One year after devastating fire, Notre-Dame holds Good Friday service despite lockdown

'We wanted to send a message of hope,' says Archbishop Michel Aupetit

Friday 10 April 2020 14:21 BST

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Tiny Good Friday service held in Notre-Dame Cathedral for first time since 2019 fire

The Notre-Dame Cathedral has come back to life again for the first time since a huge fire gutted the beloved landmark for a small Good Friday ceremony amid the coronavirus lockdown.

The cathedral is still closed to the public due to the lockdown as well as the structural instability of the burned building, but a small handful of clergymen took part in prayers, readings and music on Friday morning.

Archbishop Michel Aupetit venerated a crown of thorns that survived the blaze on 15 April 2019, which brought down the centuries-old cathedral’s roof and spire.

“We wanted to send a message of hope,” said the archbishop.

The ceremony, which was broadcast on French-language Catholic television channel KTO TV for those observing Good Friday, included readings of text by authors such as Mother Teresa, Marie-Noël, Paul Claudel and Charles Peguy.

French classical violinist Renaud Capuçon performed several pieces of music during the ceremony.

Restoration of the Notre-Dame was stopped ahead of the lockdown in France, which began on 17 March. Around 67 million people are under strict rules to stay at home and stick to social distancing guidelines.

President Emmanuel Macron promised the Notre-Dame will be rebuilt by 2024 the day after the fire scorched and destroyed huge parts of it.

On Easter Sunday, Archbishope Aupetit will hold a small mass in Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois church in Paris, located near the Louvre museum.

The Sunday mass will be attended by just 20 people, reported Reuters. Last Easter Sunday, hundreds of people gathered at the same church to pray for the Notre-Dame to be restored quickly.

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

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1/13Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Thesupermat/CC-BY-SA

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Safe: Rose windows

Among the most famous architectural features of the Gothic masterpiece, the stained glass rose windows are treasured artworks. The three rose windows, which date back to the 13th century, adorn the north, south and west facades. There were hopes the windows had escaped being destroyed by the fire after firefighters stopped its spread. Photos the following morning suggested the circular window of the nave had remained intact.

AFP/Getty

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Destroyed: Irreplaceable wooden roof

Crowds of tourists and Parisians watched in horror as the spire and roof of Notre Dame cathedral came crashing down to the ground.

EPA

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Safe: Descent from the Cross

The cross and statue on Notre Dame's high altar - sculpted by Nicolas Coustou in 1723 - were believed to have survived in tact despite being surrounded by smoke and debris.

Reuters

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Safe: Great Organ

With nearly 8,000 pipes, some dating back to the 1700s, Notre Dame's master organ is one of the largest in the world. The monumental instrument, the largest in France, was fully restored in 2013 with each pipe cleaned. Paris' deputy mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, said the instrument remained intact following the fire.

AFP/Getty

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Safe: Bells

Housed in the two western towers, Notre Dame's bells have rung out at key moments in France's history. Emmanuel, the largest bell, was lifted into the south tower in 1685 and weighs over 23 tonnes. The fire was prevented from spreading to the bell towers.

AFP/Getty

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Safe: Crown of Thorns

Believed to be a relic of the wreath of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion, the object was stored in the cathedral's treasury. French King Louis IX brought the relic, which is contained in an elaborate gold case, to Paris in 1238. The Crown of Thorns was saved and has been taken into safekeeping.

AP

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Safe: Tunic of Saint Louis

The tunic allegedly worn by Saint Louis IX as he brought the Crown of Thorns to Paris was kept inside the cathedral. It has been saved.

AFP/Getty

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Safe: Statues on the roof

The week before the fire, religious statues set atop the cathedral were removed for the first time in over 100 years as part of the restoration project. A 100-metre-high crane lowered the copper statues representing the 12 apostles and four evangelists onto a lorry.

AFP

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Destroyed: Spire

Crowds of tourists and Parisians watched in horror as the spire and roof of Notre Dame cathedral came crashing down to the ground.

EPA/I

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Unknown: Choir screen

It is not known what happened to the detailed choir screen at Notre Dame cathedral.

AFP/Getty

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved

Some of the artworks from Notre-Dame sheltered as the fire devastated the cathedral

AFP/Getty

Around the world, churches are adapting services over Easter weekend to allow people to watch them via livestream or radio.

In St Peter’s Square, where a wooden cross was carried in a procession during an early 16th century plague is on display, Pope Francis will lead a ceremony with no audience at 6pm.

Elsewhere, in Jerusalem, a small group of clerics will hold a service behind closed doors at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before walking the Via Dolorosa.

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