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Recently, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris held its first Mass meeting, after its devastation in 2019.
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The fire in 2019 destroyed its stained-glass windows, wooden interiors, and its iconic spire. Its restoration project reportedly costs €700 million.
- A cathedral is a church building in which a Christian bishop has his official seat.
The Mass was attended by the President of France, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the Ukrainian President, clergy, and parish representatives from across the city.
About Notre Dame Cathedral
- Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims, Notre-Dame de Paris (French for “Our Lady of Paris”) is a historic Roman Rite Catholic Marian cathedral in Paris, France.
- It is considered as one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
- The construction of the Cathedral was started in 1163 under the presence of Pope Alexander III (head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States).
- The history of the Cathedral of Notre Dame of Reims entails eight centuries of technical or artistic innovations, from the 13th century to its restoration after the First World War, which provided it with a remarkable reinforced concrete framework.
- Although Reims Cathedral has unfortunately lost part of its original stained glass, it still has some of the most remarkable examples of Gothic stained glass.
- The Cathedral has been part of the World Heritage site “Paris, Banks of the Seine” since 1991.
- It contained some of the most sacred relics of the Christian faith, including the Holy Crown of Thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus at his crucifixion.
- The Holy Crown of Thorns, is about 21 centimeters (eight inches) in diameter and made up of rushes braided together and bound by gold wire.