Notre Dame Cathedral One Year On After Devastating Fire

"So far we are a little upset because we cannot work because of the pandemic. We used to be upset about the lead problem. But now we have a reason to rejoice: ensuring the safety of the building is going according to plan. The cathedral is almost saved. Only disassembling the scaffolding is left, which has fused into one [because of the fire]. But it won’t fall on the cathedral, because other structures have been set around it", Patrick Chauvet said.

"I don't know whether restoration works will be delayed due to the [sanitary] crisis. There’s another month of quarantine ahead and the work will still be suspended. So far, everything is closed. As soon as all this is over, as soon as we are sure that there is no danger, of course, the work will resume quite quickly".

"I think that we will meet the deadline [five-year term announced by Emmanuel Macron]. The president said that he 'wanted to return the cathedral to Catholics'. This means that the priority is to restore the arches, the supporting structure, and the roof. Obviously, we will restore everything outside not in 5, but in 10-12 years. The cathedral is a huge building. Restoring it will take time".

Speaking about what was behind the blaze, Chauvet said that "there was no official version about the cause of the fire".

"There is no new information. The investigation is underway. I think that the final version won’t be different from what the prosecutor said; it's either a short circuit or a series of minor incidents that caused a fire".

"On Good Friday, during Easter Mass, it was wonderful that for the first time since the fire, the crown of thorns returned to the cathedral. It was touching. It is also touching that during the pandemic there is something similar between the cathedral and the pandemic victims, between the passions of Christ and the sufferings of families that have lost a loved one. Today, when physical contact is limited, spiritual intimacy has appeared. It’s good that the Mother of God and Her son are here, helping us to bear our cross", the Monsignor said.

"It is always regrettable when there're empty seats in front of you [because of the pandemic parishioners are forbidden from going to churches]. But it’s a proof of faith. This is not always easy. We know that there are many believers on the other side of the screen. We hold Mass together as if the [cathedral] chapter has gathered and been held".

"A lot has been done over the year. Very quickly, on the morning of 16 April 2019, all the workers came to work to make the building safe. A year later, you see a building that stands, that holds tight, that is safe. Not a single stone will fall anymore. The entire cathedral has been cleared of debris, stones, pieces of wood, chairs, tables, and works of art have been removed. Everything else has been hidden. They have set up protective nets over the sacristy so that the items wouldn’t fall. Temporary load-bearing structures have been installed; white covers have been set up to protect from the weather", André Finot, spokeswoman for Notre Dame, said.

"We would like to remove the scaffolding, which partially burned out during the fire. On 23 March – this date was set a very long time ago – they were going to do it, with a delay of several months. The first time [when the scaffolding was to be dismantled], the work was stopped due to a lead problem, and the second time [it was delayed] because of the quarantine".

"Since the temperature of the fire reached 800 degrees, the scaffolding melted together and cannot be removed one piece at a time, you need to cut it all. New scaffolding has been erected and during the next stage, which we hope will start very soon, people involved in [industrial] mountaineering will cut pieces and lower them down".

"Before the quarantine, the laboratories were still working. All across France, heightened security is being maintained. The Laboratory of Historic Buildings is making sure that all panels, particularly the stained-glass windows, are in good condition and that the fire didn’t cause them much damage. Then it will be necessary to arrange another tender to find a contractor to restore them, but the [preparatory] work has been done and the results so far are quite satisfactory".

"The most positive thing is that when you enter the cathedral, you say to yourself: 'Well, in the end, we haven't lost that much'. And it's true: apart from the altar, everything is in place and still standing. And it’s a real miracle to see that everything is as it was before... There is still no official reason for the fire. We’ll wait for the opinion of the investigators, but we still don't know what could have caused that fire. And, as far as I know, there is no exact date [when an opinion on the causes of the fire will be presented]".

"[As for the timing of restoration works], you should know that there is an important stage – the diagnostic phase. They determine what is in good condition and what needs to be replaced. This diagnostic phase takes a lot of time; it is carried out in parallel with the installation of scaffolding".

"The architects involved in restoring the Notre Dame Cathedral are doing the diagnostic work remotely. They discuss all the elements that they have collected over the year throughout the cathedral. Work is going on. Just because there are no more workers doesn't mean that work has stopped. Architects are still working. As for the scaffolding, of course, we'll be a little late; maybe we will have to increase the number of workers, we'll see. In any case, the 2024 deadline declared by General Jean-Louis Georgelin will be met".

"There is a good chance that the deadline [the five-year term announced by Macron] will be met. We all hope so. You know, workers have only one desire – to return to work, to work even more to save the building. I don't think that they voted for Macron, but the workers want the cathedral to open as soon as possible. This is a construction site that lives, and it's great".

"[As for budget constraints and promised donations], as far as I know, nothing has changed in this regard. Everyone hopes that everything will remain so and that we’ll get the money. I have no doubt about it".