meta's picture

@lotlizard I've seen it written often that refugees on the whole don't want to leave their homes and homelands.

Ad yes as with many things, the "little people" are bearing the costs in many forms, while the rich live in their bubbles.

I really have trouble stepping over homeless people whereever they are. And in decent cities world wide, there are more and more without suitable housing and food.

I'm afraid official churchdoms (not the parishes - little people) are yet another hierarchy, money and power magnet. Again the parishioners are separated from the few at the top.

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A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.

Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.

@Dawn's Meta

And may I point out that those thousands of stonemasons and other structural people being employed to keep church buildings nice could also be paid by the state to work on tons of other infrastructure projects in France.

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"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

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