By John Keating
PARIS, June 14 (KUNA) -- The world-famous Notre Dame Cathedral will hold a symbolic mass on June 15 on the site of the devastation that was wrought on the building by an accidental fire on April 15, the Paris Archdiocese announced this week.
The mass coincides with the regular, annual consecration of the Cathedral altar and it will be a very small affair, according to Church statements.
Only around 20 clergy will be invited to attend the holy office that will be held in a side chapel, as the main chapel is still unusable and full of debris.
At the same time, the resumption of church services - even to a very limited degree - is considered vital to church officials, as "it will keep the spirit of Notre Dame alive with the faithful," said Monsignor Hugh Connolly, a Paris-based priest at the Irish College.
The priest and many fellow clergy were witnesses to the terrible destruction in central Paris two months ago and Connolly told KUNA, that Catholics need to feel part of Notre Dame's "renewal and revitalization." The forthcoming mass is a message of "thanksgiving" that the Cathedral was not totally destroyed, thanks to intervention of several hundred firemen, and to hold a service in Notre Dame again will bring people together, the Monsignor indicated.
To emphasize this objective, the small mass on Saturday will be broadcast on national television to allow this mostly Catholic country to share in the event.
Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit explained earlier this week that the very small congregation on Saturday was because of security, which is still precarious after the fire.
Aupetit is the 141st Archbishop of Paris and was ordained to this senior post in January 2018 at the very Cathedral of Notre Dame. But he also has a special role for "Oriental Churches" resident in France and who have branches in the Middle East.
The ferocious and widely televised blaze two months ago ravaged the roof of Notre Dame and melted the 19th century spire installed by architect Violet Le Duc, while damage was also caused to some of the stonework dating back to the 12th century.
The investigation is ongoing into the cause of the fire but some form of electrical short is believed to have caused the outbreak.
Only three days after the fire, President Emmanuel Macron vowed in a national broadcast to rebuild Notre Dame within five years - to coincide with France's hosting of the Olympic Games in 2024.
Many experts and observers view that short deadline as very difficult if not impossible to keep, even with the generosity of donors in France and worldwide.
Indeed, a call for donations via several sources netted close to Euros 900 million (USD 1.18 billion), which is judged more than enough to carry out the rebuild satisfactorily.
The rebuild itself has caused controversy over whether to modernize aspects of Notre Dame or rebuild it as it was before the fire.
Modernizers argue that the Cathedral has been modernized and built on regularly through its history and has been modified from its 12-13th century nature, so more changes are part of a natural evolution for the edifice.
Conservatives and traditionalists are lobbying for no major changes to the pre-fire architecture.
But before any major discussion arrives at an agreed solution, the clean-up work must be completed and environmental dangers from lead dispersion must be addressed in the surrounding area.
The long-term impact of the fire is still unclear, but even the damaged building is a major draw for tourists here, eager to see the condition of Notre Dame and pay their respects.
Between 13-14 million visitors were registered entering Notre Dame in 2018, making it the most visited historic monument in Europe, but it will certainly be some time before that number is matched again. (end) jk.gta