The faithful of Paris sung hymns as France’s Notre Dame Cathedral was engulfed in flames.
Media outlets have shared footage of crowds gathered in prayer and song, standing in vigil as the roof and spire collapsed amidst flames of Our Lady of Paris, while fire began to overtake the rest of the famous Gothic twelfth-century cathedral.
#BREAKING: Emotional footage from outside Notre Dame shows groups of Parisians singing mournful renditions of Ave Maria as the cathedral burns. #9Today pic.twitter.com/6soPfaCELf
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) April 15, 2019
A member of staff from Radio Notre Dame, the Catholic radio station of the Ile de France, recorded footage of a Parisian couple singing the “I Salute You, Mary,” with other passers-by near the Pont Saint-Michel joining in.
Dans la foule, près du pont Saint-Michel, ce jeune couple entonne un « Je vous salue Marie ». De nombreux passants reprennent le chant. #NotreDame pic.twitter.com/6z5tcni5qz
— Alban Barthélemy (@AlbanBty) April 15, 2019
The small group was joined by around 100 others.
Toute une foule est désormais rassemblée, en prière, près de la place Saint-Michel. « Nous prions pour la cathédrale, et pour la vie des pompiers ». #NotreDame pic.twitter.com/xBG2sZDqID
— Alban Barthélemy (@AlbanBty) April 15, 2019
And as the night progressed, the crowd grew.
The view from St Michele. As night falls, a group of people are singing while everyone else is taking photos and watch in shock. All feels eerie. #NotreDame #notredamedeparis pic.twitter.com/f5HAwGkmWN
— Andrei Popoviciu (@AndreiPopoviciu) April 15, 2019
One witness told CBS news, “I think what’s so emotional right now is I can hear people in the streets singing. They’re singing and praying and watching this billowing fire continue to persist.”
The fire has since spread to the building’s iconic bell towers, with the Paris fire brigade having reportedly said they may not be able to save the cathedral at all.
Christian communities from as far afield as Egypt, Iraq, and Libya, with the Iraqi chapter of Eastern Christians tweeting, “Destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it in three days.”
#NotreDame de #Paris priez pour la France en ce jour de deuil national!
En union de prière 🙏#Égypte #SOSChrétiensdOrient pic.twitter.com/QGNIMpTsgp— SOS Chrétiens d’Orient (@SOSCdOrient) April 15, 2019
#IRAK 🇶 “Détruisez ce temple et je le rebâtirai en trois jours” Jn, 2
En cette #SemaineSainte, les volontaires mettent leur confiance en Dieu et prient pour #NotreDame de #Paris.#chrétiensdOrient pic.twitter.com/tEnzzDMle6— SOS Chrétiens d’Orient (@SOSCdOrient) April 15, 2019
🇱#Liban – Les volontaires de #SOSChrétiensdOrient unis dans tristesse de la nouvelle accablante prient pour #NotreDame de #Paris en union de prière avec tous les chrétiens Français 🙏🏻#chrétiensdorient pic.twitter.com/5bOzedtduh
— SOS Chrétiens d’Orient (@SOSCdOrient) April 15, 2019
A Paris resident, Vladimir, 54, told Le Parisien earlier in the evening, “It’s a disaster but we will fix it… We do not have a choice. We are in Easter week. At the end, there will be a resurrection.”
You can read Breitbart London’s coverage in full of the tragic fire here.
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