FaithOf Many Things

As Notre Dame burned, America watched with sorrow

Matt Malone, S.J. April 19, 2019

As Notre Dame burned, America watched with sorrow

Flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)  

Editor’s Note: The day before this issue [April 29] went to press, we watched on our newsroom monitors the devastating fire at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. As of this writing, the fire has been extinguished and, while the cause and the full extent of the damage are unknown, much of this treasure of our Christian patrimony lies in ashes. Thanks be to God, no one was killed.

How do we make sense of such an event? Yesterday, a member of our editorial staff made an attempt. I share it here, a reflection by a young man about this 800-year-old symbol of our enduring faith.

Advertisement

Read his reflection here: Grieving the fire of Notre Dame during Holy Week

Matt Malone, S.J.

Show Comments (
1
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Michael Becker
3 months ago

Sad, but not a sad as the inability of the "Church" to deal with the sex abuse scandal. Does God directly intervene in our daily lives? Is he angry with His "fans?" Is the fire an expression of His anger?

Advertisement

This article also appeared in print, under the headline "A Fire in Paris," in the April 29, 2019 issue.

More: Europe / Lent
Matt Malone, S.J.

Matt Malone, S.J., is the President and Editor in Chief of America Media.

Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more.

Executive Director
Jobs
THE AMERICANIZED GOSPEL: How Hypernationalism Distorts Our Catholic Faith
Books
A day of Reflection in Northern Michigan
Seminars
Catholic University of America Vice President for Student Affairs
Jobs
AmeriCorps Positions at Maggie’s Place
Jobs
See all Classifieds

The latest from america

Catholic leaders and advocates protest the Trump administration’s handling of detained immigrant children during a “Day of Action” on July 18 in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn)
I was arrested protesting Trump’s border policies. The Gospel calls us to do more.
Being arrested at a U.S. Senate office building, writes William Critchley-Menor, S.J., was an act of sincere resistance to a state that enforces the horrific treatment of children we have seen in immigrant detention centers.
William Critchley-Menor, S.J.July 22, 2019
Thousands of Puerto Ricans joined one of the biggest protests ever seen in the U.S. territory, with irate islanders pledging to drive Gov. Ricardo Rossello from office, in San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 22. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
Puerto Rico’s bishops call for Governor Ricardo Rosselló to step down
The bishops said in a statement on July 19: “You, Mr. Governor, bribed and attacked people and groups that participate in our democratic coexistence and therefore cannot continue to exercise your role.”
America StaffJuly 22, 2019
Why I took my 3-year-old to the Catholic Day of Action for Immigrant Children
Of course, the train ride was the highlight of his day. But I am hopeful he learned what it means to welcome the stranger.
Kerry WeberJuly 22, 2019
Americans don’t trust the media. Here’s how we can fix that.
It is worth taking a closer look at the role of compassion and empathy in journalism, Richard G. Jones writes.
Richard G. JonesJuly 22, 2019